There are no surprises. Streaming continues to take the lead, and the backlog of other channels is getting bigger. Let’s look closer at the CTV trends and find out how and what audiences watched on TV in 2024.

 report, in September 2024, streaming continued to lead the charge, holding a 41% share of total TV usage as viewers gravitate towards platforms like 

, and Disney+. This shift reflects a steady decline in traditional Cable, which now makes up 26.1% of total viewing time. In comparison, Broadcast accounts for 22.6%, buoyed by seasonal peaks in NFL viewership and political events. The "Other" category rounds out the mix, including gaming consoles and other digital platforms.

These shifts significantly transform CTV viewership trends as streaming captures a larger slice of the pie each year. However, linear TV remains vital, particularly for ad-supported viewing, which continues to deliver significant reach and engagement. For advertisers, the challenge is finding the right balance between these platforms to meet viewers where they are while leveraging each platform's unique strengths. So 

 TV approach is still a winning strategy.

The pandemic set unprecedented highs for daily hours of viewing (HOV) on CTV, and surprisingly, those levels are back. 

 reveals that daily HOV has steadily increased over the past year, rising 5% from Q3 2023 to Q3 2024, reaching levels comparable to the pandemic's peak. This resurgence indicates a persistent demand for streaming content beyond the lockdown lifestyle. Events like the Paris Olympics or Presidential debates brought people back to the screens.

 More time spent in front of the screen means more time for ad placement and content interaction. With daily viewership at these heights, brands can leverage extended exposure, especially during prime viewing hours. And for sure, to advertise on the 

 reports reveal detailed shifts in platform-specific viewing. As of September 2024, 

 exhibited the highest monthly growth among streaming platforms, with viewership up by 12%, driven by NFL Thursday Night Football and popular original series like 

 Amazon's share of total TV usage reached 3.6%, matching its platform-best share from the previous year.

YouTube continues to lead with a significant 10.6% share of total TV usage, maintaining its position as the top streaming platform. Meanwhile, Disney+ saw a 5.2% bump in September, reaching a platform-best 2.5% share of TV, boosted by making 

 content available to package subscribers and the popularity of the show 

 emerged as September's top-performing streaming title with 5.5 billion viewing minutes.

 Platform-specific data helps advertisers understand where audiences are most active, guiding platform investment and campaign placement. To monitor these shifts - this is what brands should do to ensure that their ad spending aligns with platforms with high viewership and content that resonates with their target audiences.

At the same time, YouTube has almost the same numbers based on data from application services.

For example, in July 2024, according to Nielsen’s platform data, YouTube gained 10.4%, and Simulmedia’s statistics showed that the shares of viewings by application services data were 9/1%.

Rising session lengths: stickier viewership

Longer sessions have become a hallmark of CTV viewership in 2024. Although session lengths dipped post-pandemic, they are now up nearly 7% compared to last year, Wurl's report said. This shift highlights a growing trend of viewers settling into content for extended periods, suggesting a deepening attachment to CTV platforms. Extended session lengths reflect a shift in user behavior and indicate a stickier viewership, which means audiences are less likely to switch channels or platforms mid-session.

 Content quality and relevance are undoubtedly factors here. As platforms like Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime expand their libraries, audiences have more reasons to stay glued to the screen. Additionally, content that aligns with user interests—whether themed around popular genres like reality TV or curated into binge-worthy stacks—keeps viewers engaged for longer.

 Longer session lengths mean more touchpoints with audiences, increasing the likelihood of ad viewership. Brands should consider ad sequencing strategies to build narratives across sessions and leverage binge-able content for multi-ad exposures.

Ad-supported models grow as viewers shift to FAST channels

 (FAST) channels has fundamentally altered the CTV landscape. Driven by economic pressures and shifting preferences, more viewers are embracing ad-supported content on platforms like 

, and The Roku Channel. According to Wurl, ad load on FAST services peaked in mid-2023 at 9.4 minutes per hour, settling at 9.1 minutes by mid-2024, significantly lighter than traditional TV, which averages 15–18 minutes of ads per hour.

 For many viewers, FAST channels offer a low-cost way to access a wide range of content without subscription fees. This model works with a budget-conscious audience, which includes younger viewers and those exploring new genres. As a result, FAST channels are increasing ad viewership and expanding CTV's reach to previously untapped demographics.

The reduced ad load on FAST channels is a double-edged sword for brands. While fewer ads create a better user experience, they also mean fewer ad slots and increased competition for premium placements. To maximize impact, advertisers should create high-quality, engaging ads that capture attention in shorter ad breaks.

 analysis for 2024 shows that Reality TV content is more frequently scheduled on FAST channels than any other, outperforming dramas, documentaries, and comedies. This trend reflects a shift in programming preferences on ad-supported platforms, where relatable, low-cost productions resonate with broad audiences.

