Streaming and connected TV (CTV) are increasingly becoming a dominant force in the television landscape and a critical component of modern advertising strategies. For marketers around the world, understanding how others are strategically leveraging CTV is essential for staying competitive and maximizing ROI.
The rise of CTV and ad-supported streaming
Ten years ago, streaming was a small portion of overall TV viewing and largely subscription based. Today, viewership varies by country, but streaming continues to grow its share of overall viewing. As of March 2025, streaming represented 43.8% of overall TV time in the U.S.—an increase of 10 points in two years. More broadly, CTV—encompassing devices like smart televisions, streaming media players and gaming consoles—is fundamentally reshaping how we access and engage with video content.
As the channel has grown, so too have advertising opportunities. The streaming landscape has become increasingly competitive, and ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) services have been one way for platforms to stand out with audiences. Faced with subscription fatigue and a desire for more affordable entertainment options, consumers are increasingly turning to platforms that offer content in exchange for viewing advertisements. In Nielsen’s recently released Ad Supported Gauge, 72.4% of the time U.S. viewers spend with television is ad-supported, and streaming represents 42.4% of that viewing.
This presents a significant opportunity for marketers. In Nielsen’s most recent Annual Marketing Report, a substantial 56% of marketers globally report planning to increase their spending on over-the-top (OTT)/CTV in 2025, representing a slight uptick from 53% in 2024. Notably, CTV stands out as one of the few digital channels where planned spending increases have grown year-over-year, with the most significant growth concentrated in the Americas.
CTV is a potent advertising platform
For marketers, the allure of CTV extends beyond its expanding audience base. With enhanced reach and targeting capabilities, the channel offers brands the chance to connect with specific demographic and audience segments based on their viewing patterns, demographic profiles and declared interests. This improved targeting can help marketers more efficiently allocate advertising budgets and drive potentially higher returns on investment from television campaigns.
But not all marketers are making the same investments in the channel. In our annual survey, the Automotive and Travel & Tourism sectors had the most marketers globally planning to increase their investments in the channel, followed closely by Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals and Financial Services. Interestingly, fewer marketers in the Retail sector indicated plans to increase spend, which is likely due to existing investments in CTV/streaming.
Embracing the era of convergent TV
As marketers rush to invest in CTV, they’ll need to consider how the channel fits into their overall media mix. The traditional boundaries between linear television and CTV are becoming increasingly blurred, and today’s consumers are fluidly transitioning between traditional broadcasts and various streaming services. For marketers, this necessitates adopting a holistic approach to television advertising, moving beyond isolated strategies for individual platforms.
Yet only 32% of global marketers currently report measuring their media spending holistically across both digital and traditional channels. This figure is a concerning decline from the previous year and is even more pronounced in Latin America (29%) and Europe (23%). Addressing this critical measurement gap is paramount for marketers to accurately assess the effectiveness of their converged TV strategies and justify further investment in this rapidly evolving space.
To help better understand how marketers are allocating budget across media, we recently added measurement across 20 individual platforms totalling 95% coverage of the U.S. CTV ad market to Nielsen Ad Intel. This data will provide transparency for marketers to uncover where brands are investing in CTV, which platforms are capturing the most ad spend, and how competitors are allocating their budgets across all major CTV platforms. As we can see in the table below, several consumer packaged goods (CPG) and retail products are outspending on CTV when compared to linear TV ad spend in the first quarter of 2025.
Navigating the CTV landscape: Key considerations for global marketers
As you evaluate adding CTV to your marketing mix—or optimize your current strategies on the channel—consider the following:
- Experiment with innovative ad formats: Explore the expanding array of CTV ad formats, including interactive advertisements and branded content opportunities, to enhance audience engagement and improve brand recall.
- Harness the power of advanced targeting: Leverage the sophisticated targeting capabilities offered by CTV platforms to reach advanced audience segments with highly relevant messaging, thereby maximizing the efficiency of your advertising spend.
- Strategically align with your marketing objectives: While CTV offers powerful performance-driven targeting options, it also remains a valuable platform for brand building, particularly as premium content, such as live sports, increasingly migrates to streaming platforms. Ensure your CTV strategy is aligned with your specific marketing objectives, whether they are focused on driving conversions or enhancing brand awareness.
- Integrate CTV into your broader marketing ecosystem: Avoid treating CTV as an isolated channel. Develop a cohesive and integrated strategy that seamlessly incorporates CTV with linear TV and other relevant digital touchpoints to deliver a unified and consistent brand experience.
- Prioritize robust measurement and actionable analytics: Invest in comprehensive measurement solutions that provide a holistic view of campaign performance across both linear and CTV. Emphasize the accuracy, efficiency, and interoperability of your chosen measurement tools.
Learn more about how global marketers are navigating some of the biggest trends and challenges in today’s advertising landscape in Nielsen’s 2025 Annual Marketing Report.
