--- title: "AI-Driven CTV Monetization: EX.CO’s Ruth Manielevitch on What Media Owners Need Now" description: Discover how EX.CO uses AI to optimize CTV monetization, boost yield, and help media owners overcome fragmentation with smarter ad strategies. image: https://blog.ex.co/hubfs/2026%20Content/2026%20Blog%20Images/AI-Driven%20CTV%20Monetization_Blog%20image.png --- [![EX.CO](https://ex.co/wp-content/themes/tg/assets/images/general/logo-dark.svg "EX.CO Home")](https://ex.co)[Blog](https://blog.ex.co/)Press Release [Get in touch](https://ex.co/contact/) - [Login](https://login.ex.co/login) - [Contact Sales](https://ex.co/contact/) - My Platform - Technology - [OVP](https://ex.co/ovp/) - [Monetization](https://ex.co/monetization/) - [CMS](https://ex.co/cms/) - [Player](https://ex.co/player/) - [Vertical](https://ex.co/vertical-player/) - Solutions - [Publishers](https://ex.co/publishers/) - [CTV/DOOH](https://ex.co/ad-server/) - [Sales Houses](https://ex.co/ad-partners/) - [Advertisers](https://ex.co/advertisers/) - Resources - [Case Studies](https://ex.co/case-study/) - [Blog](https://blog.ex.co/) - [Help Center](https://support.ex.co/) - [Industry Guides](https://ex.co/guides/) - [Glossary](https://content.ex.co/glossary) - [Get in touch](https://ex.co/contact/) - [Contact Sales](https://ex.co/contact/) - Company - [About us](https://ex.co/about/) - [Leadership](https://ex.co/leadership-team/) - [Careers](https://ex.co/careers/) - [Press Room](https://ex.co/about/news/) # AI-Driven CTV Monetization: EX.CO’s Ruth Manielevitch on What Media Owners Need Now January 27, 2026 - by [Tammy Blythe Goodman](https://blog.ex.co/author/tammy-blythe-goodman) ![](https://blog.ex.co/hubfs/2026%20Content/2026%20Blog%20Images/AI-Driven%20CTV%20Monetization_Blog%20image.png) [Connected TV](https://content.ex.co/glossary#ctv) is expanding rapidly, providing media owners with new opportunities  and new challenges  as audiences and content expand across multiple platforms. In a recent interview with Beet.TV, Ruth Manielevitch, Head of Strategic Partnerships at EX.CO, explained that media owners need to take stock of their [ad inventory](https://content.ex.co/glossary#ad-inventory) across these channels and leverage [AI-powered](https://content.ex.co/glossary#ai-powered) insights to deliver smarter, personalized ads that maximize engagement and [yield](https://ex.co/ad-server/). AI-driven [optimization](https://content.ex.co/glossary#optimization) has become essential in light of the industry’s rapid evolution. “According to the [IAB](https://content.ex.co/glossary#iab), around 85% of U.S. [CTV](https://content.ex.co/glossary#ctv) ad buys in 2025 were programmatic — sooner than many expected,” Manielevitch said. “[Publishers](https://content.ex.co/glossary#publisher) need the right tech and the right [monetization](https://ex.co/monetization/) strategy in place to capitalize on this massive opportunity.” ## From fragmentation to connected [monetization](https://content.ex.co/glossary#monetization) Even as [CTV](https://content.ex.co/glossary#ctv) continues to grow, the ecosystem is highly fragmented. With audiences scattered across multiple screens, platforms, and formats, media owners face increasing difficulties in driving performance and maintaining consistent results. Manielevitch emphasized that media owners first need a unified data layer across all [inventory](https://content.ex.co/glossary#inventory) to understand where value lies and make smarter decisions in real time. Next, adaptive automation plays a key role.  “We use machine learning to predict performance, adjust to demand patterns, and make sure that you're making the most out of every [impression](https://content.ex.co/glossary#impression) automatically,” she said. Finally, media owners must maintain full control over their technology and [monetization](https://ex.co/monetization/) strategy, ensuring transparency and the ability to manage operations end to end.“When you combine unified data, AI-driven [optimization](https://content.ex.co/glossary#optimization), and full control over your tech stack, that’s when [publishers](https://content.ex.co/glossary#publisher) can unlock the full potential of [CTV](https://content.ex.co/glossary#ctv),” she said. ## Pioneering AI in [CTV](https://content.ex.co/glossary#ctv) As [CTV and digital out-of home](https://blog.ex.co/solving-ctv-and-doohs-biggest-monetization-challenges-with-an-intelligent-ad-server) accelerate, more media owners are turning to AI to solve fragmentation and maximize yield. But many companies are only now beginning to bolt machine learning onto existing systems. For EX.CO, AI has been central to the platform from the start. “What really sets EX.CO apart is that our tech was built on AI long before it became the buzzword everyone is using,” Manielevitch said. The company’s [ad server](https://ex.co/ad-server/) relies on machine learning models that make billions of predictions per day, continually optimizing yield for every [ad request](https://content.ex.co/glossary#ad-request), while giving media owners the insight and control they need. Unlike others still learning how to implement AI and use it