Connected TV (CTV)

Connected TV means a television that can reach the internet to stream digital content. Index Exchange counts both smart TVs with a built-in connection and standard TVs connected through devices like streaming sticks or gaming consoles. Wikipedia notes that a smart TV is "also known as a connected TV (CTV)". The Trade Desk defines CTV as "premium content streaming through apps on smart TVs or over-the-top (OTT) devices."

CTV, OTT and linear. Index Exchange draws the line this way: OTT is the delivery mechanism for online video, usually streaming or video-on-demand, while CTV is the screen. Watching Netflix on a phone is OTT; watching it through the TV is OTT over CTV. Linear TV is traditional broadcasting at set times via cable and satellite providers.

Where the ads run. Ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) services offer lower-cost or free streaming in exchange for ad breaks, and free ad-supported streaming (FAST) services such as Tubi and Pluto TV run programs at set times with ad breaks, much like linear TV. Device makers such as Samsung and Roku offer their own FAST channels.

Buying it programmatically. According to Index Exchange, programmatic CTV lets marketers run data-driven campaigns and lowers the barrier of large upfront TV budgets. The Trade Desk pitches its demand-side platform as a way to unify buying across linear and streaming TV with frequency controls across channels and devices.

Formats and standards. IAB Tech Lab says the industry is testing new CTV ad experiences such as picture-in-picture ads, pause screen ads, shoppable ads and "brand bugs", and launched its "Ad Format Hero" initiative to standardize them.

Privacy. Wikipedia cites a 2019 Princeton and University of Chicago study finding that a majority of streaming devices covertly collect and transmit personal user data to advertising and analytics companies.