Growth and Trends You Can’t Ignore
If it feels like everyone is streaming these days, you’re not wrong. Over 88% of U.S. households now have at least one CTV device¹, and cord-cutting is at an all-time high. People aren’t just watching paid subscription services. They’re also flocking to free, ad-supported platforms.
The advertising world has noticed: U.S. CTV ad spend hit $23.6 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow another 13% in 2025². Some forecasts see that number reaching $34 billion by 2025³.
What is CTV?
Think of Connected TV (CTV) as your regular TV’s cool, tech-savvy cousin. Instead of just flipping through cable channels, CTV lets you stream Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, or dozens of other apps right on your TV because it’s a smart TV or because you’ve plugged in something like a Roku or Fire Stick.
For marketers and advertisers, it’s a sweet spot: you still get the big, cinematic living-room screen that traditional TV offers, but now you can target ads with the precision you’d expect from Facebook or Google.
In a recent conversation, Brett Gordon, Senior Sales Director – Growth & Strategy at Simpli.fi, told me “Having worked in both broadcast TV and radio, I’ve seen firsthand how Connected TV transforms the game. It gives my partners the ability to bring their big screen message to life, but now with the precision, optimization and performance driven strategies that have long driven digital marketing success.”
He continued, “It’s television built for today’s audiences.” (I think that may be the simplest, most direct, and refreshingly accurate way of describing CTV)
Benefits of CTV Advertising
- Pinpoint Targeting: You’re not just buying “prime time.” You can reach people based on age, location, interests, and even past behaviors.
- Bigger, Better Attention: Your ad plays on the biggest screen in the house, rather than being sandwiched within an article on a phone.
- You Can Actually Measure It: Unlike old-school TV, you can track impressions, completions, and even who visited your website after watching.
- Sticky Factor: You can retarget users that have already shown an interest in your brand by visiting your website.
Common Pitfalls to Navigate
- Too Many Platforms: Your audience is scattered across Netflix, Hulu, YouTube TV, Pluto, and beyond. This means you might need multiple buys to reach them all (or a great strategy).
- Measuring Apples to Apples Is Hard: Different platforms count and report things differently.
- It Can Cost More: CTV CPMs are often higher than standard digital ads².
- Quality Varies: Not all CTV ad inventory is created equal, so you’ll want to choose partners carefully.
5 Things to Consider before Running your First CTV Campaign
- Know Your Goal: Is this campaign about brand awareness or closing sales? That choice changes everything from targeting to creative.
- Use Your Data Wisely: Combine your customer data with platform targeting to reach the right people and retarget them later.
- Make It TV-Friendly: Big, bold visuals. Clear branding. Messaging that works with or without sound.
- Test First: Try a few platforms before going all in. See which delivers the most bang for your buck.
- Measure the Full Picture: Don’t just look at CTV metrics without connecting them to the rest of your marketing efforts.
Key Takeaway
CTV isn’t just “online TV.” It’s a way to blend the best of digital targeting with the power of the living-room screen. With U.S. CTV viewership growing 46% year-over-year⁴, it’s clear this is where audiences are heading. If you can navigate the platforms, control costs, and keep optimizing, you can get in front of exactly the right audience on a medium where they’re paying attention. If you need help navigating CTV and the strategies needed to be effective, reach out to a trusted partner like Chartwell Agency for guidance.
References
1. Mountain.com – Connected TV Statistics (2023): https://mountain.com/blog/connected-tv-statistics/
2. IAB – CTV Rebounds to Double-Digit Growth in 2024 (2024): https://www.iab.com/news/ctv-rebounds-to-double-digit-growth-in-2024/
3. Oberlo – CTV Ad Spend Statistics (2024): https://www.oberlo.com/statistics/ctv-ad-spend 4. TV Technology – Samba TV: CTV Viewership Growth Report (2025): https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/samba-tv-68-percent-of-top-100-brands-increased-tv-ad-impressions-in-first-half-of-2025
