Paid Ads: CTV / Streaming TV

Guides Connected TV (CTV) and OTT advertising: ads on streaming platforms (Hulu, Roku, YouTube TV, etc.). Use when targeting viewers who watch streaming content; CTV achieves ~95% ad completion, higher than mobile/desktop.

When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.

What Is CTV / OTT

• CTV (Connected TV): Smart TVs, streaming devices (Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV) that serve ads

• OTT (Over-the-top): Video delivered over the internet (Hulu, Peacock, Paramount+, etc.)

• Streaming share: Streaming surpassed broadcast + cable combined in 2025 (~45% of TV viewing)

Why CTV

Advantage

Detail

High completion

~95% ad completion rate vs lower on mobile/desktop

Unskippable

Most CTV inventory is non-skippable pre-roll/mid-roll

Targeting

Demographics, interests, location, household data

Underinvested

CTV received ~7% of ad spend despite ~18% of media time (2024)

Ad Formats

Format

Use

Pre-roll / Mid-roll

Standard video; 15–30 sec

Interactive

Drives engagement; ~71 sec additional time vs standard

QR / URL

Direct response; track offline-to-online

Platforms & Buying

• Programmatic: DSPs (The Trade Desk, etc.); audience-based buying

• Direct: Hulu, Roku, YouTube TV, Peacock—platform-specific deals

• Google: YouTube on TV; part of Video campaigns

Metrics

Metric

Use

Completion rate

% who watch full ad; CTV typically 95%+

Reach / frequency

Household reach; avoid over-frequency (e.g., <7)

CPM

Cost per thousand impressions

Attribution

QR scans, URL visits; harder than web/app

Creative

• Horizontal: 16:9; TV screen format

• Sound on: Assume sound; design for audio

• Brand focus: CTV often awareness; clear brand, CTA

UTM for CTV

Use utm_medium=video or ctv with utm_source (e.g., hulu, roku) for QR/URL campaigns. Tag links in interactive CTV ads for attribution.

Pre-Launch Checklist

• Creative in 16:9; sound-on

• Targeting defined (demo, interests, geo)

• Attribution plan (QR, URL, brand lift)

• Frequency cap set

• Budget aligned with CPM expectations

Related Skills

• paid-ads-strategy: Ad formats by medium; when to use TV vs web vs app

• traffic-analysis: UTM for CTV direct-response; attribution

• analytics-tracking: Conversion tracking for QR/URL campaigns