16/04/2026
As we discussed in our last post, the definition of TV has become blurred. Broadly, it falls into two categories: Mass and Addressable. Here, we focus on addressable—not all of which is equal—and on a defining quality of TV: trust.
Some confusion stems from platforms like YouTube positioning themselves as “TV.” However, TV retains a clear definition for advertisers, viewers, and regulators. Ofcom, for example, classifies YouTube as a video-sharing platform (VSP), not TV.
For advertisers, TV offers a premium, regulated environment with professionally produced content, independently measured and verified, alongside brands that meet the same standards. For viewers, this results in one key outcome: trust.
Research from Tapestry shows TV is trusted twice as much as YouTube, with Credos reporting similar findings versus social and influencer channels. TV remains the most trusted media channel, and that trust extends to advertised brands, ultimately driving profitability.
Platforms like YouTube and social video still have value, but they don’t meet TV’s defining standards. As a result, addressable advertising varies by environment.
On social and video platforms, addressable typically means precise targeting in fast-scrolling, lower-trust contexts, often on smaller screens. Addressable TV, by contrast, combines that precision with TV’s benefits: the largest screen, high-quality content, and a trusted, chosen environment.
Viewers don’t distinguish how ads are served, they remember the context. When a brand appears alongside trusted content, that trust transfers to the advertising.
Addressable TV therefore combines TV’s impact and trust with digital precision. This shift is accelerating: by 2030, three-quarters of commercial TV viewing is expected to be addressable. Yet confusion and siloed planning still limit its potential.
Adopting the Total TV mindset we discussed in our last post, resolves this. Addressable becomes a buying approach, not a separate channel, uniting TV’s trusted scale with digital precision. The result is both trust and ROI, without compromising reach or targeting.