Why TV operators love CTV + Retail Media: Alex Holtz, IDC

In this episode, we talk with Alex Holtz (IDC) to unpack the sell-side worldview on why CTV is booming — and why retail media is increasingly part of that story. We cover FAST channels, the battle for the TV operating system and home screen, and how media operators think about “1P data,” identity, and measurement. Tom and Scott also push back on where the TV narrative diverges from retail media reality. Alex Holtz on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexholtz/ Chapters 0:07 — Introduction 2:30 — CTV and Retail Media Convergence 4:37 — Creative Automation and AI 7:16 — Local Markets and FAST Platforms 10:13 — Retail Media Tiers and Partnerships 17:48 — AWS Reinvent and Cloud Infrastructure 23:06 — Budget Shifts and Ad Dollar Migration 33:00 — Future Predictions and AI in Production