 Genre selection is pivotal in ad placement strategy. Understanding the prevalent genres on CTV can improve targeting and engagement for brands that capture a specific mood or demographic. For example, lifestyle, fitness, or retail advertisers may find high returns in placing ads alongside popular reality TV programs, where audiences are more receptive to relatable and aspirational content.

As streaming captures a larger share of ad-supported viewership. In August 2024, Madison and Wall data indicated that streaming ads now account for a 10.3% share of total viewing time, a marked increase from 4.4% in August 2021.

 Ad-free SVOD services like Netflix may still dominate viewership, but the growth in ad-supported tiers and platforms is changing the balance. Disney+ reported a 5.2% rise in viewership by adding Hulu content to its platform for bundled subscribers, leading to increased ad engagement. Hulu commands a significant share of streaming ad time, holding 22% of streaming ad inventory.

For advertisers, this means that while traditional TV remains valuable for its broad reach and most ad-supported viewing is still linear, streaming offers increasingly efficient ad opportunities with more targeted engagement. Brands aiming for maximum impact should consider cross-platform strategies, balancing broad reach on traditional TV with precision targeting on streaming services.

Content discoverability has become critical as the number of CTV channels and FAST services expands. Despite the vast content library, keeping audiences engaged and preventing churn remains a consistent challenge. Wurl's report emphasizes that practical content discovery tools and themed content streams can help retain users and minimize churn.

For advertisers, content discoverability means that ad placement can become more strategic. Ads placed alongside well-curated, personalized content have a greater chance of resonating with viewers, leading to higher engagement and better brand recall.

The trends shaping CTV in 2024 highlight an industry that is not only maturing but also evolving in response to dynamic viewer preferences and rapid technological progress. Today's audiences spend more time on screens but with a more engaged, selective approach, increasingly open to ads that blend seamlessly with their viewing experience. The ability to gather data, build strategies around it, and pivot in real-time is no longer just advantageous—it's a must-have. As CTV continues to grow, those who can leverage data-driven insights and adapt quickly will be best positioned to capture the attention and loyalty of these discerning viewers.

Explore 2024 CTV trends: streaming dominates TV usage, ad-supported models grow, reality TV thrives, and cross-platform ad strategies evolve

Back to Reality. Key 2024 CTV Viewership Trends and Insights

, a patient-centric approach, AI-powered data-driven decision solutions, and 

 transform how healthcare brands connect with patients.

Pharma marketing is shifting toward a personalized, data-driven approach. HIPAA-compliant targeting allows marketers to use anonymized data responsibly, delivering tailored content without compromising patient privacy. Meanwhile, downstream outcome measurement tracks how campaigns impact patient behavior and health outcomes, clarifying ROI (

). Real-world data (RWD) from health records and insurance claims further refine targeting, providing deep insights into patient journeys. These trends underscore an industry focused on meaningful patient connections within strict regulatory frameworks.

To keep up with these trends, sophisticated healthcare marketing software tools that enable precision, compliance, and personalization are the most important components of a successful strategy. The right software integrates AI, data insights, and cross-channel capabilities so marketers can navigate the ad landscape quickly and effectively.

Linear TV's staying power in pharma marketing

While CTV is growing in popularity — according to a Leichtman Research Group report, 87% of US TV households have at least one CTV device, at the same time, according to 

, linear still captures 43% of pharma's ad spend and remains pharma's bread and butter. Why? Linear TV offers a scale and reach that no other medium can match, especially for an industry driven by broad awareness and extensive audience reach requirements. According to the 

, In 2022, pharma companies invested $5.5 billion in linear TV product ads. A significant portion of this was tied to major cultural events, such as the Beijing Winter Olympics, where $165 million was spent on pharmaceutical ads alone.

For decades, traditional or linear TV has allowed life sciences companies to meet the industry recommendation of reaching at least 10% of their targetable population. The approach has worked well enough—casting a wide net ensured high visibility for brands in a way digital channels couldn't match at scale. However, as younger audiences move to digital, the dominance of linear TV is finally starting to wane. Even so, it still commands the lion's share of pharma budgets and delivers high reach, especially among older demographics who watch more linear TV than streaming.

The next logical step? It's time to apply the precision of data-driven 

 targeting to linear TV. The capabilities that have redefined digital and connected TV advertising—hyper-focused segmentation, AI-powered insights, and real-time measurement—are precisely what linear TV needs to maximize its potential for pharmaceutical advertisers.

The shift: applying data precision to linear TV

The days of running linear campaigns based solely on surveys and last year’s statistics are over. Today, advertisers operate with data-informed precision, tailoring strategies based on real-time insights rather than outdated assumptions. However, there are still important distinctions between targeting on streaming platforms and traditional linear TV.

In CTV, targeting is as precise as spearfishing—highly focused, efficiently reaching exactly the intended type of viewer. Data-driven linear, in contrast, leverages digital targeting data to strategically position ads where they’re most likely to reach relevant audiences at scale. It’s like casting a well-informed net in the best waters, capturing many desired audiences while bringing in a broader mix.

This evolution could mean capturing more relevant audiences on linear TV, minimizing waste, and driving more measurable outcomes.