effectively, “EX.CO has been doing it from day one,” Manielevitch said. “And that’s what makes us uniquely ready for this next wave of [CTV](https://content.ex.co/glossary#ctv) growth.” ## Strong market response — and measurable revenue impact Media owners are gravitating toward EX.CO’s long-standing leadership in AI, especially as they look to bring web-level sophistication into their [CTV](https://content.ex.co/glossary#ctv) [monetization](https://content.ex.co/glossary#monetization) strategies. In many cases, the results are immediate. One example is [PlayWorks](https://ex.co/case-studies/ex-co-playworks/), a media owner with more than 400 [AVOD](https://content.ex.co/glossary#avod) and gaming apps, plus [FAST](https://content.ex.co/glossary#fast) channels distributed across platforms like Roku, Samsung, and LG. “They needed a [monetization](https://content.ex.co/glossary#monetization) solution that could keep up with how [fast](https://content.ex.co/glossary#fast) they were scaling,” Manielevitch noted. “Using our [AI-powered](https://content.ex.co/glossary#ai-powered) yield engine, they saw a [33% revenue increase in the first month](https://ex.co/case-studies/ex-co-playworks/) — well beyond expectations.” Beyond the gains, she said media owners value the transparency EX.CO provides: visibility into programmatic pipes, comparative performance across demand partners, and measurable lift from AI-based [decisioning](https://content.ex.co/glossary#decisioning). EX.CO is also in active conversations with several major broadcasters and platform owners who view the company’s technology as a way to future-proof their [CTV](https://content.ex.co/glossary#ctv) infrastructure. ## Smarter storytelling across screens Looking ahead, Manielevitch is energized by how AI is transforming [CTV](https://content.ex.co/glossary#ctv) from reactive to predictive [monetization](https://content.ex.co/glossary#monetization). Media owners will increasingly be able to anticipate when, where, and how to serve the right ad at the right time across every screen. “I also believe [CTV](https://content.ex.co/glossary#ctv) will become more interactive and measurable, closing the [loop](https://content.ex.co/glossary#loop-looping) between content, commerce, and engagement,” she added. For Manielevitch, the most important change is how the medium is evolving to connect with viewers. “The future of [CTV](https://content.ex.co/glossary#ctv) isn’t just about bigger screens. It’s about smarter, data-driven storytelling.” *Want to learn more about* [*EX.CO*](http://ex.co/)*’s machine learning-driven yield engine for [CTV](https://content.ex.co/glossary#ctv)? Drop us a line below.* ### Speak to an expert ## Recent posts ## About Tammy Blythe Goodman Tammy Blythe Goodman is VP, Brand Marketing & Communications at EX.CO. Prior to joining EX․CO in 2022, Tammy managed global communications at Taboola, Innovid, and SpotX, respectively. She has an MFA in Film from Columbia University and a BA in Communications and Literature from American University. Tammy lives in New York City and is a proud rescue dog owner and passionate pluviophile. [More posts by Tammy Blythe Goodman](https://blog.ex.co/author/tammy-blythe-goodman) ## Topics [Monetization](https://blog.ex.co/tag/monetization), [Revenue](https://blog.ex.co/tag/revenue), [Video Content](https://blog.ex.co/tag/video-content), [CTV](https://blog.ex.co/tag/ctv), [ad server](https://blog.ex.co/tag/ad-server), [Yield Engine](https://blog.ex.co/tag/yield-engine), ## Sign up to our newsletter [Back to Blog Home](https://blog.ex.co/) [![logo](https://blog.ex.co/hubfs/images/logos/exco/EXCO_Logo_Color_200w.png)](https://ex.co) [![LinkedIn](https://ex.co/wp-content/themes/tg/assets/images/parts/footer/icon-linkedin.svg)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/excoplatform) [![X](https://ex.co/wp-content/themes/tg/assets/images/parts/footer/icon-twitter-x.svg)](https://twitter.com/excoplatform) [![YouTube](https://ex.co/wp-content/themes/tg/assets/images/parts/footer/icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCc99IT0x9Za1uQ_r8b1PwXQ?view_as=subscriber) Platform - [OVP](https://ex.co/ovp/) - [Ad Server](https://ex.co/ad-server/) - [Monetization](https://ex.co/monetization/) - [Content](https://ex.co/content/) - [Player](https://ex.co/player/) - [Vertical](https://ex.co/vertical-player/) Solutions - [Publishers](https://ex.co/publishers/) - [Advertisers](https://ex.co/advertisers/) - [Sales Houses](https://ex.co/ad-partners/) - [CTV/DOOH](https://ex.co/ad-server/) Resources - [Case Studies](https://ex.co/case-study/) - [Blog](https://blog.ex.co/) - [Help Center](https://support.ex.co/) - [Industry Guides](https://ex.co/guides/) - [Glossary](https://content.ex.co/glossary) Company - [Contact](https://ex.co/contact/) - [About us](https://ex.co/about/) - [Press Room](https://ex.co/about/news/) - [Careers](https://ex.co/careers/) - [Events](https://ex.co/events/) Sign up to our newsletter ![Google Certified Publishing Partner](https://ex.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/logo-google.svg) ![ISO/IEC 27001-2002 Certified Company. 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