Why Independent Agencies Win (or Lose) on Infrastructure in Convergent TV

A version of this was originally featured on ANA.

Convergent TV offers independent agencies a rare opportunity: a fast-growing, high-demand channel where they can outmaneuver holding companies through speed, specialization, and sharper execution. But that opportunity comes with escalating complexity. As TV consumption splinters across linear, streaming, and CTV, independents face a tangled web of inventory sources, incompatible data signals, and disjointed measurement systems.

Large networks absorb this complexity through scale. Independent agencies must navigate it with precision.

Where the Complexity Creeps In

Running a convergent TV campaign isn't a single task—it’s an orchestration of systems, vendors, and workflows that multiply in cost and difficulty as scale increases.  It increases further when (the majority of) campaigns are executed via both direct and programmatic channels, each with distinct processes and requirements. Every piece of this infrastructure puzzle introduces its own operational drag:

• Inventory Access: Different platforms require separate integrations, each with its own protocols and pricing models.

• Ad Serving: Delivering the right creative to the right audience at the right frequency means managing disparate tech stacks that rarely talk to each other.
  Signals and Data: Pulling in ACR, viewability metrics, and platform-specific insights demands custom workarounds and manual effort.

• Measurement: Without a unified framework, agencies must juggle multiple methodologies to avoid conflicting performance reports.

• Creative Trafficking: Managing multiple formats for diverse environments slows production and increases the risk of errors.

• Billing and Reconciliation: Each new partner adds another layer of accounting friction, consuming both time and headcount.

• Direct vs. Programmatic Buying: To fully capitalize on the convergent TV landscape, media buyers need a unified approach that blends direct and programmatic strategies, as most streaming monetization still happens through direct transactions—many of which aren't accessible via DSPs.

Individually, these challenges are solvable. Together, they create a compounding effect—sapping resources, slowing execution, and quietly inflating costs that rarely show up in a proposal deck but weigh heavily on the bottom line. If an independent agency running a multi-platform campaign had to manually reconcile five separate reporting dashboards—this leads to delays in optimization by over a week and inflated operational costs. Multiply that across clients, and the drag becomes impossible to ignore.

Fragmented infrastructure doesn’t just stretch budgets—it dilutes performance. Licensing multiple platforms means higher overhead. Manual reconciliation slows down optimization. More systems require more people to run them, increasing staffing burdens without directly improving output.

These inefficiencies ripple outward. Campaigns take longer to launch. Data takes longer to consolidate. Opportunities get missed. Clients notice.

This is where independent agencies risk ceding ground. But it’s also where they’re best positioned to win—by turning infrastructure into a competitive asset rather than an operational liability.

The Case for a Unified Approach

A unified convergent TV platform collapses complexity by consolidating core functions—inventory management, ad serving, measurement, creative deployment, compliance—into a single ecosystem. That integration cuts costs, accelerates workflows, and unlocks strategic capacity.

Automation handles the repetitive. Machine learning improves targeting. Real-time reporting closes the feedback loop faster. The result isn’t just efficiency—it’s leverage. Agencies can shift from chasing fixes to focusing on performance, from duct-taping systems together to building campaigns that scale.

Unified infrastructure also creates the conditions for sustainable innovation. As AI planning tools and dynamic optimization become table stakes, independents on unified platforms can adopt these tools natively—without the heavy lift of bolt-on solutions or retraining teams.

A Strategic Imperative for What’s Next

This isn’t a theoretical advantage. With 20,000 SMBs expected to reallocate spend from search and social into CTV over the next few years, independent agencies have a critical window to claim that business. Many of these clients will demand the sophistication of a holding company without the bureaucracy. A unified platform makes that possible—giving independents the ability to scale efficiently and profitably while delivering white-glove service.

In a market where speed, intelligence, and customization win, unified infrastructure isn’t just a back-end upgrade. It’s a front-line differentiator.

Independent, But Not Isolated

Holding companies have size. Independents have focus. Unified infrastructure enhances that focus, letting smaller agencies punch above their weight without sacrificing agility. It transforms the tech stack from a source of friction into a foundation for growth.

The agencies that embrace it aren’t just future-proofing their operations. They’re building the kind of disciplined, scalable infrastructure that makes them indispensable partners—and formidable competitors—in a convergent TV economy that’s only getting more fragmented.