CTVConnected TV
Connected TV is internet-delivered television (Roku, Apple TV, smart TVs, Hulu, Netflix Ads), increasingly bought programmatically.
What does CTV actually mean?
Connected TV (CTV), sometimes called Over-The-Top (OTT), refers to internet-delivered television: streaming on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, smart TVs and game consoles. The audience is everyone watching Hulu, Disney+ Ads, Netflix Ads, YouTube TV, Peacock, Tubi, or any other streaming service with ads.
CTV has been one of the fastest-growing digital ad categories in recent years. The driver: cord-cutting forces advertisers to follow audiences to streaming, and CTV inventory now accepts the same programmatic buying mechanics as display. Major DSPs (The Trade Desk, DV360, Amazon DSP) sell CTV inventory; major SSPs (Roku, Magnite, FreeWheel) supply it.
CTV creative is closer to traditional TV than to social: 15-30 second commercials with full-screen attention, no scroll-past behavior, sound-on by default. Social-first AI ad tools (advrt included) aren't built for CTV; high-production-value CTV creative still leans on traditional video production, increasingly assisted by AI image and video models.
Example
A DTC brand runs $30K/mo CTV via The Trade Desk targeting cord-cutters in major metros. 15-second spots run during ad-supported Hulu and Disney+ programming. Targeting uses 1st-party data + behavioral segments.
When it matters
CTV is where TV-style brand spend now lives. For mid-funnel awareness alongside Meta and TikTok, CTV is increasingly mandatory.
Related terms
Programmatic advertising
Programmatic advertising is the automated buying of ad inventory through real-time auctions, replacing direct media buys with software.
DSP
A DSP is a platform that lets advertisers buy programmatic ad inventory across multiple ad exchanges from a single interface. It's the buy side of programmatic.
Viewability
Viewability is the percentage of impressions that meet IAB standards for being seen: at least 50% of pixels in view for at least 1 second (display) or 2 seconds (video).
TOFU
TOFU is the awareness stage of the marketing funnel: cold prospecting to people who don't yet know your brand.
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