Dan Callahan on combining linear scale with streaming precision
Welcome to Innovators Unscripted, a series where we share unfiltered insights from some of the most disruptive voices in today’s advertising ecosystem. Dan Callahan, SVP and chief revenue officer at Spectrum Reach, joins for a conversation about balancing linear’s scale with streaming TV’s precision, where AI is showing real results in streaming, and why first-party data is becoming streaming’s biggest differentiator.
Here are the takeaways that stuck with us.
Linear and streaming TV are converging
The lines between linear and streaming TV are blurring together. Half of Spectrum’s footprint still runs on linear set-top boxes, and the other half is now streaming on the Spectrum TV app. Every new subscriber going forward will be digital-first, with video content distributed through Spectrum’s family company, Xumo.
“We believe the future of live TV is subscription-based, ad-supported, and impression-delivered.”
Dan Callahan, SVP and Chief Revenue Officer
Spectrum Reach
That shift matters for marketers because it means the same premium live inventory they’ve always bought on linear is now available through programmatic streaming TV, with the targeting and measurement precision that only comes from digital.
Live sports and local news are unlocking new programmatic inventory
Dan points to this year’s NBA playoffs and the New York Knicks’ impressive run as proof of why live television still commands attention few other formats can match.
“[Live sports are] the reason people continue to subscribe, keep premium video, and stay up for those moments that happen once every 53 years.”
Dan Callahan, SVP and Chief Revenue Officer
Spectrum Reach
That kind of appointment viewing is exactly what’s opening up new programmatic streaming TV inventory. On average, the homes Spectrum reaches spend four and a half hours a day watching TV, across every genre from reality TV to local news to live sports. Spectrum sells that inventory in an addressable way today and continues to expand programmatic access to it year over year. For marketers, that means more opportunities to reach engaged audiences at meaningful scale.
AI is already proving its value in streaming TV, from inventory discovery to creative production
The industry is still early in testing AI, but Dan believes the value is already becoming tangible. Spectrum has started connecting to buyer agents, passing signals about content, context, and audience so those agents can discover its inventory without a human buyer having to search for it manually. Seller agents, and the ability to automatically respond to RFPs, are next, a shift he expects will save time on both sides of the transaction.
That same push toward AI-driven efficiency also extends to creative. Producing a TV commercial can often be too expensive for Spectrum’s local media buyers to justify. AI now lets Spectrum turn a business’s existing print and online assets into a high-quality 15- or 30-second spot, opening up streaming advertising to businesses that couldn’t afford a TV commercial before.
First-party data and show-level transparency set Spectrum Reach apart
Spectrum’s recent conversations with buyers keep circling back to one theme: a return to premium. With so much streaming inventory now available, buyers can afford to be selective, and Dan sees Spectrum’s partnership with Index and Gracenote as exactly the kind of differentiator that wins that selectivity.
Powered by Gracenote’s content ID technology, the partnership gives buyers show-level transparency, letting them see exactly which program their ad ran in, without needing to activate against Gracenote’s own audience segments to get it. Buyers also get a count of show-level impressions, giving them proof of purchase across their streaming investments on Spectrum Reach inventory transacted through Index. Combined with Spectrum’s strong first-party data from its 38 million subscribers, that means buyers can verify performance and optimize campaigns in ways that simply weren’t possible when show-level insights stayed locked inside direct deals.
“For us, it’s the big screen. It’s live, it’s first-party data, it’s context and show-level transparency. Why not demand those things from your CTV media partners?”
Dan Callahan, SVP and Chief Revenue Officer
Spectrum Reach
Spectrum Reach is turning the home screen into an immersive storefront
The next big opportunity for streaming TV is about the viewer experience before they ever press play. By completely reimagining the home screen itself, Spectrum’s new storefront experience brings direct-to-consumer (DTC) apps together with live TV, as its TV Plus package now bundles Peacock, Paramount+, HBO Max, and other services directly into a traditional video subscription. That evolved home screen experience has helped Spectrum create new opportunities for marketers to engage viewers in a highly intentional moment, right as they’re deciding what to watch next.
Streaming TV’s momentum continues to build
Dan’s optimism about the future of the open internet and streaming TV doesn’t come from overlooking the industry’s challenges, fragmentation chief among them. What gives him confidence is the industry’s collective commitment to solving them. As the market continues to scale and a broader range of companies invest in the ecosystem, he sees continued innovation, collaboration, and momentum.
“We’re going through some headwinds and challenges as an industry, but we’ve got a lot of really smart, thoughtful people on all sides trying to help solve it. I’m just excited to help move the business forward.”
Dan Callahan, SVP and Chief Revenue Officer
Spectrum Reach
We break down all the complexities of programmatic streaming TV in our Index Explains video series. Tune in to learn how to make the most of your streaming investments.
