The shift from linear television to streaming did not happen overnight, but its acceleration has fundamentally altered how brands approach television advertising. What once depended on broad reach and delayed measurement has evolved into an ecosystem defined by precision, accountability, and data-driven optimization. Connected TV now sits at the center of this evolution, blending the emotional power of television advertising with the targeting capabilities and attribution standards of digital media.

Connected TV advertising is no longer an experimental add-on to a media plan. It is a primary channel, supported by scale, premium inventory, and measurable outcomes. The following eight connected TV statistics demonstrate not only the growth of CTV, but why it has become the dominant operating model for television advertising moving forward.

Statistic 1: Connected TV Reaches More Than 70% of the U.S. Population

Scale is the foundation of any television channel, and connected TV has reached a level of penetration that firmly establishes it as mass media. According to Statista, approximately 234 million individual viewers were reported in 2024, representing roughly 70.5% of the U.S. population. This level of adoption places connected TV on par with, and in many cases ahead of, traditional TV in terms of reach.

What differentiates CTV is not just how many people it reaches, but how those audiences are defined. Viewership is no longer inferred through panels or modeled averages. Instead, connected TV devices, smart TVs, and streaming platforms provide deterministic signals that allow advertisers to understand who is watching, what they are watching, and how often they are exposed to ads. This scale, combined with addressability, reshapes television advertising into a measurable digital video channel without sacrificing reach.

Statistic 2: Streaming TV Continues to Capture a Growing Share of Viewing Time

Connected TV is not merely additive to traditional TV consumption; it is actively replacing it. Nielsen consistently reports that streaming content represents a growing share of total television viewing time, pulling attention away from linear TV. On-demand streaming platforms encourage longer sessions, binge viewing, and habitual usage, all of which create more consistent opportunities for ad exposure.

From an advertising perspective, increased viewing time directly impacts completion rates and brand recall. CTV ads are delivered full screen, with sound on, and are typically non-skippable, preserving the impact historically associated with television advertising. Compared to digital video served on mobile or desktop devices, connected TV offers a less-distracted environment where ads are more likely to be fully viewed and cognitively processed.

Statistic 3: CTV Ad Spend Is Growing Faster Than Traditional TV Budgets

Advertising spend tells a clear story about where marketers see value. Forecasts from eMarketer continue to show strong year-over-year growth in CTV ad spend, while traditional TV budgets remain flat or decline. This shift is not driven solely by digital-first brands experimenting with television for the first time. It reflects a broader reallocation of traditional TV budgets toward connected TV advertising.

Advertisers are moving spend because CTV offers greater flexibility and accountability. Programmatic buying allows brands to optimize campaigns in real time, adjust audience targeting, and manage frequency across platforms. Unlike linear TV, where media buys are locked in weeks or months in advance, connected TV campaigns can be refined continuously based on performance metrics, conversions, and attribution insights.

Statistic 4: Connected TV Audiences Span All Age Groups, Not Just Gen Z

A persistent misconception about connected TV is that it primarily reaches younger audiences. In reality, CTV adoption has expanded across all demographics, including households aged 35 to 54 and older viewers who now rely on smart TVs and streaming devices as their primary viewing method.

The median age of connected TV audiences closely mirrors that of traditional TV, which is critical for brands that depend on broad demographic reach. This demographic convergence allows advertisers to consolidate their television advertising strategies rather than fragment budgets between linear TV for older audiences and digital video for younger ones. Connected TV has become the unifying screen that reaches multiple generations within the same household.

Statistic 5: Retail Media Data Has Become the New Identity Backbone for CTV

As legacy identifiers continue to decline, connected TV has adapted by integrating new data sources that improve precision without relying on third-party cookies. Retail media data has emerged as a foundational identity layer for CTV advertising, enabling brands to build audience segments based on actual purchase behavior rather than inferred demographics.

