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CTV Advertising Platforms Compared: 2025 Specifications, Costs, and Performance Analysis

A comprehensive guide to CTV advertising in 2025, platforms, inventory, strategy, measurement, and optimization.

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CTV Advertising Platforms Compared: 2025 Specifications, Costs, and Performance Analysis

Introduction: The Evolving Landscape of CTV Advertising

Connected TV (CTV) has rapidly transformed from an emerging channel to a cornerstone of modern advertising strategy. As traditional linear television viewership continues to decline, streaming platforms have become the primary destination for premium video content consumption. For brands and agencies navigating this shifting landscape, understanding the nuances, capabilities, and strategic applications of CTV advertising has never been more critical.

In 2025, CTV advertising represents a unique convergence of television's emotional storytelling power with digital's precision targeting and measurement capabilities. This comprehensive guide explores the current state of CTV advertising, examining everything from platform-specific ad formats and targeting capabilities to measurement solutions and strategic applications across industries.

Whether you're a seasoned media buyer looking to optimize your CTV strategy or a marketing leader considering your first foray into streaming TV advertising, this guide provides the actionable insights and data-driven perspective needed to succeed in this dynamic environment.

CTV Advertising in 2025: Market Overview and Key Trends

The Growth Trajectory

The CTV advertising market continues its impressive expansion, with global spending projected to reach $48 billion in 2025, representing a 33% increase from $36 billion in 2023 (SoCal News Group, 2025). In the U.S. alone, CTV ad spending is expected to hit $33.48 billion in 2025, growing 16.8% year-over-year (Basis Technologies, 2025). This growth is driven by several converging factors.

  1. Accelerating Cord-Cutting: By 2025, an estimated 86.9% of U.S. households will watch CTV content (Division-D, 2025), with traditional pay-TV subscriptions continuing their steady decline.
  2. Expansion of Ad-Supported Streaming: Major streaming platforms have embraced advertising tiers, significantly expanding available inventory. According to AudienceXpress's European Marketers Survey (2024), nine out of ten marketers anticipate increasing their spending on ad-supported video on demand (AVOD) and free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels in 2025.
  3. Programmatic Maturation: More than 90% of both display and video ad spending on CTV will be transacted programmatically in 2025 (Basis Technologies, 2025), reflecting advertisers' embrace of data-driven, flexible buying models.
  4. Cross-Channel Integration: CTV is increasingly viewed as part of a holistic video strategy rather than a standalone channel, with advertisers seeking unified approaches across linear TV, streaming, and digital video.

Key Challenges and Considerations

Despite its growth, CTV advertising faces several challenges that brands and agencies must navigate.

  • Measurement Fragmentation: According to AudienceXpress (2024), the lack of standardized definitions and measurement approaches remains a significant barrier to investment, particularly in European markets like France and Italy.
  • Platform Proliferation: The expanding ecosystem of streaming services creates complexity in planning and buying, with 43% of marketers citing this fragmentation as a key challenge (AudienceXpress, 2024).
  • Inventory Quality Concerns: As FAST channels and long-tail CTV apps proliferate, ensuring brand safety and viewability becomes increasingly important.
  • Privacy and Identity Evolution: The ongoing transformation of identity resolution in digital advertising impacts CTV, though less severely than cookie-dependent channels.

CTV Ad Formats by Platform: Technical Specifications and Best Practices

North American Platform Specifications

Hulu

  • Aspect ratio: 16:9 or 4:3, depending on the format
  • Max file size: 10 GB
  • Video length: 15 or 30 seconds for standard ads; up to three minutes for extended creative
  • Frame rate: 29.97 or 30 fps
  • Bitrate: 15–30 Mbps for high-definition ads; greater than 2 Mbps for standard ads
  • File type: .mov or .mp4
  • CPM range: $20-$40 per 1,000 impressions

Roku

  • Aspect ratio: Must be 16:9
  • Max file size: 200 MB
  • Video length: 6 to 92 seconds
  • File type: .mov or .mp4
  • Frame rate: 23.98, 25.00, or 29.97
  • Minimum bit rate: 6 Mbps
  • CPM range: $20-$30 per 1,000 impressions