How can DSP be applied in pharmaceutical advertising

 (DSP) is a software advertisers use to purchase digital ad space across multiple networks and platforms in an automated way. Here’s how DSPs can be explicitly applied in the context of pharma advertising:

 The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) safeguards sensitive patient health information. It ensures patient data is used securely and privacy-protected while delivering relevant ads to the right audiences. DSP enables pharma brands to target specific patient demographics in a privacy-compliant way, ensuring that data used for audience targeting meets HIPAA and other regulatory standards as DPPs work mostly with anonymized data sources.

Audience segmentation for health conditions.

 DSPs allow advanced audience segmentation based on anonymized data about specific health conditions or behaviors. By partnering with healthcare data providers (like Crossix or DeepIntent, for example), DSPs can target audiences likely to be interested in a particular treatment or health condition, which is especially useful for reaching niche patient groups on CTV.

Frequency management and avoiding ad fatigue.

 DSPs help pharma marketers control ad frequency across multiple TV platforms, ensuring viewers aren’t overexposed to a particular ad. This is crucial for maintaining engagement without causing viewer fatigue.

 DSPs enable sequential messaging, where ads are served in a specific order to guide viewers through a story or campaign journey. For pharma, this could mean starting with awareness messages about a condition, followed by ads about treatment options. This strategy helps build brand familiarity and provides viewers with relevant information in stages.

 DSPs can track KPIs unique to pharmaceutical brands, such as script or brand lift. They offer analytics on how effective the TV ad was in prompting actions like prescription fills and doctor visits, allowing pharmaceutical advertisers to measure the real-world impact of their campaigns and refine future strategies based on these insights.

Pharma audience data provider. How to choose?

Pharma audience data providers, or Data Management Platforms (DMPs), collect and analyze anonymized health data to help pharmaceutical advertisers reach specific patient and healthcare provider (HCP) segments with precision and privacy compliance. These providers aggregate data from sources like medical claims, electronic health records, and pharmacy transactions to create targetable segments based on conditions, treatment behaviors, and healthcare journeys. By offering insights into patient needs and HCP prescribing behaviors, they enable advertisers to craft relevant, impactful campaigns that meet strict privacy regulations like HIPAA. Integrated with DSPs and media platforms, these audience segments are used across channels, ensuring a seamless cross-channel approach. Marketers can select the tools and capabilities that best suit their campaign goals.

DeepIntent is a healthcare advertising platform that enables marketers to plan, activate, measure, and optimize campaigns targeting healthcare professionals (HCPs) and direct-to-consumer (DTC) audiences.

Access to clinically precise audience segments based on comprehensive healthcare datasets.

Integration with connected TV (CTV) viewership data to enhance targeting.

Ability to reach over 75% of addressable CTV households with curated inventory from major programmers.

Provides daily reporting on HCP audience performance, allowing for real-time adjustments.

Veeva Crossix specializes in targeted TV advertising for health brands, combining traditional and digital targeting precision.

Engage health audiences through cable and satellite with data-driven linear TV buys.

Reduce media waste by activating campaigns with smaller budgets while still reaching relevant audiences.

Utilize audience segments that are compliant with industry regulations.

Effectv, part of Comcast Advertising, offers a suite of data-driven advertising solutions tailored for the healthcare sector.

Leverages first-party Comcast data combined with trusted third-party data to segment audiences effectively.

Provides multiscreen delivery options across linear TV, streaming, and video on demand.

Offers detailed reporting metrics to assess campaign performance and ROI.

Choozle provides digital advertising solutions specifically designed for the healthcare industry, focusing on data-driven strategies.

Allows advertisers to create custom audience segments based on health-related criteria.

Manages customer data while ensuring compliance with regulations like HIPAA.

Optimizes targeting for patient and consumer groups using comprehensive datasets.

Pharma-specific measurement providers. What value do they bring?

Pharma-specific measurement providers deliver essential insights that go beyond standard ad metrics, focusing on outcomes critical to healthcare. These providers assess the direct impact of campaigns on prescription lift, patient engagement, and healthcare provider (HCP) awareness, offering pharma brands a clear view of how effectively their messaging drives treatment adoption and education. These platforms provide a long-term perspective on campaign success by tracking downstream outcomes like follow-up visits and treatment adherence. Integrated with real-world data (RWD) from sources such as electronic health records and insurance claims, they connect ad exposure to actual health outcomes, creating a comprehensive picture of effectiveness. Additionally, pharma-specific measurement providers operate within HIPAA and privacy standards, ensuring that all data handling complies with regulatory requirements.

Examples of pharma-specific measurement providers

They offer insights into market access, patient outcomes, and promotional effectiveness, helping pharma companies optimize their marketing strategies.

Their solutions include measuring TV ad effectiveness and understanding audience engagement, which is crucial for compliance and optimizing marketing spend.

Their products include customer relationship management (CRM) solutions that help pharma companies track interactions with healthcare providers and measure the impact of marketing efforts.

