Connected TV advertising has become one of the most important channels in the digital advertiser's arsenal. With over 100 million cord-cutting households in the U.S. and streaming viewership continuing to grow, CTV advertising reaches audiences that linear TV increasingly cannot — with the targeting precision that digital has always promised.
What Is Connected TV (CTV) Advertising?
Connected TV advertising refers to ads delivered on internet-connected television screens through streaming apps and services. When you see an ad while watching Hulu, a Roku Channel, Peacock, or even YouTube on your TV, you're experiencing CTV advertising. Unlike linear TV, CTV ads can be targeted to specific audience segments and their performance can be measured in detail.
Major CTV Advertising Platforms
The CTV ecosystem spans dozens of platforms: Hulu: Premium scripted content with full episode ads (non-skippable, guaranteed completion). Roku: The largest smart TV OS with OneView platform providing extensive first-party data. Amazon Prime Video: Now including ads in the default tier, with Amazon's purchase-intent targeting data. Peacock: NBCUniversal's streaming platform with strong sports and news adjacencies. YouTube TV: Linear TV replacement with Google's audience data. FAST channels: Free ad-supported streaming on Tubi, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel — lower CPMs, broader reach.
CTV Ad Formats
Standard CTV ad lengths are 15 and 30 seconds, with 30-second spots typically achieving better brand recall. Most CTV inventory is non-skippable — meaning guaranteed 100% video completion, a significant advantage over digital video where skip rates often exceed 70%. Interactive CTV ads with clickable elements (pause ads, banner overlays) are emerging but still minority inventory.