Netflix

  • Aspect ratio: 16:9
  • Video length: 15 or 30 seconds
  • Frame rate: 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, 30
  • Bitrate: For H.264, greater than 8Mbps for 720p & 12Mbps for 1080p. For MOV, greater than 42Mbps for 720p & 80Mbps for 1080p.
  • File type: .mov, .mp4

YouTube

  • Aspect ratio: 16:9 (best quality for CTV, but 4:3 also supported)
  • Video length: Skippable ads must be at least 12 seconds with no maximum length (3 minutes or less recommended). Non-skippable ads can be 15 or 20 seconds.
  • Frame rate: 60fps
  • File type: .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .avi, or .asf

European Platform Specifications

European CTV platforms generally follow similar technical specifications to their North American counterparts, with some regional variations:

Regional Streaming Leaders

  • ITV (UK): Similar to Hulu specs, with 16:9 aspect ratio and 15-30 second formats
  • RTL+ (Germany): Follows standard 16:9 format with 15, 20, and 30-second spots
  • Salto (France): Primarily 16:9 format with 15-30 second ad lengths
  • Mediaset Infinity (Italy): Standard 16:9 format with various ad lengths
  • Atresplayer (Spain): 16:9 format with 10, 20, and 30-second formats

Pan-European Platforms

  • Samsung TV Plus: Now boasts 88 million monthly active users globally, with significant European presence
  • Rakuten TV: Available across Europe with standard 16:9 format requirements
  • Pluto TV: Expanding rapidly in European markets with standard CTV ad specs

Emerging Ad Formats

Beyond standard pre-roll and mid-roll video ads, several innovative formats are gaining traction in 2025.

  • Interactive and Shoppable Ads: Adding useful content to CTV ads (weather updates, sports scores) can increase viewer attention by 52% (Lotame, 2025). QR code overlays and gamified experiences are gaining significant traction, with 30% of viewers now regularly using phones to scan QR codes when watching TV.
  • Pause Ads: Static or animated ads that appear when viewers pause content, offering non-intrusive brand exposure.
  • Binge Ads: Specialized formats that acknowledge and reward consecutive episode viewing, often with reduced ad loads or sponsor integrations.
  • Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO): Personalized ad creative based on viewer data, location, or contextual factors.
  • Addressable TV Overlays: Targeted digital ad overlays during linear programming viewed through connected devices.

Cost Per Impression and ROAS by Inventory Type

CPM Ranges by Inventory Type (2025)

  • Premium Inventory (Major SVOD/AVOD platforms): $20-$50 CPM
  • Mid-tier Inventory (FAST channels, niche AVOD): $15-$25 CPM
  • Long-tail Inventory: $10-$15 CPM
  • European Premium Inventory: €15-€40 CPM (varies significantly by country)
  • European Mid-tier Inventory: €10-€20 CPM

ROAS Benchmarks by Inventory Type

  • Premium Inventory: Higher initial cost but typically delivers 30-40% better brand lift and conversion rates compared to other digital video
  • Mid-tier Inventory: Often delivers the best balance of cost and performance with ROAS 15-25% higher than traditional digital video
  • Long-tail Inventory: Lower initial cost but variable performance; best for reach extension

Factors Affecting CPM and ROAS

  1. Audience Demographics and Size: More specific targeting = higher CPM
  2. Ad Creative Quality: Higher production quality typically yields better performance
  3. Time of Year: Holiday seasons and major events drive up CPM by 20-30%
  4. Platform Choice: Premium platforms command higher CPMs but often deliver better quality audiences

Audience Targeting Capabilities in 2025

First-Party Data Utilization

The integration of first-party data with CTV platforms has become a cornerstone of effective targeting strategies. Advertisers are increasingly leveraging CRM data for personalized ad delivery, with walled garden platforms like Amazon and Roku offering proprietary audience insights. As demonstrated in the Bosch Professional case study (The Trade Desk, 2025), first-party data activation can significantly enhance campaign performance, with the company achieving a 93% view-through rate and reaching three times more households than initially planned.