They offer healthcare-specific measurement tools that assess brand performance, advertising effectiveness, and consumer behavior in the pharmaceutical sector.

Supply-Side Platforms. Why do marketers need SSP?

 (SSPs) play a vital role in pharma marketing by enabling streamlined, programmatic ad placement across HCP-focused digital channels, including medical journals, educational sites, and association platforms.

SSPs offer robust ad inventory management, allowing pharma brands to manage and distribute ads efficiently across multiple outlets. They also provide analytics on user behavior and engagement through real-time data insights, helping marketers understand which channels resonate most with healthcare professionals. SSPs’ programmatic capabilities and machine learning optimize ad performance, ensuring ads reach the right audience segments—HCPs or patients—at the right moment with minimal waste.

Connected TV (CTV) networks and apps are becoming increasingly important for pharmaceutical marketers as they seek to effectively engage healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients.

 offer programmatic ad inventory that allows pharma brands to deliver ads based on demographic, behavioral, and health-related data insights, all within HIPAA-compliant frameworks. CTV networks also support cross-channel alignment, allowing pharma marketers to extend audience targeting capabilities across linear TV and digital, maximizing reach to relevant patients and healthcare providers (HCPs).

To choose the right CTV network for a pharma ad, prioritize HIPAA-compliant platforms that offer robust targeting, cross-channel integration, audience-aligned reach, flexible ad formats, and detailed analytics to ensure effective and measurable campaign results.

Data-driven approach for pharma marketing. How does Simulmedia do this

 empowers pharma marketers to make linear TV campaigns as targeted and efficient as digital. It starts with integrating TV viewing data, allowing the platform to directly apply the same audience segments used in digital campaigns to linear TV. This cross-channel alignment means pharma brands can reach patients and healthcare providers on a broad scale with precision traditionally reserved for digital channels.

Using AI-driven audience forecasting, Simulmedia analyzes viewership patterns to predict where specific patient populations will be watching. This approach enables pharma brands to deliver relevant messages to target audiences based on anonymized health insights, meeting the right people at the right time.

By bridging the gap between traditional linear TV and connected TV (CTV), Simulmedia creates a seamless experience that extends digital targeting capabilities across both platforms. While linear TV doesn’t offer real-time insights, Simulmedia’s use of ACR data delivers early results, and its quick post-log processing enables more agile in-campaign adjustments. This adaptability brings a new level of responsiveness to linear TV, enhancing its impact in ways once only possible with digital.

Navigate CTV's biggest challenges, from fragmentation to privacy and ad fatigue. Discover strategic solutions for effective, data-driven advertising 

Pharma Ads Meet Tech. Overview of the Healthcare Marketing and Advertisement Software Ecosystem

 is like a double-edged sword in advertising—a goldmine of precision and personalization on one side and a minefield of challenges on the other. Advertisers can reach audiences with pinpoint accuracy, create personalized ad experiences, and tap into levels of engagement that traditional TV could never deliver. But every privilege comes with a price, and advertisers face 

—from platform fragmentation and rising CPMs to privacy hurdles and data lag.

The good news? These aren’t dead ends—they’re just complex puzzles waiting for smart solutions. With the right strategies and tools, there is a high chance that these obstacles can be dismantled.

Fragmentation across platforms and devices

: With viewers accessing content across multiple platforms and devices (viewers can use more than one smart TV or gaming console) — advertisers face inconsistent data, targeting difficulties, and platform-specific measurement challenges.

 Tackling fragmentation in CTV requires a system that centralizes data from a wide array of streaming platforms and devices. By aggregating viewer data across channels, advertisers can streamline their reach, ensuring ads connect with audiences effectively, even as they switch between different devices and services. Unified platforms help consolidate these fragmented touchpoints, allowing for a more strategic campaign planning and measurement approach. Solutions that offer centralized data provide clarity, allowing advertisers to see and act on the complete picture of their audience engagement across the CTV landscape.

With tools designed to combine fragmented data, like 

 advertisers gain a comprehensive view, optimizing reach and ensuring cohesive ad delivery across the most relevant channels.

 (VPPA), GDPR, and CCPA make collecting granular user data for precise targeting increasingly restricted. This can hamper an advertiser’s ability to deliver personalized messages without stepping on regulatory toes.

: The marketers need a platform that ensures compliance by relying on privacy-compliant data sources, leveraging tools like 

 (ACR). ACR allows us to recognize content being viewed without tracking personal identifiers, ensuring relevant ads reach the right viewers while respecting their privacy. Additionally, tapping into metadata—such as genre and themes —allows advertisers to target their ads based on the content’s context rather than personal data, helping craft a strategy that respects privacy.

The integration with data clean rooms enables advertisers to combine first-party and publisher data for more precise, privacy-safe targeting that respects regulatory boundaries.

: Ad fraud poses a substantial risk in the open marketplace. Bots, fake sites, and low-quality inventory can waste ad budgets, reducing ROI and compromising brand safety. Advertisers need quality assurance to avoid wasting resources on ineffective placements.

