Connected TV — ads delivered through smart TVs and streaming apps — is the fastest-growing major channel in advertising. Global CTV ad spend is projected to rise from $44 billion in 2025 to $81 billion by 2030 and to overtake linear television in 2028. Streaming already accounts for about 49% of total TV time. Programmatic has become the dominant way to buy it, with programmatic CTV spend around $33 billion in 2025.
The supply side is consolidating. Omdia projects that Google (YouTube), Amazon (Prime Video) and Netflix will capture half the global CTV ad market by 2030, and Prime Video is on track to surpass YouTube as the top CTV ad platform by 2027. Amazon reports more than 200 million monthly ad-supported streaming viewers in the US, 80% of whom browse on Amazon and 77% of whom buy there — the closed loop that made retail media explode is now attached to television.
Benchmarks to plan with
- CPMs: streaming runs three to four times linear, roughly $9.50 versus $2.50, but direct publisher deals can be about 66% cheaper than open programmatic.
- Completion rates: non-skippable CTV ads routinely complete above 95%.
- Interactive ads: engagement of 1.8%-3.5% and about 71 seconds of extra viewing time versus standard pre-roll.
- Shoppable ads: expected to be 10% of CTV ads in 2026 and to convert about 5x better than standard video.
Why CTV works for performance, not only brand
Household-level targeting from logged-in platforms, frequency control, and measurement through retail data, pixel-based site visits and QR/shoppable overlays turned CTV into a channel that can be evaluated on outcomes. E-commerce brands increasingly use it to lift branded search and marketplace sales, with incrementality tests showing the halo that platform attribution misses.
How to buy CTV in 2026
1. Platform-direct (YouTube, Amazon, Netflix)
Best data, best measurement, highest minimums. Amazon’s DSP combines Prime Video inventory with shopping signals; YouTube offers the broadest reach with Google’s audience tools; Netflix has premium attention and is opening programmatic access.
2. Programmatic through a DSP
Flexible, cross-publisher, good for frequency management across apps. Watch for low-quality inventory and demand transparency on which apps and screens you are buying.
3. Publisher direct deals
Lower CPMs and guaranteed placements for advertisers with scale; less agile.
Creative for the living room
- Lead with the brand and the offer in the first three seconds; sound on, screen large.
- Make 15-second cutdowns from 30s masters; use both.
- Add a QR code or shoppable overlay with a specific destination, not the home page.
- Localise voice-over and on-screen text per market; CTV is global inventory now.
Measurement plan
Combine platform reporting with site-side exposure tracking (CTV pixels), retail sales data where available, branded search lift and geo holdouts. Include CTV in marketing mix modelling with its own line rather than folding it into video. Frequency capping across platforms remains the biggest waste control.
A starter plan for a mid-size advertiser
- Month 1: one platform (Amazon or YouTube), household targeting from first-party customer match, two creatives, QR overlay.
- Month 2: add programmatic reach with strict app allow-lists; test 15s vs 30s.
- Month 3: geo holdout to measure incremental sales; decide scale.
Television has become addressable, measurable and shoppable. For many brands it is now the most efficient way to buy attention at scale — provided they buy it like a performance channel.
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