Curation At Work: Simplifying CTV For Small And Midsize Advertisers
“Scale is critical, and curation delivers it,” notes Daniel Spinosa, President of Premion. “With a curated approach, SMBs can reach across the full breadth of streaming services — following viewers wherever they go, even as subscription churn and shifting habits make the landscape unpredictable.”
TVREV: The streaming TV market continues to grow rapidly. What does that mean for local and small-to-midsize advertisers trying to keep up?
DANIEL SPINOSA (DS): The growth of Connected TV (CTV) has been tremendous, with 88% of households projected to be CTV households this year, according to eMarketer — and ad dollars are following suit. But with that growth comes complexity. Advertisers now face a crowded marketplace with countless platforms, apps, and buying models, and measurement standards that don’t always align. For small and midsize businesses (SMBs), the challenge is even greater — they often lack the resources or dedicated teams that national advertisers rely on. That’s why curation has become essential — and more importantly, why smart curation matters. Instead of juggling dozens of buys and reports, smart curation cuts through the clutter and gives SMBs the ability to scale campaigns with simplicity and efficiency.
TVREV: You mention smart curation. How exactly does this work, and why is it different from just aggregating inventory?
DS: Smart curation is about more than just stitching together inventory. It’s about carefully selecting trusted, brand-safe environments and making sure every placement delivers real value. That means fraud protection, transparency into where ads run, and outcomes-based measurement. By working directly with premium publishers, curated partners give SMBs confidence that their ads are reaching audiences in safe, high-quality settings. And because everything is brought under one umbrella, SMBs get one unified report that ties impressions directly to business results.
TVREV: What are some of the biggest benefits that curation delivers for SMB campaigns?
DS: Scale is critical, and curation delivers it. With a curated approach, SMBs can reach across the full breadth of streaming services — following viewers wherever they go, even as subscription churn and shifting habits make the landscape unpredictable. It also enables precision targeting, whether by demographics, behaviors, or content type, ensuring campaigns are relevant and efficient. Another major benefit is frequency management. By managing delivery across publishers, curated platforms prevent consumers from seeing the same ad too many times. That reduces waste, protects budgets, and creates a better viewing experience.
TVREV: Measurement and reporting have long been pain points for local advertisers. How does curation help address those issues?
DS: Historically, local TV measurement has been messy—reliant on panels, inconsistent metrics, and systems that don’t talk to each other. Streaming risked repeating that problem, but smart curation solves it. Instead of piecing together reports from multiple publishers, advertisers get a single, transparent view of performance. That unified reporting makes optimization easier and ensures that outcomes — whether it’s store visits, website traffic, or sales—are measured consistently. For SMBs, that clarity is invaluable because it connects ad spend directly to business impact.
TVREV: How should SMBs evaluate CTV partners when it comes to curation?
DS: Not all curation is created equal. SMBs should look for partners with direct connections to premium inventory — not just bulk buys with limited visibility. They should expect transparency into placements, protection against fraud, and outcome-based measurement. Just as important, choosing a partner with the right tech stack to power smart curation helps track delivery across streaming platforms, ensuring frequency is managed and spend isn’t wasted. The right partner also makes execution seamless, helping extend campaigns across publishers and maximize ROI without requiring large in-house teams. In short, a smart curator turns complexity into simplicity and gives SMBs the confidence that their campaigns are running in brand-safe, trusted environments.
TVREV: What’s on the horizon for SMBs in CTV, and how do you see curation evolving?
DS: As CTV grows, fragmentation will only increase with more apps, more platforms, more walled gardens. That makes smart curation even more essential. The future will be about deeper personalization, more advanced targeting, and measurement that ties every impression to outcomes. For SMBs, this means access to tools and opportunities that once seemed out of reach, like programmatic live sports or interactive ad formats. Curation is what ensures these innovations are accessible, scalable, and built for business results. It’s the bridge that lets local advertisers compete on the same playing field as national brands.