: A strategic focus on private marketplaces (PMPs) and partnerships with trusted publishers to ensure ads appear only on high-quality inventory - these are key components that help to protect from ad fraud thread. Prioritizing PMPs helps avoid the risks associated with open markets, making maintaining control over ad placement and quality easier.

: Ad fatigue is real, and CTV viewers exposed to repetitive ads will likely tune out. Without frequency capping, audiences can be bombarded by the same ad too often, impacting engagement and diminishing campaign performance.

: Effectively managing viewer fatigue in CTV means going beyond standard frequency capping. Advertisers can keep ads fresh and relevant for audiences by employing dynamic creative options and AI-driven personalization. This strategy supports testing and continuous optimization, ensuring the most resonant message reaches each viewer at the right moment. Interactive ad formats, like shoppable and clickable pause ads, allow for seamless viewer engagement, offering audiences a way to interact with brands without disrupting their experience.

s than traditional digital ads, which can strain budgets, particularly in competitive markets. Brands need to justify every dollar spent while ensuring campaign effectiveness.

: Smart budgeting in CTV isn’t about chasing the lowest CPM; it’s about balancing cost with quality to make every impression count. If a CPM in the open market seems too good to be true, it probably is—lower rates can mean you’re getting digital video and OTT impressions on desktop and mobile instead of true CTV inventory. Programmatic approaches like private auctions and guaranteed deals are critical here, as they help secure premium placements on actual CTV devices. This approach, paired with continuously testing and refining ad creatives across platforms, maximizes reach, relevance, and impact. By investing where audiences are most engaged, brands can elevate campaign results and avoid the pitfalls of "bargain" impressions that compromise quality.

The cost and complexity of creative production

: CTV is built for personalization, but creating multiple variations of video ads can be complex and costly. Producing unique ads for each audience segment requires time and resources, which means increasing ad spending.

 Simplifying the creative process with AI-driven tools makes scaling ad personalization accessible and efficient. With platforms designed to simplify ad creation, brands can scale up personalization without stretching budgets or timeframes. These tools streamline production by enabling advertisers to generate multiple, tailored ad versions that fit seamlessly into different audience segments. Advertisers can customize everything from tone and style to the visual identity of each ad, producing a unique experience that resonates with viewers across various streaming services.

Moreover, AI’s rapid testing and optimization capabilities allow advertisers to refine real-time ad performance. By adjusting creatives based on immediate feedback, brands can continually improve ad relevance, ensuring each impression is impactful. This approach not only overcomes the challenge of creating diverse ads but also enhances engagement across fragmented CTV platforms by delivering contextually relevant and highly targeted campaigns.

Prioritizing premium content and transparency in CTV

: Placing ads on premium content is vital to maximizing engagement and ROAS. However, programmatic buying has inherent risks, including ad fraud caused by caching and bid duplication. These issues lead to auction manipulation, where advertisers pay more for the same ad due to indistinguishable legitimate and duplicate bid requests. This lack of transparency inflates CPMs and diminishes ROI.

: Transparency and brand safety must be prioritized across programmatic ecosystems. Advertisers should work closely with DSPs implementing rigorous safeguards, including fraud detection tools and auction transparency protocols. Advertisers can avoid inflated costs by investing in solutions differentiating legitimate bid requests from duplicates. Additionally, focusing on premium inventory ensures that ads are placed in environments that attract higher engagement rates and drive better results. Collaborating with trusted partners and leveraging private marketplaces further mitigates risks, offering advertisers clarity and quality in ad placements.

Let’s be honest. CTV challenges won’t disappear. Moreover, there will be more of them, as streaming is one of the most impactful tools for advertising your brand. New technologies are bringing not only new opportunities but also difficulties. But these challenges lead to a more targeted, impactful advertising model. By embracing AI, smart spending, and data insights, brands can meet viewers where they are—on their terms and in their preferred contexts. The future of CTV belongs to those who meet complexity with innovation.

Navigate CTV's biggest challenges, from fragmentation to privacy and ad fatigue. Discover strategic solutions for effective, data-driven advertising.

From Fragmentation to Frequency Capping: Navigating CTV’s Biggest Challenges

In the early days, securing a prime-time ad slot was the ultimate goal for media buyers. Ad space was limited, and missing that coveted 30-second spot on a top-rated TV show often meant missing the chance to make an impact. This was the world of traditional linear TV. But with the arrival of Connected TV (CTV), the landscape transformed, kicking off a new era in 

 and fundamentally reshaping the advertising industry. According to a recent

, CTV has captured an impressive 83% of ad views in the U.S. for the first half of 2024, showing how deeply it has penetrated the advertising world.

CTV has done more than change our viewing habits; it's redefined how advertisers connect with audiences, offering unparalleled precision and personalization that traditional TV could never match. The era of "one-size-fits-all" ad buys is over. Today, advertisers navigate a complex ecosystem of streaming platforms, where reaching viewers means mastering a fragmented world of smart TVs, streaming services, and apps.