Contextual Targeting Evolution

AI-driven contextual targeting is delivering up to 25% higher engagement rates than traditional methods (Lotame, 2025). This approach serves ads based on content tone, genre, and emotional cues without relying on personal identifiers. As AdExchanger (2024) noted, "relevance is king, and wasted impressions are being put on notice."

Cross-Device Identification and Targeting

Modern CTV campaigns leverage sophisticated device graphs to enable consistent messaging across TV, mobile, and desktop. The ability to target viewers across their entire digital ecosystem has become increasingly important, with device graphs now built more on deterministic rather than probabilistic data.

Demographic and Behavioral Targeting

Granular targeting by interests, behavior, and location is now standard practice across CTV platforms. Demographic targeting enhanced with behavioral signals provides greater precision, with addressable audiences available across more than 50 CTV platforms (Lotame, 2025).

AI and Machine Learning Applications

Machine learning is revolutionizing audience segmentation based on behavior and intent, enabling dynamic creative optimization for different viewer profiles and real-time bid adjustments for maximum performance. Predictive analytics can now forecast audience behavior and campaign performance with increasing accuracy.

Measurement and Attribution in 2025

Common CTV Measurement KPIs

According to Division-D (2025), the most important KPIs for CTV campaigns include:

  • Impressions: Total number of times an ad has been viewed
  • Completion Rate & CPCV: Percentage of viewers who watched an ad in its entirety and the cost per completed view
  • Reach & Frequency: Number of individuals/households who have seen an ad and how often
  • Conversions: Customer actions in response to advertisements
  • Brand Lift: Impact of advertising on brand awareness, perception, and recall

Attribution Models

Cross-device attribution now connects CTV exposure to actions across mobile, desktop, and in-store environments. Incremental lift measurement has become standard practice, with view-through attribution linking CTV exposure to digital actions. Multi-touch attribution models continue to gain sophistication, providing a more complete picture of the customer journey.

Measurement Challenges

Only 32% of global marketers currently measure media spending holistically across digital and traditional channels (Nielsen, 2025). Fragmentation across platforms creates measurement complexity, with a lack of standardized definitions for streaming and CTV, especially in France and Italy (AudienceXpress, 2024).

Emerging Measurement Technologies

Data clean rooms have emerged as "unsung heroes" of measurement (AdExchanger, 2024), with 80% of companies either using or considering them. Deterministic data from CTV partners has become critical for campaign optimization, and Nielsen Ad Intel now covers 95% of the U.S. CTV ad market with measurement across 20 individual platforms.

CTV Measurement Vendors and Solutions

The CTV measurement landscape has evolved significantly, with several key players offering specialized solutions:.

Major Measurement Providers

  • Nielsen: Still the industry standard for TV measurement, Nielsen has expanded its CTV capabilities with Nielsen Ad Intel, now covering 95% of the U.S. CTV ad market across 20 individual platforms.
  • Comscore: Offers cross-platform measurement with a focus on deduplicated reach and frequency across linear and CTV environments.
  • iSpot.tv: Specializes in real-time ad measurement across linear and streaming TV, with advanced attribution capabilities.
  • VideoAmp: Provides unified TV and digital measurement with a focus on outcome-based planning and optimization.
  • INCRMNTAL: An always-on incrementality measurement platform allowing advertisers to measure advertising activities across any CTV and other media (INCRMNTAL, 2025).

Specialized Measurement Solutions

  • Peer39: Provides tools to analyze and understand the context of CTV content, offering insights into campaign performance by analyzing contextual factors including content category, channel, and show (Division-D, 2025).
  • IRIS.TV: Enables AI-enriched segmenting on programmatic CTV inventory based on content context, helping advertisers serve ads that align more precisely with what viewers are watching (Basis Technologies, 2025).
  • InMarket: Offers foot traffic attribution that connects CTV ad exposure to in-store visits, as demonstrated in case studies with auto dealers and restaurant chains (Madhive, 2025).
  • TVSquared (a Innovid company): Specializes in cross-platform TV measurement and attribution, helping brands understand the impact of TV advertising on digital and offline outcomes.

