By Melody Yazdanyar | VP Business Development

CES once again put the spotlight on how advertisers think about the living room. From CSpace to the show floor, conversations across agencies, brands, platforms, and OEMs signaled a noticeable shift: smart TVs are no longer treated as a “lean-back streaming device”—they’re becoming an attention surface for interactive content, including games. Below are three takeaways that stood out to the PHYND team as we look ahead to how gaming will shape the next phase of TV monetization. 

1. Brand and Agency Leaders Are Newly Bullish on Smart TV Advertising—Especially in Gaming 

A decade ago, the idea of layering ad experiences onto smart TVs raised concerns about saturation and UX fatigue. That sentiment has shifted. Conversations across adtech, agencies, and brands at CES pointed to a collective confidence in the medium. The main reason: the market is realizing that saturation isn’t the threat—stale content is. With gaming emerging as one of the most dynamic, interactive content formats on the TV, advertisers see fresh surface area rather than clutter. 

2. “Content is King” Is Fueling the Smart TV Moment  

Streaming solved distribution, but not differentiation. The renewed bullishness around smart TV experiences is rooted in content—and gaming now commands a meaningful share of attention on the largest screen in the home. Gaming’s built-in interactivity aligns naturally with modern ad models, giving brands more creative levers than passive video alone. CES made it clear that content quality—not just device penetration—is what determines whether ad-supported ecosystems thrive. 

3. Advertisers Want High-Engagement Viewership—and Gaming Delivers It

CSpace at CES was the strongest it’s been since before the pandemic, and the energy from advertisers reflected a shift in where they believe attention is headed. Traditional TV is passive; gaming (like live sports) is active. That distinction matters. Brands are increasingly optimizing for audiences who are leaned-in, not leaned-back. Gaming presents a highly engaged, measurable, and contextually rich environment—exactly what brands want as they rethink how to reach next-gen consumers. 

Conclusion

CES made one thing clear: the living room remains one of the most valuable canvases in media, and gaming is expanding what’s possible on that screen. As advertisers look beyond passive impressions and toward active attention, gaming on smart TVs represents both a new format and a new economic model. It’s early, but the ecosystem signals at CES suggest that brands, platforms, and TV manufacturers are aligned in seeing this opportunity grow.