In the boxing ring of TV are two fighters. In the near corner is "Irresistible Force," a fighter known for a granular understanding of audience behaviors through data. He can punch far above his weight when it comes to understanding what audiences watch on TV. In the far corner is "Immovable Object" -- also known as Status Quo. His powerful contextual physique throws inertia-laden punches, leaving opponents wondering how he is still standing in the ring after all these years.

Big data now represents the next step in improving television program selection and targeting precision. Merge, append, fuse and model are all terms that can bring increased precision for reaching high value prospects. These methods are discussed below:

Months of whisperings and public murmurings have finally led to the unveiling of Amazon's over-the-top (OTT) device, the fireTV. Myriad of articles have focused on its set-top-boxed characteristics in comparison with "living room" rivals (Apple's TV, Google's Chromecast, Roku's No. 3, and Xbox's One and Live). Pricing, size, sticks, and video and audio streaming service apps offered have been vivisected, further amplifying the premise that cord-cutting is only a scissor away - so the media pundits augur.

TV can't adapt. Digital will inherit the earth. That was the thinking in 2010. Digital had successfully overcome one giant industry - print - gobbling its market share and its cultural relevance over the course of a mere 10 years. So why not swallow another sector? Why not TV? No matter what digital executives would say publicly, privately they were emotional. Why are advertisers still spending so much money on TV? they fumed. It galled them that advertisers' biggest ad spend had not shifted to the efficient, data-oriented, targeted delivery of the Internet. Cut to 2014. Not only has TV …