Linear addressable is a type of TV advertising that allows different ads to be shown to different households during the same live broadcast. Instead of delivering the same commercial to everyone watching a channel at the same time, linear addressable uses data to target ads based on household-level factors such as demographics, location, income, or interests. This gives advertisers the ability to deliver more relevant messages and improve the overall efficiency of their TV campaigns.
Traditional linear TV operates on a broad-reach model, where every viewer receives the same ad regardless of who they are or where they live. While this approach still works for certain awareness campaigns, it doesn’t offer much precision. That’s where linear addressable makes a difference. With the right setup, a brand can show a different ad to a household with young children versus a household with no kids, even if both are watching the same program on the same channel at the same time.
This targeting is possible through partnerships with cable, satellite, and IPTV providers that have access to household-level viewing and subscriber data. Technologies like addressable TV, addressable cable, and addressable satellite allow ad insertion to happen at the set-top box or device level. The result is a more customized ad experience, driven by data but still delivered in a traditional TV environment.
For advertisers, linear addressable offers clear benefits. First, it reduces waste by avoiding irrelevant impressions. If a brand wants to reach luxury consumers in a specific region, it no longer needs to run a national TV ad hoping that it reaches the right audience. It can instead target households that match the criteria, whether they’re in New York, Miami, or San Diego. This makes linear addressable ideal for geo-targeted campaigns and localized messaging, especially for industries like automotive, retail, insurance, and healthcare.
Second, it enables more granular testing and optimization. Advertisers can run different creative variations across markets or audience segments, then analyze which messages perform best. Because delivery happens at the household level, results can be broken down by geography, income bracket, or family composition, giving brands the data they need to refine future campaigns.
From the viewer’s perspective, linear addressable can lead to a better ad experience. People are more likely to pay attention when the ads they see are relevant to their needs, lifestyle, or location. Instead of watching generic commercials, they’re seeing ads that align more closely with their interests or local context.
Implementation of linear addressable continues to grow, with more inventory becoming available across both national and regional markets. While scale is still more limited than fully digital channels like connected TV or streaming video, it’s growing quickly. As more providers enable addressable delivery and as brands push for greater accountability in TV, linear addressable is becoming a core part of media planning.
For marketers looking to balance reach and relevance, linear addressable offers a practical way to make traditional TV work harder. It brings the benefits of targeting and measurement into a legacy channel, making TV feel more like a data-driven performance medium—without losing the impact of a full-screen experience in a living room setting.
Sam Khoury
Founder, Cedar Consultants
Creative consulting solutions for Adtech