OS data emerges as the behind-the-scenes superpower in Europe’s CTV ad market

Offscreen OS-level data is quietly rewriting the rules to reshape how attention is captured, measured, and turned into revenue. Europe’s CTV market is taking the spotlight, leaving the old TV model behind.

Joe Evea, SVP Advertising and Retail Media EMEA at Titan OS, is building the infrastructure behind Europe’s CTV shift. With an independent TV operating system at the core, he’s using OS-level data to transform how ads are delivered, personalized, and trusted.

The OS edge: Real-time data from TV operating systems is reshaping CTV advertising. “Actual data, in real time, given by an operating system who knows exactly what each customer is watching has the potential to be a game changer,” says Evea. OS-level insight sharpens targeting, tightens frequency control, and improves campaign performance far beyond what panel-based methods can offer.

For your viewing pleasure: Titan OS sits at the center of the household screen. “As the OS, we have a huge amount of information regarding how customers behave on the device,” says Evea—spanning broadcast, apps, FAST channels, and gaming. That visibility powers a better viewer experience first. “We’re building up a very intimate picture of our customers,” he says, “and our main aim is to use that to make their experience better and more enjoyable on the TV.”

Pinpoint & purchase: It’s also turning insight into action for advertisers. “Our second aim is to leverage that information so the advertising can be targeted and relevant for the people watching it,” says Evea. The key is combining data. That approach is already at work in partnerships with retailers like Currys, as retail media moves deeper into CTV—a trend rising alongside digital ad growth. “These are the kind of things that are immediately possible when we combine the data,” Evea says.

As seen on TV: Evea sees a not-so-distant future where the TV becomes a storefront. “Our customers have already uploaded their financial details onto the TV set itself and they could be watching an advert that is fully shoppable,” he says. Titan OS is also building user-specific profiles to deepen personalization. “Certain interactive shoppable formats might be relevant for some demographics and not for others,” Evea explains—making it possible to serve two viewers in the same household two entirely different ad experiences for the same brand.

Across the data pond: CTV’s data edge doesn’t come without guardrails. “From a GDPR perspective, our rules are dramatically different to the rules in the US,” Evea says. That regulatory divide makes “having reliable, robust and trusted data partners absolutely vital,” and it’s fueling demand for privacy-first tools like data clean rooms.

Data = dollars: In CTV, access opens doors. Leverage kicks them down. Titan OS is doubling down, expanding offerings like news channels to deepen its data moat. “The advertising world is moving into a more data rich environment,” says Evea. “The people that have access to the data and can leverage the data are going to be the ones who are most successful. For the people that don’t, it’s going to be more of a struggle.”