Breakdown of Available Platforms in North America and Europe

North American CTV Landscape

Major AVOD/SVOD Platforms

  • Hulu: Leading ad-supported streaming service with 58 million subscribers
  • Netflix: Rapidly growing ad tier with premium inventory and robust targeting
  • Peacock: NBCUniversal's streaming service with tiered ad experiences
  • Paramount+: ViacomCBS platform with expanding ad inventory
  • Max (formerly HBO Max): Warner Bros. Discovery's premium streaming service
  • Disney+: Growing ad-supported tier with family-friendly content
  • Amazon Prime Video: Expanding ad-supported options with retail data integration

FAST Channels

  • Pluto TV: ViacomCBS-owned FAST service with 80+ million monthly active users
  • Tubi: Fox-owned free streaming service with extensive content library
  • Roku Channel: Leading FAST platform leveraging Roku's device ecosystem
  • Samsung TV Plus: Pre-installed on Samsung smart TVs with growing user base
  • Amazon Freevee (formerly IMDb TV): Amazon's free streaming service

Device Platforms

  • Roku: Leading CTV device platform with robust advertising ecosystem
  • Amazon Fire TV: Leverages Amazon's retail data for enhanced targeting
  • Apple TV: Premium device platform with growing ad opportunities
  • Google TV/Android TV: Integrated with Google's advertising ecosystem
  • Gaming Consoles: Xbox and PlayStation offering expanding ad inventory

European CTV Landscape

Regional Streaming Leaders

  • ITV Hub/ITVX (UK): UK's largest commercial broadcaster's streaming platform
  • All 4/Channel 4 (UK): Ad-supported platform from the UK's Channel 4
  • RTL+ (Germany): Leading German broadcaster's streaming service
  • Joyn (Germany): ProSiebenSat.1 and Discovery joint streaming platform
  • Salto (France): Collaboration between TF1, France Télévisions, and M6
  • Mediaset Infinity (Italy): Major Italian broadcaster's streaming service
  • Atresplayer (Spain): Atresmedia's streaming platform

Pan-European Platforms

  • Samsung TV Plus: Available across European markets with localized content
  • Rakuten TV: European streaming service with AVOD and TVOD options
  • Pluto TV Europe: Localized versions across major European markets
  • Amazon Prime Video: Expanding ad-supported options across Europe
  • Netflix: Rolling out ad tier across European markets
  • Disney+: Ad-supported tier expanding in European territories

Regional Considerations

  • Regulatory Environment: European markets have stricter privacy regulations (GDPR) affecting data usage and targeting
  • Language Fragmentation: Content and advertising must be localized across different languages and cultural contexts
  • Market Maturity: Varying levels of CTV adoption across European countries, with Northern Europe generally more advanced

Content and Creative Insights

Creative Best Practices for CTV

  • Production Quality Matters: While authenticity is increasingly valued, baseline production quality remains essential for CTV. Unlike social media, where rough-and-ready content can perform well, CTV viewers expect a certain level of polish.
  • Sound-On Experience: Unlike much of digital video, CTV is primarily a sound-on environment. Audio elements should be thoughtfully integrated, not treated as an afterthought.
  • Optimal Length: While 30-second spots remain the standard, 15-second ads are increasingly effective for frequency and reach goals. For complex products or storytelling, longer formats (60+ seconds) can drive deeper engagement when used strategically.
  • Front-Loading Key Messages: With attention spans shrinking, essential brand and message elements should appear within the first 5 seconds.
  • Emotional Storytelling: CTV excels at emotional impact compared to most digital channels. Creative that evokes emotion consistently outperforms purely rational messaging.
  • B2B Considerations: For B2B advertisers, MarTech (2025) recommends focusing on two key elements that resonate well with CTV: humor and emotion. A strong story will always outweigh high production value.

