CTV and streaming advertising have come a long way.

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When ConnectADtv started, inventory was largely confined to fringe platforms like Xumo and Pluto TV. Today, we place ads across Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+, Max, ESPN and nearly all major cable networks.

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Football season is a great reminder of the shift. We’re delivering commercials across major NCAA games, and our clients will be running in Monday Night Football on September 14 and througought the season..

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Lately, there’s been a lot of cheers for the “next evolution” in CTV: program-level reporting.

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Except program-level reporting isn't brand new.

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‍Some platforms have offered it since 2024. Today, various DSPs, SSPs and measurement companies offer different flavors of it.

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What’s improving is the technology and the amount of inventory that can be identified.

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More transparency is a win when applied correctly. If you’re evaluating program-level reporting, here are four essential questions to ask:
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• Where is the data coming from? Is it directly from publisher signals, ACR (Automatic Content Recognition) or a third-party technology partner? Is it deterministic or inferred? The methodology can impact both scale and accuracy.
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• ‍What percentage of my campaign can actually be identified? Program-level reporting does not cover 100% of your impressions. Coverage can vary widely depending on publisher signals, inventory and the technology being used.
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• ‍How often is reporting delivered? We provide it weekly to our clients.
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• Are you paying extra for it? If a vendor says it's “free,” ask whether the cost is embedded in the CPM or truly included. All the program-level reporting we currently use is transparently included at no additional cost.
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• ‍The most important distinction: Program-level reporting tells us where impressions actually ran. It doesn't necessarily mean we're selecting individual shows up front. In fact, doing that can defeat one of CTV’s biggest advantages: using audience data to find the right viewer wherever they're watching.

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More data doesn’t necessarily mean better data.
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If you run millions of impressions, program-level reporting can quickly become a mountain of information rather than useful insight.
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My litmus test is simple:

Where did we deliver meaningful volume?

What stood out?

What insights make the next campaign better?

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Data isn’t the goal.

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Better decisions are.

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