This evolution has been driven by technology and our shifting interactions with content, making CTV's impact on advertising revolutionary. This timeline will walk through the critical stages of CTV's development and how it continues to shape the future of advertising.

, initially designed in 1988 to protect VHS rental histories, has had some unintended impact on the yet-to-emerge streaming services industry, making it more challenging for advertisers to gain transparency into audiences' watching habits. The law prevents sharing personally identifiable information linked to viewing behavior, forcing brands to rethink their strategies regarding personalization.

But there's still a way for advertisers to reach their audiences while staying compliant. Brands can tap into broader content-level metadata, like the type of show or genre. For instance, if someone is streaming a comedy, advertisers can deliver ads for lighthearted products that match the mood. This keeps the content relevant without crossing privacy lines.

," refers to delivering video content via the Internet, bypassing traditional broadcast and cable systems. Despite the buzz, Connected TV and OTT are more than just different names for the same thing. Think of it this way: CTV is your smart TV or console device through which you watch on the largest screen in the house. OTT is the delivery method that bypasses traditional cable for internet-driven content.

 started making strides in display and digital video. Initially developed for banners, programmatic had yet to reach CTV fully. During this period, most CTV transactions still occurred through direct insertion orders (IOs), and programmatic transactions were sparse. However, as technology developed, programmatic began to hint at its potential for targeting and efficiency in CTV.

 (ACR) started in the early 2010s with Shazam, a platform famous for identifying songs. ACR technology would later advance into video fingerprinting, laying the foundation for TV applications. By recognizing audio and video frames, ACR opened up new targeting and measurement possibilities for advertisers, enabling insights into what viewers were watching and setting the stage for the CTV-specific applications.

Early interactive ads and VPAID standards

The early 2010s saw attempts at interactive ads, primarily through VPAID (Video Player Ad-Serving Interface Definition) standards, which enabled limited user interactivity within desktop video environments. Despite its potential, VPAID was quickly deprecated as publishers found it prone to exploitation, with advertisers using it to re-run auctions and boost profits. Though this early innovation didn't fully take off, it hinted at the potential for interactive advertising in CTV.

Digital video personalization and its challenges

During this stage, digital video advertisers experimented with basic personalization on desktop and mobile. But, without today's advanced tools, creating personalized ads for different audiences was costly and cumbersome. Publishers resisted handling multiple ad variations, setting the stage for more streamlined solutions that would emerge in the coming years.

Stage 2: Growth and maturation (2015 - 2020)

Programmatic expansion and the rise of private marketplaces

By 2015, programmatic technology matured, expanding into the CTV space. Although most CTV transactions still occurred manually through direct IOs, programmatic guaranteed deals and private marketplaces started gaining traction. Advertisers favored these direct deals and private marketplaces with trusted partners to avoid fraud and improve quality control compared to the risks of the open market.

ACR technology moved from its music recognition roots into the TV world, enabling CTV platforms to track what viewers watched and analyze behavior patterns. Alternative measurement providers began leveraging ACR to enhance targeting, measurement, and verification. This technology allowed advertisers to understand content engagement better and helped fuel data-driven targeting strategies within CTV.

's early experiments with interactive formats, such as the "choose your ad" model that allowed viewers to select the type of ad they wanted to see, Hulu later introduced new interactive ad formats, including "choose your own adventure" ads that gave viewers more control over their ad experience. This approach set the stage for shoppable ads, a more advanced form of interaction that soon became popular in streaming TV.

Personalization challenges and opportunities

Personalization continued to grow in importance, though it still faced hurdles. VPAID was never accepted into the CTV world, and was deprecated by the IAB, which meant that advertisers would have to create different .mp4 files for each creative variant they wanted to produce -- each encapsulated within their own unique 

. Creating multiple variations of video ads and trafficking numerous VAST tags was complex, labor-intensive, and expensive, which deterred many publishers from adopting it at scale. However, the rise of data-driven insights fueled a more significant demand for personalized CTV advertising, pushing the industry toward tools and platforms that could streamline this process.

Server-side ad insertion and growth of CTV users' base 

Server-side ad insertion (SSAI) is a technology that stitches together ads within a video stream before the stream loads on a user’s device.
From 2015 to 2020, server-side ad insertion gained significant traction in the Connected TV (CTV) market. As CTV adoption snowballed, SSAI emerged as a preferred method for delivering seamless ad experiences. During this period, the technology matured, offering benefits such as improved user experience, ad-blocking prevention, and increased viewability. By 2020, SSAI had become a crucial component in the CTV advertising ecosystem, with the CTV user base reaching 203 million in the United States alone. 

Stage 3: Acceleration and transformation (2020 - Present)

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of CTV, with audiences flocking to streaming services for at-home entertainment. As traditional TV viewership declined, streaming platforms surged, prompting publishers to launch their own streaming apps and, years later, self-serve ad platforms. This shift made CTV a crucial avenue for advertisers to capture fragmented audiences. 

 reports noted an overall increase in CTV ad views and ad spending as a direct result of the pandemic-driven boom in streaming.

