Ventura TV OS

“Ventura’s proposition is simple, but ambitious: rebuild trust in the system by reducing friction, increasing transparency, and rebalancing value across the supply chain.” It’s a lofty mission, but one we believe can deliver meaningful value across the entire CTV ecosystem. Thank you to Bethany Lee for sitting down with Matthew Henick to unpack why today’s CTV advertising ecosystem is falling short, and what it will take to fix it.

With Ventura, we're driving towards a fairer CTV marketplace, one that levels the playing field for content publishers, helps OEMs drive meaningful revenue, and gives advertisers confidence in where their CTV dollars are spent. The result is an experience that puts viewers back in control of what they watch and when. At this week's Connected TV World Summit (Adwanted Events) in London, our SVP, Matthew Henick, joined John Moulding (The Media Leader UK) for a fireside chat exploring why The Trade Desk is investing in a TV operating system, and what it means to flip the traditional CTV business playbook. The conversation examined how software and algorithms are reshaping the streaming landscape, emphasizing the outsized role operating systems play in content discovery and monetization. Matthew stressed Ventura's position as an objective TV OS, designed to give publishers a fair opportunity to compete, while delivering a content‑first experience for viewers. 

With Ventura, we won't own content or ad inventory, which means we can create direct value for OEM, publisher, and advertiser partners, giving them more control over their future. Our VP of Product Management and UX, Rob Caruso, recently joined Chris Hock (Whale TV) and Rick Allen (ViewLift) for a panel on the 'State of TV OS' for the new midweek edition of Next TMT. A big thanks to our moderator, David Bloom. Link to the full panel is in the comments.

Does programmatic advertising in CTV need a shakeup to become more transparent and fair? In a recent interview, Matthew Henick shared our vision for the Ventura Ecosystem with John Moulding, highlighting how deeper industry collaboration can unlock winning opportunities across the CTV marketplace. Matthew will also join John on stage at the Connected TV World Summit in London on March 11 for a fireside chat, diving further into this topic and the future of CTV. Read the full piece in The Media Leader UK.

For over a year, The Trade Desk has been vocal about fixing the connected TV market through its Ventura TV OS. Now, the company is taking the next step in that quest by launching the Ventura Ecosystem, a new initiative designed to increase monetization for major TV operating systems. Matthew Henick, senior vice president of consumer products at The Trade Desk, sat down with us to explain how Ventura aims to create a flywheel for streaming success — linking publishers, advertisers and operating systems in a shared monetization framework.

Thrilled to welcome VIDAA and Nexxen to the Ventura Ecosystem! With the Ventura Ecosystem, we’re uniting global TV operating systems and key players from across the streaming industry to build a more transparent, collaborative, and revenue-optimized marketplace for CTV advertising. We’re enabling Ventura Ecosystem collaborators to gain access to increased programmatic demand, better CPMs, and stronger fill rates through seamless access to The Trade Desk’s ad-tech solutions. More partners are expected to join the Ventura Ecosystem soon, further expanding its reach and impact. We look forward to welcoming them on board!

Today, we’re taking the next step in our vision to optimize CTV advertising with the Ventura Ecosystem. With this launch, we're uniting global TV operating systems and key players from across the streaming industry to build a more transparent, collaborative, and revenue-optimized marketplace for streaming. TV OS collaborators can easily tap into Ventura’s ad monetization engine to unlock revenue quickly and the full value of CTV advertising. Through collaboration and development of industry standards, the Ventura Ecosystem can enable contributors to gain access to increased programmatic demand, better CPMs, and stronger fill rates through seamless access to The Trade Desk’s ad-tech solutions.

“Shows don’t compete on quality alone, but on code. A lot of this is good news: more stories from more voices, faster. But only if we acknowledge the shift and learn the new rules.”    In a new op-ed for Variety, our SVP, Matthew Henick, argues that entertainment is now a software industry and that studios and streamers must evolve their approach to build control over data, distribution, monetization, and the emerging AI layer.

And that’s a wrap on CES 2026! From engaging conversations to insightful meetings about the innovations shaping the next era of CTV, last week was packed with momentum for Ventura. The future of CTV advertising is accelerating fast, and we're just getting started. Throughout the week, our team met with leaders from across the industry, and a few notable themes emerged: - Advertising as the backbone of streaming: Ad‑supported streaming is central to the economics of the entire TV ecosystem, helping fund premium content and fuel growth. The shift toward automated, data‑driven transactions is reshaping discovery, fueling smarter ad experiences, and pushing the entire CTV ecosystem forward. - Simplification of the CTV supply chain: There's an increasingly strong push to streamline the ad supply chain so OEMs, publishers, and advertisers can work together more directly and transparently and better monetize. With CTV ad spend continuing to climb, aligning the industry to reduce intermediaries will help improve efficiency, measurement, and value, fostering a thriving CTV marketplace. - Personalization at the OS level: A desire for the OS and apps to further align on personalization, creating a more unified layer of content and ad relevance. As streaming surpasses traditional TV, OS‑level intelligence will become a key driver of viewer discovery and engagement, getting customers into content as quickly as possible. Other takeaways from CES? Share in the comments. #CES2026