Türkiye’s hidden HbbTV success story
This article is part of a series based on presentations from the HbbTV Symposium and Awards 2025, bringing together insights from across the industry on the future of broadcast services and connected television. Covering topics from broadband-only delivery and addressable advertising to interoperability and evolving standards, the series captures key discussions and expert perspectives shaping the next phase of HbbTV and the wider TV ecosystem.
Merve Eraslanoğlu, CEO TVEkstra
At the HbbTV Symposium 2025, Merve Eraslanoğlu, CEO of TVekstra and co-host of the event, delivered a compelling perspective on how one market has embraced HbbTV not as a specification to implement, but as a platform for innovation.
Her central message challenged a familiar narrative. While the industry often debates whether audiences still watch television, the reality is that viewing has not declined—it has evolved. Viewers continue to gather around the big screen, but their expectations have changed. They now expect choice, participation and interactivity as standard.
Türkiye, she argued, has responded to this shift faster than many other markets. Rather than questioning whether television can survive in the digital age, the Turkish ecosystem has focused on redefining what television can become.
This mindset has helped position Türkiye as what Eraslanoğlu described as a “hidden HbbTV success story” in Europe. With around 11.5 million connected households, 68 channels and national coverage exceeding 50%, the scale of adoption is already significant. However, the more important distinction lies in how the technology has been used.
In many markets, HbbTV deployment has followed a structured path, often shaped by regulatory frameworks and standardisation efforts. In contrast, Türkiye’s approach has been more experimental. Broadcasters, advertisers and agencies have used HbbTV as a creative playground, focusing on what can be achieved with available capabilities rather than waiting for ideal conditions.
TVekstra has played a central role in this evolution, building a platform that connects broadcasters, advertisers, agencies and viewers through interactive experiences. The focus is not simply on delivering advertising, but on engineering engagement, transforming passive viewing into active participation.
The results presented during the session illustrate the impact of this approach. Interactive campaigns have delivered participation rates of between 5% and 7%, significantly higher than typical digital benchmarks. Average landing page engagement times of over eight seconds, substantial in a TV context, demonstrate that viewers are willing to interact when the experience is compelling. In addition, click-through rates have shown uplifts of more than 220% compared to static formats.
Two case studies brought these concepts to life.
The first, for Terra Pizza, combined programmatic advertising with connected TV to create a data-driven, interactive campaign. Attention data gathered during the digital phase was used to optimise targeting on CTV, where viewers were invited to engage with a gamified experience. The results included higher engagement, improved brand recall and increased purchase intent, demonstrating how HbbTV can bridge digital and television advertising strategies.
The second example, for Pınar Protein Milk, showcased how real-time data can enhance viewer engagement. By integrating live volleyball match scores into interactive TV banners, the campaign allowed users to follow match progress directly on their TV screens. This utility-driven approach extended engagement beyond the live broadcast itself, achieving strong interaction rates and prolonged on-screen engagement.
These examples underline a broader point: interactive television is not just about advertising formats, but about creating experiences that resonate with viewers. As Eraslanoğlu noted, data alone does not drive impact, immersive experiences do.
Looking ahead, she highlighted several trends that are likely to shape the next phase of HbbTV innovation, including AI-driven creativity, real-time personalisation and seamless integration with commerce. The ambition is to transform every household into a measurable, interactive environment where storytelling, engagement and transactions converge.
The Turkish experience offers valuable lessons for the wider HbbTV community. It demonstrates that success is not solely dependent on infrastructure or regulation, but also on mindset. By embracing experimentation and focusing on user experience, it is possible to unlock the full potential of HbbTV today.
As the industry continues to evolve, the innovations emerging from markets like Türkiye may well serve as a blueprint for others to follow, showing how interactive television can move beyond theory and deliver real, measurable impact.
Watch the presentation and explore further
You can watch the full presentation from the HbbTV Symposium 2025 here: Watch the Video
The presentation slides are also available to download: Download the presentation
Next in the series
Get a detailed look at how the HbbTV specifications are evolving, as Jon Piesing outlines the latest updates, including DRM integration, WebAssembly support and the roadmap for future versions of the standard.