Creative Trends in 2025

  • Authenticity Over Polish: According to Lotame (2025), audiences are craving content that mirrors their own lives, with publishers leaning into more grounded, lifestyle-focused storytelling that reflects real priorities and values.
  • Interactive Elements: Adding useful content to CTV ads (weather updates, sports scores) can increase viewer attention by 52% compared to standard pre-rolls (Lotame, 2025).
  • QR Code Integration: 30% of viewers now regularly use phones to scan QR codes when watching TV, making this a critical bridge between lean-back viewing and active engagement.
  • AI-Generated Personalization: Dynamic creative optimization powered by AI is enabling personalized messaging at scale, with different creative elements assembled based on viewer data.
  • Shoppable Formats: Direct response capabilities are expanding with shoppable ads that enable immediate purchase opportunities through second-screen experiences.

Success Stories and Case Studies

Retail and CPG Success Stories

National Nutritional Supplement Retailer (Strategus, 2025)

This retailer implemented a layered targeting strategy using third-party data to reach in-market shoppers for protein and sports supplements, first-party CRM data to re-engage lapsed customers, and location-based retargeting to target shoppers who had visited competitor stores.

Results:

  • $2.0M+ in online revenue from 22,178 tracked purchases (avg. $92 per order)
  • 38,891 in-store visits generating estimated $1.36M in additional revenue
  • 508 additional conversions from users who first saw a CTV ad before converting through search or social
  • 3% increase in brand awareness, 2% growth in brand consideration, 1.8% improvement in brand favorability

CPG Coffee Brand Re-Engagement Campaign (Strategus, 2025)

This campaign focused on re-engaging lapsed customers and driving new sales through first-party data activation.

Results: Successfully re-engaged lapsed customer segment with measurable sales lift and improved customer retention rates.

B2B and Manufacturing

Bosch Professional CTV Campaign (The Trade Desk, 2025)

Bosch Professional aimed to increase visibility and engagement among their target audience of experienced tradespeople. They used authenticated first-party data to identify and reach their target audience, leveraged Audience Predictor AI to build lookalike segments of potential customers, and mapped audiences against a household graph for precise household-level targeting.

Results:

  • 93% view-through rate (VTR), indicating strong viewing interest
  • Frequency cap of three ads per day per household led to significant media savings
  • Saved budget reinvested to reach 3x more households than initially planned
  • Demonstrated strong potential for future sales based on engagement metrics

Local Business and Retail

Auto Dealer Foot Traffic Campaign (Madhive/InMarket, 2025)

This auto dealer wanted to drive in-person visits to four dealership locations using targeted CTV ads with foot traffic attribution to measure real-world impact.

Results:

  • 406 in-store visitors attributed to CTV campaign
  • 2.5M+ impressions delivered
  • First-day impact with 4 visitors exposed to the ad visiting within 24 hours
  • Each visitor averaged 2 visits, indicating strong engagement and consideration

Regional Fast-Food Chain (Madhive/InMarket, 2025)

This campaign aimed to increase foot traffic across multiple restaurant locations using targeted CTV with foot traffic attribution.

Results:

  • 11,700+ visitors attributed to the campaign
  • 1.2M+ impressions delivered
  • Premium inventory generated highest volume of foot traffic
  • Visitors returned an average of 2+ times, with exposure driving same-day visits

Entertainment and Sports

MLS Team Ticket Sales Campaign (Strategus, 2025)

This campaign targeted sports enthusiasts and previous attendees in the local market to generate ticket sales for the upcoming season.

Results:

  • $426,000 in ticket sales directly attributed to CTV campaign
  • Strong ROI with measurable conversion tracking
  • Expanded reach to new potential fans in the market

CTV vs. Other Paid Media Channels

CTV vs. Linear TV

Strengths of CTV over Linear

  • Targeting Precision: CTV offers household-level targeting vs. broad demographic targeting in linear TV
  • Measurement Granularity: CTV provides digital-style metrics vs. panel-based estimates in linear
  • Flexibility: Real-time optimization capabilities vs. fixed upfront commitments
  • Data Activation: First-party data integration impossible with traditional TV

When Linear Still Makes Sense

  • Mass Simultaneous Reach: Major live events still deliver unmatched simultaneous viewership
  • Older Demographics: Certain age groups remain heavily engaged with linear programming
  • Local News: Still a stronghold for traditional TV in many markets

