March 21, 2025

HbbTV: The hidden engine powering the future of TV advertising

The annual Connected TV World Summit in London has long been a meeting ground for the brightest minds in television, gathering strategists, innovators, and executives to discuss the future of an industry that is constantly evolving. In 2023, the focus was on how traditional TV could compete with the rise of streaming giants, and one of the most promising tools discussed was Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV). Now, just two years later, at the 2025 edition of the summit, it has become clear that HbbTV is not just an idea – it is a transformational force in the world of advertising and audience engagement.

In 2023, discussions centred on HbbTV’s potential to modernise television with interactive, digital-first services and, most notably, its ability to bring targeted advertising (TA) into linear TV. At the time, the HbbTV-TA specification was new, and while the concept was promising, it was still unproven. This year, however, industry leaders outlined how they have successfully integrated HbbTV into their businesses, demonstrating its effectiveness in real-world applications.

Revolutionising audience measurement and advertising in Europe

One of the most compelling discussions at the 2025 summit came from Thomas Gruber, Co-CEO of ProSiebenSat.1 Puls 4 Austria and Chairman of Austrian TV ratings provider AGTT. He revealed that Austrian advertisers can now access real-time TV audience measurement, including demographics, thanks to return channel data from HbbTV TV sets. This level of insight allows media buyers to optimise their investments with precision, significantly reducing the number of zero-rated advertising spots for the key 12-to-49 demographic by 97%.

Austria has also leveraged HbbTV for dynamic campaign optimisation. With TV-LOAD, linear TV campaign delivery can now be adjusted in real time based on live audience data. This capability enables advertisers to make the most of fluctuating viewership patterns, improving ad relevance and effectiveness.

Moritz Wuttke, Board Member and Vice-Chairman of Konodrac, provided another powerful example, explaining how HbbTV has helped create the largest TV audience panel in the world, covering 15 million households and 18 million TV sets. This data-driven approach has led to a 15% increase in TV advertising revenues by ensuring advertisers know exactly which homes have seen a given ad, thus improving ad targeting and effectiveness.

Spain’s ATRESMedia, represented by Project Manager Jorge Caba Molina, showcased how HbbTV has enabled innovative new advertising formats, such as the “Switch-In” feature. This allows an advertiser a second chance to deliver an ad to a viewer who might have missed the original commercial break when tuning into a channel – a form of real-time re-targeting that increases brand exposure and ad efficiency.

Ensuring seamless integration and future-proofing TV

Beyond advertising innovations, HbbTV is also playing a key role in shaping the broader TV experience. Yorick M., Director of Strategy, and Orpheus Warr, CTO of UK platform provider Everyone TV, discussed how Freely, based on the HbbTV Operator Application specification, provides a streamlined entry point into UK broadcasters’ rich content libraries. This is a critical step in preparing for a future where TV distribution may become entirely internet-based.

Ensuring HbbTV-TA operates flawlessly across different television models is also a priority. Peter Neumann, CTO of the Addressable TV Initiative (ATVI), highlighted their work in Germany, where the company is certifying HbbTV-TA implementations across a variety of TV sets. This certification process guarantees that broadcasters and advertisers can execute frame-accurate ad replacements – down to mere milliseconds – without viewers even noticing the transition.

HbbTV: Driving innovation in the evolving TV landscape

While much of the media industry’s excitement has focused on the meteoric rise of streaming services, traditional linear TV remains a dominant force. Despite the rapid growth of subscription-based platforms and ad-supported streaming, millions of viewers across Europe and beyond continue to consume television through linear broadcasts. This enduring presence highlights the need for innovation within traditional TV, ensuring it remains competitive in an increasingly digital landscape.

The past fifteen years of innovation in open standards for interactive television are now paying off, proving that HbbTV is far more than just a technological experiment – it is a key driver of the future of television advertising. As broadcasters continue to defend, adapt, and grow their businesses, HbbTV is quietly, but powerfully revolutionising the way audiences engage with television in the digital age.

Jörn Krieger
Freelance journalist
With contributions from Vincent Grivet and Matthew Huntington.