Advantages and Disadvantages of Connected TV Advertising
Key Takeaways
Connected TV advertising gives brands the impact of the TV screen with more flexible targeting, buying and measurement than traditional linear TV.
The main challenges are fragmented platforms, inconsistent measurement, frequency control and creative that is not always built for the big screen.
One Day Agency can help brands plan CTV campaigns across TV, VOD, video, programmatic, creative and wider media.
Connected TV advertising gives brands a way to reach viewers through internet-connected TV screens, including smart TVs, streaming devices, games consoles and broadcaster apps. It brings together two useful qualities: the attention of the living-room screen and the targeting options usually associated with digital media.
For advertisers, this makes CTV a valuable route into modern TV viewing. It can support brand awareness, incremental reach, retargeting, regional activity and full-funnel campaigns. It is not perfect, though. The channel is still fragmented, measurement can be inconsistent and campaigns need careful planning to avoid wasted impressions.
At One Day Agency, CTV campaigns can be planned across connected TV advertising, TV advertising, VOD advertising, video advertising, media buying, programmatic display and creative campaigns.
What Is Connected TV Advertising?
Connected TV advertising is video advertising served on TV screens through internet-connected platforms. This includes broadcaster video-on-demand apps, streaming services, smart TV platforms, ad-supported streaming channels and other TV-based digital environments.
It is different from traditional TV because ads can be bought with more data-led targeting, often by audience, location, device, household profile or viewing environment. It is also different from standard online video because the ad appears on the biggest screen in the home, often in a more relaxed viewing context.
Ofcom’s Media Nations 2025 report found that the TV set remains central to home video viewing, with 84% of in-home video viewing taking place through the TV set in 2024. That is why CTV matters. Even as viewing habits change, the main screen in the home is still a powerful place for brands to appear.
Advantages
CTV Combines TV Impact With Digital Control
One of the strongest advantages of connected TV advertising is the mix of scale and control. Brands can appear in a premium video environment without relying only on broad TV demographics.
CTV can be useful when a brand wants to reach households based on location, interests, behaviours or viewing context. It also allows advertisers to test different audiences, adjust budgets and combine TV-style creative with digital campaign planning.
This gives advertisers more flexibility than a traditional TV-only approach. A national brand can use CTV to add reach beyond linear TV. A regional brand can run a focused campaign in selected areas. A performance-led brand can use CTV to build trust before capturing demand through search or social.
For a more practical planning guide, One Day’s article on how to advertise on CTV explains how brands can approach the channel from strategy to buying.
It Reaches Changing Viewing Habits
CTV is growing because viewing is no longer limited to scheduled TV. People watch broadcaster apps, streaming platforms, YouTube, FAST channels, subscription services and on-demand content through the TV screen.
This shift creates new advertising opportunities. Brands can reach viewers who may be lighter linear TV viewers but still spend time with premium video content on the big screen.
IAB UK reported that the UK digital advertising market reached £40.5bn in 2025, with video spend rising 20% year on year to £9.3bn. Its Digital Adspend 2025 update shows the continued growth of digital advertising, while its separate analysis of TV+ growth points to the increasing role of streaming and connected video environments.
CTV Can Support Full-Funnel Campaigns
CTV is often treated as a brand channel, but it can support more than awareness. A strong CTV campaign can increase search demand, improve recall, support ecommerce journeys and make paid social or PPC activity more effective.
For example, a brand might use CTV to introduce a product at scale, then use paid search to capture people who look for the brand later. A retailer might run regional CTV activity around store locations, supported by local landing pages and paid social retargeting. A subscription brand might use CTV for fame, then retarget site visitors with performance creative.
This works because CTV gives brands high-quality attention at the start of the journey, while digital channels help capture the response later. For advertisers comparing CTV with other on-demand formats, this guide on VOD advertising explains how on-demand video fits into wider media planning.
Creative Can Feel More Premium
CTV gives brands the chance to use high-quality video creative in a setting that feels closer to TV than social. The screen is larger, the viewing experience is often more relaxed and the ad can feel more polished when placed around premium content.
That is useful for brands that need to build trust, emotion or product desire. Automotive, travel, finance, beauty, retail, entertainment and lifestyle brands can all benefit from the extra space a TV screen gives to storytelling.
However, the creative still needs to be built properly. A social-first video simply resized for CTV may not work. The pacing, branding, sound design and end frame all need to suit a lean-back viewing environment. For creative guidance, One Day’s guide to creating the perfect TV ad outlines the role of structure, message and visual clarity.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Connected TV Advertising
Disadvantages
The Market Is Fragmented
CTV has grown quickly, but it is not a single simple channel. Inventory can sit across broadcaster platforms, streaming services, smart TV manufacturers, device platforms, programmatic marketplaces and direct publisher deals.