Brands increasingly activate shopper data from major retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, and Kroger to target households on the big screen. This approach enables advertisers to link CTV ad exposure directly to verified purchases, creating a closed-loop measurement environment. This shift fundamentally changes how television advertising is evaluated, moving beyond reach and impressions toward real business outcomes.

Statistic 6: CTV Enables Full-Funnel Attribution and Measurement

Attribution has long been one of the biggest challenges in television advertising. Connected TV changes that equation by enabling more granular measurement across the funnel. Advertisers can now assess how CTV exposure influences website visits, app installs, store traffic, and conversions, both online and offline. 65% of marketers view CTV as a performance channel while 52% use CTV to drive website traffic and revenue growth.

Through household-level signals, retail data partnerships, and cross-device measurement, connected TV provides a clearer picture of how television advertising contributes to performance. This level of attribution allows marketers to optimize CTV campaigns with the same rigor applied to other digital advertising channels, strengthening confidence in television as a performance driver rather than a purely brand-focused medium.

Statistic 7: CTV Viewers Are More Likely to Take Action After Seeing an Ad

Engagement quality is another area where connected TV outperforms traditional TV. Multiple studies indicate that CTV viewers are more likely to take action after ad exposure, including searching for a brand, visiting a website, or making a purchase. This increased responsiveness is driven by higher attention levels and more relevant audience targeting.

Interactive formats, QR codes, and sequential messaging across devices further enhance engagement without disrupting the viewing experience. As streaming platforms refine ad formats and integrate second-screen behaviors, connected TV continues to close the gap between brand exposure and conversion, reinforcing its value across performance and brand objectives.

Statistic 8: Programmatic Buying Now Dominates the CTV Ecosystem

The infrastructure supporting connected TV advertising has matured rapidly. Programmatic buying is now the primary transaction method for CTV ads, providing advertisers with direct access to premium inventory across major streaming platforms. This shift increases transparency, control, and efficiency across the buying process.

Programmatic CTV enables real-time optimization, frequency management across providers, and consistent measurement across campaigns. As more streaming services adopt ad-supported models and expand premium inventory, the programmatic ecosystem continues to scale, making connected TV advertising more accessible and operationally efficient for brands of all sizes.

Why These Connected TV Statistics Signal a Permanent Shift

Taken together, these connected TV statistics demonstrate that CTV is not simply the next phase of television advertising, but a fundamentally different model. It combines the reach and storytelling power of traditional TV with the targeting, attribution, and optimization capabilities of digital advertising. For brands navigating fragmented audiences, rising advertising spend, and the decline of legacy identifiers, connected TV offers a future-proof solution.

Connected TV Without Precision Is Just Television

Connected TV only delivers sustained results when precision is embedded throughout the campaign lifecycle. From audience targeting and retail media data activation to creative testing, geofencing, and real-time optimization, performance on the big screen depends on execution. At Agility, connected TV advertising is integrated into a precision brand advertising framework that aligns audience signals, placements, and creative strategy. By continuously testing formats, optimizing delivery across CTV platforms, and tying exposure to real outcomes, Agility helps brands turn connected TV into a measurable growth engine.

FAQ

What is connected TV advertising?

Connected TV advertising refers to video ads delivered through internet-connected television devices, including smart TVs, streaming devices, and gaming consoles. These ads combine the impact of television advertising with the targeting and measurement capabilities of digital advertising.

What counts as connected TV?

Connected TV includes any television or device that streams video content via the internet, such as smart TVs, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, gaming consoles like Xbox, and TVs accessing streaming platforms through built-in or external connectivity.

How does CTV advertising work?

CTV advertising works by serving video ads within streaming content on ad-supported platforms. Advertisers use audience targeting, retail media data, and real-time optimization to deliver ads to specific households and measure performance across metrics like completion rates, conversions, and attribution.

How are CTV ads bought and sold

CTV ads are primarily bought and sold programmatically through demand-side platforms, private marketplaces, and direct deals with streaming providers. This approach offers greater flexibility, transparency, and control compared to traditional TV buying.