CTV’s Mixed Signals: Advertisers Are In Love, But Is It Mutual?

Connected TV has become the darling of advertisers in 2025, offering precision targeting, immersive formats, and access to millions of viewers. But as ad budgets shift and expectations rise, marketers are asking a tough question: is CTV delivering on its promise, or just riding the hype

What is Connected TV

Connected TV refers to any television that streams content via the internet. This includes smart TVs and TVs connected to devices like Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV, or gaming consoles. Unlike traditional broadcast, CTV allows viewers to access on-demand content from platforms like Netflix, YouTube, and Disney+, often supported by ads

Why advertisers are hooked

- CTV now accounts for over 40 percent of total TV viewing time in the US  
- In India, CTV households are projected to hit 60 million by end of 2025  
- Advertisers benefit from programmatic buying, real-time bidding, and granular targeting  
- Ad-supported video-on-demand platforms are booming, offering premium inventory  
- Cross-device retargeting helps brands follow viewers from TV to mobile and beyond  

Where the friction lies

- Fragmented platforms make unified measurement difficult  
- Lack of standardized metrics complicates ROI tracking  
- Privacy regulations and cookie deprecation hinder audience profiling  
- Ad fraud and delivery inconsistencies remain persistent challenges  
- Signal-based ad serving is still maturing, affecting campaign reliability  

The verdict

CTV is no longer a niche—it’s a mainstream medium reshaping digital advertising. Yet, its rapid growth has outpaced infrastructure, leaving advertisers juggling innovation with accountability. While sectors like automotive, healthcare, and finance are doubling down on CTV, many marketers are demanding better transparency, unified metrics, and fraud protection

CTV may be the future of advertising, but for now, it’s a relationship that needs more trust, clarity, and commitment

Sources: PitchOnNet, Nielsen, Brands.in