CTV vs. Social Media

Strengths of CTV over Social

  • Attention Quality: CTV provides higher attention metrics and non-skippable formats vs. scrollable social feeds
  • Brand Safety: Higher brand safety compared to user-generated content platforms
  • Premium Environment: Content viewed in lean-back, entertainment-focused mindset
  • Completion Rates: Significantly higher view completion rates than social video

When Social Media Makes Sense

  • Immediate Interaction: Social media offers more immediate engagement capabilities
  • Viral Potential: Content sharing and organic amplification possibilities
  • Lower Entry Cost: More accessible testing budgets for smaller advertisers
  • Targeting Granularity: More specific demographic and interest-based targeting options

CTV vs. Search

Complementary Relationship

  • Search captures active intent while CTV builds awareness and consideration
  • CTV influences search performance with documented lift in branded search queries
  • Combined CTV and search strategies show synergistic effects in multiple case studies

Strategic Integration

  • Use CTV to drive initial awareness and consideration
  • Capture resulting search interest with branded search campaigns
  • Attribute value across both channels through incrementality testing

Budget Requirements and Accessibility

Minimum Effective Investment

  • CTV requires higher minimum test budgets ($25,000+ for meaningful testing)
  • Social and search accessible with much lower test budgets
  • Linear TV still has highest barriers to entry for smaller advertisers
  • CTV requires longer test periods (90+ days) vs. digital channels

CTV Advertising and Creative Agencies

The CTV ecosystem has spawned specialized agencies and service providers focused on maximizing performance in this unique channel:

Leading CTV Specialist Agencies

  • Strategus: Specializes in programmatic CTV campaigns with advanced attribution capabilities, as demonstrated in their case studies across retail, CPG, and entertainment verticals.
  • Madhive: Offers a comprehensive CTV advertising platform with specialized measurement solutions, including foot traffic attribution through partnerships with companies like InMarket.
  • MNTN (Mountain): Performance TV platform specializing in outcome-based CTV advertising with advanced measurement and attribution.
  • Tatari: Data-driven TV buying platform combining the targeting of digital with the impact of TV advertising.
  • Vibe.co: Specializes in CTV advertising with a focus on performance and measurement.
  • SpotlightIQ: B2B-focused CTV agency helping complex brands leverage streaming TV.

Full-Service Agencies with Strong CTV Capabilities

  • The Trade Desk: Leading programmatic platform with robust CTV offerings, as showcased in their Bosch Professional case study.
  • Publicis Groupe/Epsilon: Global agency network with advanced CTV targeting solutions through Lotame.
  • Dentsu: Global agency with specialized CTV teams and technology partnerships.
  • WPP/GroupM: Extensive CTV capabilities across their agency network.
  • Omnicom Media Group: Integrated approach to video across linear and streaming.

Creative Production Specialists

  • QuickFrame by MNTN: Specializes in data-informed video creative for CTV and other channels.
  • Shuttlerock: Transforms existing assets into CTV-ready creative at scale.
  • VidMob: Creative intelligence platform optimizing ad performance across channels including CTV.

What Brands and Product Categories are Well-Represented and Under-Represented on CTV

Well-Represented Categories

  • Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Brands: Early adopters of CTV, particularly in categories like mattresses, meal kits, and subscription services.
  • Automotive: According to Nielsen's Annual Marketing Report (2025), the Automotive sector had the most marketers globally planning to increase their investments in CTV.
  • Travel & Tourism: Also cited by Nielsen (2025) as a leading category for CTV investment growth.
  • Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals: The third-highest category planning CTV investment increases (Nielsen, 2025).
  • Financial Services: Strong adopter of CTV, particularly for complex products requiring explanation.
  • Entertainment & Media: Natural fit for the environment, promoting streaming content, theatrical releases, and gaming.

