Connected TV (CTV) advertising is one of fastest-growing ad markets in the US, with new players competing for attention and fresh content constantly wooing viewers. To help marketers make sense of this quickly shifting landscape, VideoWeek just released its first CTV Advertising Guide focused on North America. It offers insight into the opportunities and challenges faced by CTV players. Here are a few points to consider.

• The streaming space is less crowded. More people are consuming content via an Internet-connected device than ever before, yet that viewing now tends to happen on a few select services, including Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, Paramount Plus and YouTube, among others.
• Ad-supported video continues gaining steam. The shift toward ad-supported CTV viewing keeps increasing, with the amount of active monthly users doubling in the last three years. That spells good news for brands, since the number of consumers who are reachable through TV advertising is likewise on the rise.
• FAST is on the fast-track. Though free ad-supported streaming has been around for almost a decade, the format recently took off in the US, with platforms like Pluto TV, Tubi, The Roku Channel, Freevee and Samsung TV Plus leading the charge. “The fact that [advertising-based video on demand] AVOD consumption has doubled in around three years means that FAST consumption is also growing very quickly,” said Richard Broughton, director of Ampere Analysis.
• CTV and retail media join forces. Most recent ad expenditure reports identify CTV and retail media as two of the industry’s top growth sectors—and bringing them together presents opportunities for lucrative new partnerships. Amazon proved that point when the giant retailer launched its own CTV outlet, and more streamers are following suit. Case in point: Over the past year, Roku paired up with DoorDash, Walmart and Best Buy.

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