All TV Is Local Now: Local Television In The Age Of Streaming
Our latest TVREV Special Report
Local TV is having a moment again—not because the old model is coming back, but because everything around it is changing.
Streaming blew up DMA borders, ad tech turned “local” into a targeting option, and younger audiences are getting their weather and sports from apps, not the evening news. But for all that disruption, local broadcasters still own something no algorithm can replicate: trust, credibility, and a real connection to the communities they serve.
That connection matters more than ever. As national streamers start to automate “local” at scale, the real opportunity is for stations to double down on what they do best—showing up where people actually live.
From breaking news and high school football to mayoral races and snowstorms, local TV is still the most immediate, most human link between audiences and their cities.
The question now isn’t whether local TV still matters—it’s how and where it fits in to a streaming-first world where everyone’s selling “local.”
In this report you’ll learn:
How streaming made all TV local.
Why “local” is now more about context than geography.
How AI and automation are reshaping local ad sales.
What the RSN collapse means for live sports on broadcast.
How political advertising is evolving in the CTV era.
Why first-party data and measurement are critical issues for local stations.
How local broadcasters can carve out an identity that’s bigger than their DMA.
Featuring Innovator Spotlight interviews from:
Jon Carpenter, CEO, Comscore
Keith Norman, VP, Political Practice, LG Ad Solutions
Daniel Spinosa, President, PREMION
