What platforms support CTV advertising?

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Last updated: April 8, 2026

Quick Answer: CTV advertising is supported by major streaming platforms including Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Samsung Smart TV, and Apple TV, which collectively reach over 80% of U.S. CTV households. These platforms offer programmatic buying through ad exchanges like The Trade Desk and Magnite, with CTV ad spending projected to exceed $30 billion globally by 2025. Key features include addressable targeting, interactive ads, and measurement tools from providers such as Nielsen and Comscore.

Key Facts

CTV ad spending reached $21.2 billion in 2023, up 21% year-over-year
Roku has over 80 million active accounts as of Q4 2023
Amazon Fire TV reaches approximately 50 million monthly active users
Programmatic CTV ad buying grew 40% in 2023
CTV accounts for over 30% of total digital video ad spending

Overview

Connected TV (CTV) advertising refers to video ads delivered through internet-connected television devices, including smart TVs, streaming sticks, gaming consoles, and set-top boxes. The CTV advertising ecosystem emerged in the early 2010s alongside the growth of streaming services, with platforms like Roku launching their ad-supported channels in 2012. By 2023, CTV had become a dominant force in digital advertising, with 87% of U.S. households having at least one CTV device. The market has evolved from simple pre-roll ads to sophisticated programmatic buying, with major platforms developing proprietary ad tech stacks. Key players include device manufacturers (Samsung, LG), streaming platforms (Roku, Amazon), and content providers (Hulu, Peacock), creating a fragmented but rapidly consolidating landscape where advertising technology continues to advance through acquisitions and partnerships.

How It Works

CTV advertising operates through a multi-layered ecosystem where advertisers purchase inventory via programmatic platforms or direct deals. The process begins with ad insertion at the device level (server-side ad insertion) or app level (client-side ad insertion), allowing for targeted delivery based on first-party data from platforms like Roku's OneView or Amazon's Fire TV ad network. Measurement occurs through partnerships with third-party verification services that track impressions, completion rates, and attribution using ACR (automatic content recognition) technology. Advanced targeting capabilities include demographic, behavioral, and contextual targeting, with some platforms offering household-level addressability. The buying process typically involves private marketplace deals, programmatic guaranteed, or open auctions through DSPs (demand-side platforms), with creatives optimized for the big screen through specific technical specifications and interactive elements.

Why It Matters

CTV advertising matters because it represents the convergence of television's reach with digital advertising's precision, capturing cord-cutters and cord-nevers who traditional TV can't reach. With U.S. adults spending over 4 hours daily with CTV content, advertisers gain access to highly engaged audiences in lean-back environments. The technology enables better ROI measurement than traditional TV through detailed analytics on view-through rates and conversion tracking. For consumers, it supports the ad-supported streaming model that makes content more accessible, while for publishers, it creates new revenue streams beyond subscriptions. The growth of CTV advertising is reshaping media budgets, with brands allocating increasing portions of their video spend to this channel as they seek to reach audiences where they're actually watching.