AI-driven creative and dynamic personalization

The rise of AI in the 2020s has revolutionized ad personalization. With tools like Waymark, Veed.io, and HeyGen, advertisers can now produce ad variations for different audience segments in minutes. AI-driven ads allow brands to test and optimize campaigns in real-time, customizing elements like visuals, language, and tone to suit various demographics. As noted in the FreeWheel report, this adaptability has made dynamic creative personalization achievable and economically viable for advertisers aiming to maximize engagement.

The emergence of shoppable ads and enhanced interactivity

Interactive ads have taken an interesting turn with the introduction of shoppable ads, designed to make it easy for viewers to engage directly with products on-screen through QR codes or clickable elements. However, while these ads are heralded as innovations that “blur the line between entertainment and retail,” there’s reason to approach them with a critical eye. The concept may feel fresh, but it’s more of an evolved take on the age-old shopping channel model than a groundbreaking shift. As the retail media space matures, the true advantage of shoppable TV will come from aligning online and in-store experiences seamlessly. This approach has proven effective for retail giants like Walmart. Today’s shoppable ads go beyond novelty, turning passive viewers into active consumers and becoming essential components of a CTV campaign, but only when they’re executed with real audience value in mind.

Programmatic advancements and the shift to private marketplaces

As advertisers increased their CTV budgets, programmatic technology became more sophisticated, with a clear shift towards private marketplaces and programmatic guaranteed deals. According to 

 2024 Video Marketplace Report, programmatic views increased by 15% in the U.S. and 41% in Europe, underscoring the growing adoption of automated ad buying across CTV and other video platforms. This movement toward programmatic buying has allowed advertisers to target audiences precisely while minimizing fraud and maximizing ad quality.

ACR technology has become integral to CTV, enabling advertisers to glean real-time insights into what viewers are watching. With 

 and planning tools, ACR has created a privacy-compliant framework that gives advertisers hyper-relevant insights for planning and competitive analysis. The rise of ACR has elevated targeting capabilities, allowing advertisers to engage viewers based on content and behavior without violating privacy regulations.

At Simulmedia, we leverage enriched ACR data to offer 

advanced media planning and intelligence tools

, enabling advertisers to make data-driven decisions with greater confidence and precision.

The challenges with SSAI’s structure and ad fraudsters

Since 2020, Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) has become a fixture in the CTV market, delivering seamless ads with high viewability and completion rates. However, SSAI’s structure makes it an attractive target for fraudsters, with ad fraud impressions surging by 220%. Schemes like ParrotTerra exploit SSAI’s benefits to siphon ad spend, creating challenges for verification due to SSAI’s layer between the tech stack and the viewer’s device. The industry is intensifying its defenses, employing advanced fraud detection, IAB standards, and cybersecurity partnerships to safeguard ad integrity. While challenges persist, SSAI’s value remains pivotal in the CTV landscape.

The evolution continues: where CTV is headed next

In the heyday of TV’s golden age, advertising success meant throwing your brand in front of the masses, hoping some of it would stick. You’d pay top dollar to land a spot during 

 betting on prime time to make prime impressions. Fast forward to 2024, and Connected TV has turned this model on its head, with precision so sharp it’s practically surgical.

Today, a winning CTV ad doesn’t need millions of eyeballs; it needs the right ones. In minutes, AI can generate a custom spot that speaks directly to your ideal viewers—people interested in your offering. And thanks to real-time data, we’re no longer stuck watching from the sidelines. We’re adapting, testing, and optimizing on the fly.

The game has shifted from grand gestures to smart strategy, and it’s a landscape that rewards bold moves and quick pivots. The world of TV advertising is changing at the speed of streaming, and if you’re tuned in, you’re already halfway to winning. So, let’s stay sharp, stay agile, and keep our fingers on the pulse—because the future of TV is here, and it’s just getting started.

Explore CTV's evolution: from OTT’s start to today’s AI-driven, interactive ads—a timeline of tech shaping the future of targeted TV advertising.

Rewriting TV Advertising: A Historical Overview of the CTV Industry

Let's face it: sticking to outdated methods in 

 (CTV) is like running a marathon in flip-flops. Sure, it might get you somewhere, but it won't get you there fast—or in one piece. The reality? Innovation is not a luxury; it's a necessity. Let's take a look at 

. The brave who embrace these new tools win, while the rest fall further behind. And if you're still running your campaigns like it's 2005, you're bleeding money.

 are already reaping the rewards: sharper targeting, better engagement, and stronger results. The bottom line is clear—if you aren't innovating, you're losing.

More on how the industry has changed over the last 40 years, you can find in the 

So, what are these groundbreaking streaming innovations, and how can they supercharge your streaming advertising strategy? Let's explore.

