The media industry is on the cusp of a significant transformation in content creation, delivery, and monetization. Personalization is emerging as a key strategy for boosting audience engagement and optimizing revenue. As the industry gears up for IBC 2025 in Amsterdam this September, numerous technology vendors and service providers highlighted advanced personalization capabilities as a crucial trend to watch. This transcends mere technological advancement; it represents a fundamental shift from mass-market content distribution to audience-centric strategies, treating viewers as individuals rather than demographic groups.
Traditional audience segmentation based on broad demographic categories is being replaced by sophisticated personalization systems capable of adapting content for individual viewers in real time. “Personalized video at scale is set to define the next wave of media transformation — reshaping how broadcasters, streamers, and brands engage audiences,” said Kathleen Barrett, CEO of Backlight. “As we move beyond static demographics toward truly individualized experiences, AI-enhanced media asset management systems are already enabling efficient localization and versioning across markets, formats, and audience segments.” This shift necessitates a change in content strategy that will impact the entire media ecosystem.
“This isn’t about creating more content — it’s about creating smarter content,” Barrett explained. Media companies are rethinking their business models, focusing on audience-centric approaches where viewers are the primary asset, not just advertising slots. “We’re seeing a foundational shift in how media companies approach monetization,” said Steve Reynolds, CEO of Imagine Communications. “Many are moving away from selling discrete ad slots in favor of treating audiences themselves as the inventory. The Total TV model — treating linear, streaming and CTV as a unified audience and inventory pool — isn’t just a strategy. It’s a necessity for survival in what will remain a fragmented universe for the next five years or more.”
This approach enables more refined monetization strategies adaptable to individual viewer preferences and behaviors across diverse platforms. The capacity to deliver personalized content is fostering new approaches to regional and specialized broadcasting catering to highly specific audience segments. “An emerging trend that will define the next five years of media is the continual rise of alternate and regionalized broadcasts tailored to different audiences,” said Andrew Reich, vice president strategic business development at Zixi. “This shift will continue to unlock new monetization opportunities by expanding engagement and reach.” This necessitates scalable delivery technologies. “Scalable video-over-IP workflows will be essential to enable scalable and seamless delivery,” Reich noted.
AI is enabling personalization extending to real-time content modification and ad creation, offering unprecedented individual targeting. “As AI advances in the next few years, we’ll see viewing experiences become personalized to a level that is difficult to even imagine at the moment,” said Martins Magone, CTO of Veset. “Broadcasters and content providers will be able to tailor linear TV feeds to individual level, and ads will not only be precisely targeted, but may also be dynamically created by AI specifically to resonate with an individual viewer at a specific moment in time.” This necessitates robust cloud infrastructure. “Broadcasters and service providers who have invested in cloud-based infrastructure will be best positioned to deliver this level of personalisation at scale,” Magone added.
Advanced personalization extends beyond user experience to influence content creation, curation, and scheduling throughout the content lifecycle. “At IBC 2025, I’m most excited to demonstrate how personalization intelligence can transform the entire content lifecycle — not just the end-user experience,” said Ivan Verbesselt, chief product and marketing officer at Mediagenix. Industry leaders highlight that competitive advantage goes to organizations integrating personalization early in their workflows. “The question isn’t whether to personalize, but how early in your content lifecycle you’re willing to let audience intelligence guide your decisions,” said Verbesselt. This reflects the complexity of implementing personalization at scale, requiring infrastructure and process changes.
Personalization technologies are also operational efficiency drivers, reducing waste and optimizing resource allocation. “Media teams are unlocking the ability to deliver personalized video at scale while driving measurable gains in engagement, conversion and operational efficiency,” said Barrett. The expansion of content distribution platforms creates both opportunities and challenges for personalization strategies, demanding unified approaches across multiple viewing environments. “Conversations should prioritize how the creator economy and platform proliferation are reshaping content creation,” said Jean-Christophe Perier, CMO of Globecast.
Delivering personalization at scale necessitates significant infrastructure investments, especially in cloud-native systems. The technical requirements go beyond simple recommendation engines to include dynamic content assembly, real-time transcoding, and intelligent distribution systems. Organizations must also develop new metrics and measurement frameworks demonstrating ROI while adhering to privacy regulations. As IBC 2025 approaches, personalization stands as a key strategic shift for the media industry. Vendors will showcase not just technological capabilities, but fundamental changes in how media companies interact with their audience.