As traditional, linear TV enjoys the last of its heydays, advertisers continue to flock towards performance and attribution-led media channels. When digital first took over, brands invested heavily in social and search because these avenues promised measurement and attribution; however, now with premium TV content offering the same level of performance outcomes, it’s no surprise that ad spend on streaming and connected TV continues to rise.

Mediaocean’s recent Advertising Outlook report further underpins advertisers’ keen focus on performance, measurement and attribution as critical to gauging campaign success.

Source: Mediaocean Advertising Outlook H1 2025

Owing to this shift in, the trajectory of CTV's growth has been nothing short of impressive. In 2024, U.S. CTV ad spend reached over $30.10 billion, marking an 18.8% year-over-year increase! And it’s evidently not slowing down anytime soon.

While CTV continues its upward trajectory, it’s important to understand the drivers behind the surge in its adoption by performance marketers and why brands are seeing unparalleled success through CTV media buys:

It’s big and bold (in its ambitions):

CTV brings back the communal viewing experience, but with a modern twist. Unlike the solitary scroll on a smartphone, CTV ads are showcased on large, high-definition screens, often viewed by multiple household members simultaneously. This 1-to-many viewership amplifies the impact of each ad impression, offering brands a broader and more engaged audience. With the measurement capabilities of digital and the viewing experience of premium TV, CTV offers the perfect mix of brand awareness and performance.

In fact, a survey by Advertising Week revealed that 65% of marketers classify CTV as a performance channel, with 52% utilizing it to drive key metrics. Moreover, studies have shown that CTV advertising often generates a "halo effect," leading to increased organic traffic and conversions across other channels. Meaning, you don’t always have to scan a QR code to shop that mauve colored blender on the L-frame for the interaction to count as a conversion - discovering a new product via a CTV ad and purchasing it on say, Tiktok Shop, still ties back to CTV-driven brand awareness.

CTV Owns the Premium Attention Economy

Ads on YouTube, TikTok, and Meta may get views, but they often compete for attention in cluttered environments. On CTV, your ad takes center stage on a full-screen, high-definition display - no distractions, no scrolling past. Search relies on intent; CTV generates it.

Brand-Safe, Contextually Relevant, and Privacy-Proof

With the death of third-party cookies looming, search is losing its edge as a precision-targeting tool. Meanwhile, CTV thrives in a cookie-free world, using contextual relevance, deterministic data, and identity resolution to reach high-value audiences - without privacy headaches.

CTV ads are served alongside premium, curated content - not next to misinformation, clickbait, or low-quality UGC.
Contextual ensures your ad is relevant to the viewer’s interests - without violating privacy regulations.
Zero reliance on third-party cookies, ensuring long-term viability in a privacy-first world.

The Verdict: CTV is Winning the Performance War

Historically, the biggest misconception about CTV has been that it’s just an upper-funnel play. But the reality is that CTV is a full-funnel beast, driving measurable actions. CTV is proving that intent can be engineered, attention can be won, and conversions can happen beyond a search box.

So, as brands evaluate their performance marketing strategies in a cookie-free, privacy-first world, the real question isn’t whether they should shift budgets to CTV. It’s how fast they can.