That creates complexity. Different platforms may use different buying routes, data sets, ad formats, reporting methods and technical standards. A campaign that looks simple on a media plan can become harder to manage once delivery, frequency and measurement are reviewed properly.
IAB Europe’s Guide to Programmatic for CTV focuses on this complexity, including ecosystem fundamentals, technical standards, regional differences and live or server-side ad insertion environments. That reflects a key reality for advertisers: CTV planning needs technical understanding, not just audience selection.
Measurement Is Not Always Clean
CTV gives advertisers more measurement options than traditional TV, but it does not remove every reporting challenge. Viewers may see a CTV ad, search later on mobile, convert on desktop or buy in-store. That makes attribution more complex.
There can also be differences between platform reporting, ad server reporting and third-party measurement. Impressions, completion rates, reach and frequency may not always align perfectly across suppliers.
A practical measurement plan should therefore include several signals. Brands can review reach, completion rate, view-through metrics, branded search uplift, direct website traffic, landing page visits, QR scans, regional sales or brand lift. CTV should not be judged only through last-click performance because much of its value happens before the final conversion.
Frequency Can Become a Problem
One of the most common complaints about streaming and CTV ads is repetition. When frequency is not managed properly, the same household may see the same ad too often across different apps or platforms.
This is not just annoying for viewers. It can also waste budget and reduce campaign effectiveness. A brand may think it is building reach, when it is actually over-serving a smaller group of households.
IAB Tech Lab’s CTV Programmatic Guide focuses on standards for delivery, targeting, measurement, verification, interactivity, ad fraud and brand suitability in CTV. These areas matter because better technical standards can help the market improve quality, control and consistency.
For advertisers, the practical advice is simple: ask how frequency is being managed before buying. Do not assume every CTV supplier can control exposure in the same way.
Costs Can Be Higher Than Other Digital Video
CTV can be more expensive than standard online video. The environment is usually more premium, the screen is larger and high-quality inventory can command higher CPMs.
That does not make CTV poor value. It means the channel needs a clear role. If the campaign only needs cheap views, CTV may not be the most efficient option. If the goal is attention, trust, household reach or premium video impact, the higher cost may be justified.
A good CTV plan should compare cost against quality, not just volume. Completion rates, screen size, content environment, audience match and follow-up response all matter.
When CTV Advertising Makes Sense
CTV is most useful when a brand needs the credibility of TV but wants more control than traditional linear buying. It is also useful when a brand wants to connect video storytelling with digital targeting and measurement.
It can work well for product launches, regional campaigns, brand-building activity, subscription growth, ecommerce support, app campaigns, retargeting, seasonal promotions and audience extension beyond linear TV.
It is less suitable when the budget is too small, the creative is weak, the audience is poorly defined or the campaign is judged only on immediate clicks. CTV is measurable, but it is still a video-led channel. It needs enough budget, frequency and creative quality to work.
How One Day Agency Can Help
At One Day Agency, we help brands decide whether CTV is the right channel, which platforms make sense, how the media should be bought and how the creative should be adapted for the TV screen.
We can plan connected TV activity alongside linear TV, VOD, YouTube, paid social, PPC and programmatic. That makes the campaign easier to measure and helps ensure CTV is not treated as an isolated media buy.
The aim is to use CTV where it has a real job: reaching the right households, improving video impact, building trust and helping other channels convert more effectively.
“Connected TV advertising is strongest when it is planned as premium video, not just digital display on a bigger screen. The value comes from combining audience precision with creative that feels right for the living room.” Shelby Davis, Senior Growth Manager - One Day Agency
References
Ofcom: Media Nations 2025 UK Report
IAB UK: Video’s £9.3bn Surge and TV+ Growth
IAB Europe: Guide to Programmatic for CTV
IAB Tech Lab: CTV Programmatic Guide
FAQs
What are the advantages of connected TV advertising?
The main advantages are premium video delivery, household-level targeting, flexible buying, strong completion rates, big-screen impact and the ability to connect TV-style creative with digital measurement.
What are the disadvantages of connected TV advertising?
The main disadvantages are fragmented platforms, inconsistent measurement, frequency control issues, higher CPMs and the need for creative that is properly built for the TV screen.
Is connected TV advertising better than traditional TV?
It depends on the campaign goal. Traditional TV is strong for broad reach and cultural impact, while CTV gives advertisers more targeting, flexibility and digital-style reporting.
Is CTV good for performance campaigns?
CTV can support performance, especially when paired with PPC, paid social, retargeting and landing pages. It should usually be measured through search uplift, website traffic, view-through data and sales movement, not only last-click conversions.
What brands should use CTV advertising?
CTV can work for retail, travel, automotive, finance, entertainment, ecommerce, subscriptions, apps, beauty, healthcare and brands that need high-quality video exposure with more targeting control.