Under-Represented Categories

  • B2B Services: Despite growing opportunity, B2B remains underrepresented on CTV. According to MarTech (2025), "2025 is the year for B2B brands to embrace CTV" as targeting capabilities improve.
  • Local Retailers: Despite success stories like the auto dealer case study (Madhive, 2025), local retail remains underrepresented relative to opportunity.
  • CPG Household Staples: While some CPG categories are well-represented, everyday household staples have been slower to shift budgets to CTV.
  • Luxury Goods: Concerns about environment quality and targeting precision have limited some luxury advertisers' adoption.
  • Industrial Products: Similar to B2B services, industrial products have been slower to adopt CTV despite relevant audience availability.

Strategic Recommendations for 2025

For Brands New to CTV

  • Set Proper Expectations: As MarTech (2025) emphasizes, "CTV is not a pure bottom-of-funnel performance play." While you can track conversions and form fills, CTV excels at building brand awareness and influencing other channels.
  • Budget Appropriately: Plan to test for at least 90 days with a minimum budget of $25,000 to gather meaningful insights (MarTech, 2025).
  • Start with Clear KPIs: Determine whether your primary goals are awareness, consideration, or conversion, and select appropriate measurement approaches.
  • Leverage Existing Creative: Initial tests can often use adapted versions of existing video assets before investing in CTV-specific production.
  • Choose the Right Partners: Consider whether self-service platforms, specialist agencies, or full-service partners best match your internal capabilities and goals.

For Experienced CTV Advertisers

  • Integrate First-Party Data: As demonstrated in the Bosch case study (The Trade Desk, 2025), first-party data activation can significantly enhance targeting precision and campaign performance.
  • Implement Advanced Measurement: Move beyond basic completion metrics to incrementality testing, cross-device attribution, and business outcome measurement.
  • Explore Emerging Formats: Test interactive elements, shoppable features, and dynamic creative optimization to enhance engagement.
  • Optimize Frequency Management: Implement cross-publisher frequency controls to prevent oversaturation and improve efficiency.
  • Develop a Holistic Video Strategy: Integrate CTV with other video channels for a comprehensive approach across the consumer journey.

The Future of CTV Advertising

Connected TV has evolved from an experimental channel to a central component of modern media strategy. As streaming continues to dominate the television landscape, CTV advertising offers a unique combination of digital precision and television's emotional impact.

The most successful advertisers in 2025 and beyond will be those who embrace CTV's unique capabilities while understanding its place in the broader media ecosystem. By leveraging advanced targeting, measurement, and creative approaches, brands can connect with audiences in the streaming age with unprecedented effectiveness.

As Massimo de Magistris, Vice President at AudienceXpress, noted: "With the streaming landscape largely shaped by technology, data and the proliferation of platforms, solving complexity in media planning and buying is a top industry priority" (AudienceXpress, 2024).

For brands and agencies willing to navigate this complexity, CTV represents not just another advertising channel, but a transformative opportunity to reach audiences with the right message, in the right context, at the right moment—all with the emotional power of the big screen.

References (aka Friday Night Reading)

  1. AudienceXpress. (2024). European Marketers Survey 2025: Streaming Uncovered.
  2. Basis Technologies. (2025). Maximizing Programmatic CTV in 2025.
  3. Division-D. (2025). CTV Measurement: What You Need to Know in 2025.
  4. INCRMNTAL. (2025). CTV Measurement, Attribution + Our Solution for 2025.
  5. Lotame. (2025). Top CTV Advertising Trends & Predictions from NewFronts 2025.
  6. Madhive. (2025). Leveraging InMarket foot traffic attribution to measure the impact of CTV ads.
  7. MarTech. (2025). 2025 is the year for B2B brands to embrace CTV.
  8. Nielsen. (2025). Connected TV is transforming advertising.
  9. SoCal News Group. (2025). Connected TV Marketing Statistics for 2025.
  10. Strategus. (2025). National Nutritional Supplement Retailer Drives $3M+ in Online and In-Store Revenue from CTV Campaign.
  11. The Trade Desk. (2025). Bosch builds robust CTV ads with first-party data.
  12. IAB. (2025). Digital Video Is Set to Capture Nearly 60% of All TV/Video Ad Spend in 2025.
  13. Skai. (2025). The 2025 State of CTV in Retail Media.
  14. AdExchanger. (2024). Key CTV Trends Driving Advertising Innovation In 2025.
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