Connected TV advertising has spent years trying to make television more measurable. Brand Engagement Network (BEN) and Cataneo are now targeting a different limitation: the lack of interaction. Unveiled at IBC2026, their conversational advertising technology is designed to let viewers engage with AI agents during broadcast and streaming commercial experiences rather than simply watch an advertisement.
The concept moves CTV advertising closer to an interactive digital experience. A viewer could ask questions about a product, receive recommendations, request additional information or potentially complete a transaction without leaving the viewing environment.
For advertisers, the attraction is the data generated after the impression. Traditional television measurement largely focuses on reach, frequency and audience characteristics, while digital advertising can provide much more granular information about clicks, conversions and other actions. BEN and Cataneo are positioning conversational AI as an additional layer that could connect exposure with direct consumer intent.
The companies describe the model as an evolution of the familiar television QR code. QR codes provide a bridge from a television screen to a phone or web destination; conversational advertising attempts to make that bridge interactive by allowing the viewer to communicate with an AI agent.
Consider a sports broadcast during a timeout. Instead of displaying a conventional commercial alone, an interactive experience could allow an interested viewer to ask about a product, receive personalized recommendations and potentially initiate a purchase. The important distinction is that the interaction is voluntary: viewers who are not interested can continue watching.
That could give agencies and advertisers another way to think about CTV creative. Rather than designing an advertisement exclusively around awareness or a predetermined call to action, marketers could build experiences that respond to questions and adapt to different stages of the buying journey.
The approach also creates potential opportunities for broadcasters and streaming services. Advertising inventory could become more valuable if commercial experiences can generate measurable engagement and transactions in addition to impressions. For media owners, however, implementing such systems would require integration with content delivery, ad serving, identity, commerce and measurement infrastructure.
The market opportunity is substantial. Omdia projects global CTV advertising revenue will increase from $44 billion in 2025 to $81 billion by 2030, with Google, Amazon and Netflix together projected to account for roughly half of the market.
That concentration makes differentiation increasingly important for the rest of the CTV ecosystem. Interactive advertising could become one route for broadcasters, streaming platforms and technology providers to offer experiences beyond the targeting and inventory capabilities already being developed by the largest platforms.
The competitive landscape is also evolving quickly. Google, Amazon and Netflix are building increasingly sophisticated advertising businesses around connected television, while companies across the broader AdTech ecosystem are developing interactive CTV, commerce-enabled advertising and measurement solutions.
Conversational AI introduces another variable: the agent becomes part of the advertising experience itself. That creates opportunities, but also raises practical questions around disclosure, privacy, consent, brand safety and the accuracy of AI-generated responses. A conversational advertisement that provides incorrect product information could create a very different risk profile from a static creative.
For enterprise advertisers, the technology therefore should not be evaluated simply as another creative format. Its value will depend on whether conversations produce measurable incremental outcomes, whether consumer interactions can be reliably attributed and whether the experience can scale across different content and distribution environments.
BEN and Cataneo’s announcement points toward a broader change in CTV advertising: the commercial break may increasingly become a place where consumers can ask, explore and act, rather than simply receive a message.
Market Landscape
CTV advertising is moving from traditional television-style reach toward increasingly measurable and interactive experiences. The growth of streaming has brought digital targeting, automated buying and performance measurement into television, while emerging technologies are now attempting to add real-time interaction and commerce.
Conversational AI could potentially bridge several parts of the advertising funnel. An impression can create awareness; a conversation can reveal intent; and a transaction can provide an outcome that is easier to connect to advertising exposure.
The challenge will be execution. CTV platforms need reliable identity and measurement, advertisers need governance over AI-generated interactions, and viewers need clear control over when they engage. The winners are likely to be solutions that make those interactions useful without turning the television experience into another intrusive digital interface.
Top Insights
- BEN and Cataneo are introducing conversational AI into broadcast and streaming advertising, allowing viewers to ask questions and interact directly with AI agents.
- The technology could connect CTV impressions with conversations, consumer intent and transactions, expanding measurement beyond traditional reach and engagement metrics.
- For media owners, interactive commercial experiences could create new monetization opportunities as television advertising converges with streaming, commerce and digital engagement.
- Advertisers could use conversational creative to move consumers from product discovery toward recommendations, consideration and potentially transactions within the viewing experience.
- Privacy, consent, AI accuracy, disclosure and attribution will become important adoption considerations as conversational agents enter advertising environments.
Get in touch with our Adtech experts.