Artificial intelligence has moved from a buzzword to an essential tool in Connected TV (CTV) advertising. As CTV platforms continue to expand and diversify, advertisers face the challenge of reaching fragmented audiences across various streaming services. AI is critical in simplifying this complexity by making ad creation smarter, faster, and more adaptive.

Today’s advanced AI tools, such as Waymark and 

, enable you to create CTV ad videos in minutes, eliminating the traditional need for long production cycles and manual edits. These platforms give advertisers full control over the creative process: you simply provide the core message, select a style (e.g., entertainment or business), choose the tone, pick music, and specify technical details like length and visual identity. The service quickly generates a professional video, with the ability to create multiple versions for testing different audience preferences. It also isn’t limited by the laws of physics or reality, allowing for incredible shots, alternate realities, gravity-defying environments, and a range of other difficult concepts.

How AI-powered ad creation solves fragmentation in CTV:

: If your ad matches the genre of movie or TV show you are targeting, the chances of success are growing. So the contextually-relevant ad means that viewers see a sci-fi version of your ad when watching 

 or the ad or home improvement application shown during some home-related reality shows, and the ad of your kitchen utensils shop runs when viewers admire Gordon Ramzi creating his culinary masterpieces.

 AI allows you to produce personalized ads for different audience segments across CTV efficiently. Whether you’re targeting families on one platform or sports enthusiasts on another, you can adjust the tone, style, and messaging of your ads to better resonate with specific viewer groups. This helps you overcome the challenge of fragmentation and deliver more relevant experiences.

 With AI tools, advertisers can generate multiple versions of a CTV ad—such as one designed for an educational tone and another for an entertainment-focused approach—and test them in real time across various streaming platforms. This rapid feedback loop lets you optimize campaigns quickly, maximizing effectiveness while keeping pace with the ever-evolving CTV ecosystem.

 AI-driven ad creation tools allow advertisers to produce multiple, tailored ads for different audiences and platforms. Instead of relying on one generic ad, AI enables you to craft personalized messages that resonate with specific viewers, improving engagement and effectiveness. This adaptability is key to navigating the complexity of the CTV landscape, where quick adjustments and targeted approaches are critical to success.

By embracing AI-driven ads, you can stay ahead of the curve in CTV, delivering smarter, faster, and stronger campaigns that break through the fragmentation and reach audiences precisely.

Automated content recognition: next-level audience insights

One of the publishers' best tools in the CTV space is Automated Content Recognition (ACR). ACR technology identifies exactly what content is being watched on connected devices, from hit TV shows to major movies, and it does so in real time. By analyzing audio, video, and images, ACR delivers a wealth of valuable insights into viewer behavior.

 adds another layer of precision, as it enables seamless data sharing across platforms while remaining fully privacy-compliant. These innovations work together to offer advertisers a powerful way to optimize their campaigns, ensuring their ads reach the right audience, at the right time, in the most effective way.

 ACR enables hyper-relevant, context-driven ads, helping advertisers connect with viewers at the perfect moment. This precision enhances engagement and allows you to reach those hard-to-find cord-cutters who are increasingly moving away from traditional TV.

Programmatic tech: smarter spending, better results

Programmatic technology has completely transformed how ads are bought and sold in the CTV space, but not all programmatic auctions are created equally. While the open market offers flexibility, it's also rife with bad actors and requires extra vigilance to avoid fraud and wasted spending. In contrast, private marketplaces (PMPs) — especially when working directly with trusted publishers—are far safer and offer higher-quality inventory. Though CTV is not yet supply-constrained like linear TV, this will likely change as ad spending catches up with viewer time spent on CTV. When that happens, premium inventory will shift towards PMPs and programmatic guaranteed deals that offer more control over pricing and delivery.

Programmatic technology enables you to target audiences more precisely, ensuring that your ads reach the right people at the right time. This improves the effectiveness of your campaigns and allows for better budget allocation. The result? Smarter, more efficient ad buys that maximize reach and minimize waste, giving you a competitive edge in the evolving CTV landscape.

Privacy-compliant targeting: precision without compromise

Targeting in CTV is undergoing a significant transformation as the privacy landscape continues to tighten. While IP addresses and device IDs have been commonly used for targeting, they are not fully privacy-compliant. Many experts predict governments will soon classify IP addresses as personally identifiable information (PII). As a result, relying on these methods may expose your campaigns to regulatory risk and damage consumer trust.

To stay ahead, advertisers must shift towards privacy-compliant targeting solutions like pseudonymization, where PII is hashed to protect user identities. However, hashing personal data isn't a foolproof method for ensuring privacy. Hashes can still be traced back to individuals, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been cracking down on companies that misuse this approach, citing cases where hashed data was re-identified, compromising user privacy.

Discover how streaming innovations in CTV can elevate your advertising strategy with smarter targeting, better engagement, and enhanced performance

Join the Waitlist for Skybeam: Be First to Access Our Self-Service CTV Tool!

Stream Smarter: The Ultimate Connected TV Guide

What's Inside