From Convincing to Commanding: The Evolution of CTV Advertising

It’s been a wild ride in CTV advertising and honestly, it’s been a blast.

In what feels like just 9 FAST years, the conversations around Connected TV have completely transformed.

I remember the early days when our biggest hurdle was convincing people that cord-cutting was real and that streaming was more than a fad. We were busy proving relevance & sharing stats... 

Then came the education phase. We were introducing buyers to an entire new galaxy of platforms: Pluto, Tubi, Sling, Fubo, and dozens more. Every conversation included CTV penetration data and audience growth curves

explaining how this new world of content was reshaping viewing behavior.

Fast forward to today, the landscape is maturing.

CTV is the default viewing experience for millions of Americans.

The question is no longer “Is streaming relevant?” but “How do we best leverage it?”

The conversations have evolved from proving the concept to perfecting the execution. The buyer–seller relationship is now built on three pillars: Access, Data & Audience, and Trust/Transparency/Value.

Access to All Channels and Platforms

For advertisers and marketers, reaching one or two streaming services isn’t enough. Today, buyers expect access across premium platforms Hulu, ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix. Plus FAST (free ad-supported TV) apps and connected-device inventory that reaches the living room at scale. When you’re narrowing delivery to specific ZIP codes and custom audience segments, scale becomes your best friend. You’ve got to cast a wide enough net to deliver both influence and value.

Precision Audience Profiles Backed by Real Data

Demographics like age & gender are yesterday’s playbook (they were never accurate to begin with). Today’s advertisers should demand partners who deliver first-party, third-party, & custom audience segments designed around real behaviors and outcomes. It’s about targeting smarter, optimizing faster, & measuring what matters.

Simplicity, Transparency, and Full Value

This is where trust becomes the true differentiator. Buyers want clear reporting where ads ran, CPMs, reach, frequency, view-completion rates, time of day, and outcomes. They expect insights that show why a line item delivered or underperformed and what’s being done to improve it. The “spray and pray” linear model doesn’t fly in a data-driven world.

In many ways, today’s conversation isn’t about selling CTV, it’s about partnering in CTV. It’s about collaboration, strategy, optimization, and accountability.

We’re only about nine years into the modern CTV, starting around 2016, but it’s already reshaped the entire video landscape.

And here’s the exciting part: it is still early. 

New platforms, smarter data, evolving measurement, and innovative ad models are on the horizon.

For buyers and sellers alike: get comfortable with trust, demand transparency, lean into data, and stay hungry for innovation.

#CTV and #Streaming better for viewers, advertisers, and marketers.