Google has been coveting lucrative TV ad budgets for more than a decade. But despite stats showing that an increasing amount of YouTube viewing takes place on TV sets in the living room, its ad sellers faced a hurdle. Many advertisers and agencies classified YouTube as "online video" or "social media," treating it as a separate part of the media plan from TV.
These were distilled from over 100 real-world submissions gathered through the industry-wide "Ad Format Hero" initiative. Dig deeper: 4 questions every SMB should ask before testing CTV IAB Tech Lab has also updated its programmatic CTV guidance, offering practical advice on how to transact these ad types more efficiently. The update includes enhanced OpenRTB support, with a focus on the two formats prioritized by an industry working group: Pause and Menu.
"2026 will be a defining year for Australia's digital ecosystem," said Jessica Miles, country manager ANZ at IAS. "As AI accelerates the creation of content at unprecedented speed, brands are demanding sharper attention insights, stronger transparency, measurement, and optimisation that can keep pace with the complexity of emerging media. The next year will reward marketers who embrace innovation, and who invest not just in reach, but in the quality and integrity of every impression."
As new technologies like generative AI reshape markets, and client needs evolve along with them, agencies are looking beyond traditional sectors to new avenues of growth. From healthcare innovations to the rise of connected media and sustainable consumer brands, fresh opportunities are emerging across every industry. Agencies that thrive will identify where inevitable change intersects with unmet need and position themselves as strategic partners, helping clients tap novel revenue sources.
MNTN, Inc., a leading technology platform in the Connected TV advertising sector, is revolutionizing how brands approach television advertising by making it as measurable and performance-driven as digital marketing. The company reported a strong third quarter for 2025, with revenue increasing by 31% year-over-year to $70 million, and a significant improvement in gross margin to 79%. MNTN also achieved a positive net income of $6.4 million, a notable turnaround from a net loss in the previous year.
When Comcast released its self-serve Universal Ads platform earlier this year, it included an ads API with the goal of making CTV ads accessible to small businesses, just like search and social media ad buying. Now, other ad tech developers are incorporating the API into their products and workflow. Like Brand Networks, which on Monday announced that Universal Ads would now be buyable through the company's agentic ad buying platform, Aimy Ads.
Magnite is the largest independent platform that helps companies such as Netflix and Disney monetize their advertising. The company, formed following a merger between Rubicon Project and Telaria in 2020, is benefiting from the changed landscape in the entertainment industry as bandwidth increased, content owners created on-demand libraries and ad technology evolved, Edwards said. "Connected television is the growth driver of the business, and it's about 44% of revenues. And this is basically the TV on your wall, which you stream content through," he said.
Earlier this year, Nielsen reported that, for the first time, more people watch TV via streaming services than both broadcast and cable combined. According to "The Gauge" report, streaming accounted for 44.8% of TV viewership as of May 2025, while broadcast and cable together accounted for 44.2%. And as live sports increasingly become part of the streaming landscape, streaming viewership is not expected to slow down.
Listen to the article 6 min this year It's based on connected TV, or CTV, referring to ads that are delivered through internet-connected televisions and streaming services. CTV tools allow the company to hone its messaging to a particular audience: those in certain regions, ZIP codes, or even to individual viewers, Skipper said. The company's goal was to use that knowledge to engage with and boost Sonoco's name recognition among key niche audiences, such as private label customers.
Connected TV ensures more targeted advertising. But, while streaming, many viewers end up seeing the same ad multiple times. Since viewers split their time between linear and countless streaming platforms, marketers are left piecing together siloed partner reports and guessing which households were truly exposed to their campaigns. Without the right partners and solutions, even the most carefully planned campaigns can fall short.
Vibhor Kapoor is the Chief Business Officer at , an AI-powered advertising technology company. With the average consumer requiring 56 branded touchpoints before making a purchase, connected TV (CTV) has emerged as one of the most effective ways to bridge those touchpoints across channels. Once considered a top-of-funnel tool for building brand awareness, CTV has quickly evolved into a high-performing, full-funnel channel with better targeting, measurement and retargeting capabilities.
Gaming and mobile app advertising company AppLovin ( ) has been a rocket ride for investors, as its stock surged 425% over the past year. Fueled by the 2023 launch of its Axon 2.0 engine for hyper-targeted ad placements, ad efficiency increased and delivered 74% year-over-year revenue growth to $2.4 billion for the first six months of 2025. Adjusted EBITDA margins also hit an eye-popping 81%, due to e-commerce expansions and an international push into high-intent markets.
Connected TV is booming, with breakneck growth driving a new kind of ad experience. It's not just about reach - 75% of UK households now own a smart TV - it's also creating scope for richer interactivity and more engaging entertainment. In an ad market set to double by 2028, brands have a chance to capitalize on a new set of consumer viewing habits.
TV is no longer passive. With connected TV (CTV), streaming platforms, and shoppable formats, the medium has become both more complex and more creatively fertile. What was once one-way communication is now a two-way relationship where audiences consume, interact, evaluate, and even purchase in real time. Understanding the audience behind the screen Linear TV campaigns were predictable and measured by reach.
But last week, Google contradicted this stance in a court filing. The tech giant acknowledged that "the open web is already in rapid decline." In a pre-trial filing, Google reacted to the US Department of Justice's suggestion to sell off its advertising division. Google maintained that it would only hasten the downfall of the open web, an environment that a majority of publishers depend on for display advertising revenue.
and with Connected TV viewing (i.e. people watching YouTube content on their home TV sets) continuing to grow, it's legitimately a competitor for traditional TV channels in many respects. And with YouTube's more advanced ad targeting tools and options, that could make it an increasingly valuable consideration for your campaigns, enabling broad reach to sports fans, with hyper-targeted, even AI-facilitated targeting to maximize reach and resonance.
For marketers, this is a window of opportunity. Even a creator with 20 million followers depends on algorithms to surface content. In CTV, the top creators appear in channels, a curated environment that looks and feels like television. That makes it easier for audiences to find them and brands to buy in. Creator shows are beginning to scale like TV programming with sponsorships, integrations, and media packages available, but now with loyal, intentional audiences built in.
