With advertisers moving away from linear TV, the demand for connected TV will continue to bloom. Our blog will explore the top five connected TV ad networks and how they will transform the future of programmatic advertising.
Marketers are progressively shifting their resources from traditional TV to CTV and OTT platforms. They are drawn by enhanced targeting capabilities and the opportunity to engage consumers based on preferences and viewing behavior.
This transition is happening across geographies, with global ad spend continuing to climb, as CTV offers more flexibility and real-time tracking than traditional TV. Almost six out of ten marketers worldwide consider CTV a highly effective marketing tool (Statista).
We will explore the top five connected TV ad networks along with their benefits, and the criteria to consider while choosing one. The ad networks mentioned in our list are highly favored by marketers, and offer AI-driven capabilities to optimize your campaigns.
What are Connected TV Ad Networks?
Connected TV ad networks are programmatic advertising platforms that connect advertisers with various streaming platforms for advertising purposes. Simply put, CTV ad networks act as intermediaries by connecting brands with OTT platforms to display their ads.
However, there’s a slight difference between OTT advertising and CTV advertising. The former encompasses advertising on all streaming platforms, regardless of the device used (mobile/desktop/CTV). The latter is a subset of OTT marketing that involves advertising on connected TV devices like smart TVs, gaming consoles, or streaming sticks (or CTV campaigns).
Connected TV vs. OTT: A Connected TV is a device that streams OTT content. On the other hand, OTT (over-the-top) is a means of distributing content without cables or satellite.
Connected TV vs. Linear TV: CTV is a subset of OTT streaming devices where users can watch content on-demand. On the other hand, traditional linear TV is cable TV with a fixed schedule for broadcasting programs.
How Does CTV Advertising Work?
As mentioned above, CTV campaigns are designed to serve ads exclusively on connected TVs. However, with OTT campaigns, the ads are displayed on all available channels that can stream the OTT content. This can include tablets, mobiles, laptops, etc. CTV advertising campaigns work the same way as any other programmatic ad campaign.
The inventory is aggregated from top CTV providers that offer ad-supported content, like Disney, Netflix, Discovery+, Hulu, etc. Companies like Roku and Amazon make ad space directly available through the CTV manufacturers. Then, the user data is compiled to set the targeting parameters, an auction takes place, and the ad is served.
Let’s understand this through a connected TV advertising example – Pluto TV. When there is a commercial break, the ad server sends an ad request to the supply-side platforms CTVs work with. The SSPs then send the automated signals to the demand-side platforms.
Each DSP decides the best, relevant ad that fits the user’s profile. The bids are then forwarded to the SSP, which determines the winning bid and sends the corresponding ad to Pluto TV.
List of 5 Best Connected TV Ad Networks
1. Amazon Ads Sponsored TV
Amazon is one of the most popular programmatic advertising platforms for running CTV campaigns. The brand not only has its own CTV devices but also has two OTT platforms – Prime Video and Twitch.
The self-service CTV ad network utilizes billions of first-party data, like shopping and streaming signals to reach the right audience at the right time.
Features:
- Access to third-party ad space providers like Bloomberg and Crackle
- No minimum spend or fees
- 155 million viewer base for a broader reach
- Offers video creative production and editing services as well
2. StackAdapt
StackAdapt is another connected TV ad network that advertisers can use to reach the cord-cutters (who have cut the cable plan) or cord-nevers (who have never paid for a cable plan). It offers a global reach and utilizes sophisticated machine learning to calibrate targeting criteria to fit your viewer base.
The CTV ad platform has partnered with SambaTv to provide in-platform solutions for your programmatic linear TV ad buys.
Features:
- Offers partnerships with top OTT platforms for ads to appear on highly-viewable channels
- On-demand expertise for AdStack set-up and other optimizations
- Competitive ad separation so that the brand’s ad doesn’t get displayed near its competitor
- Pod bidding to avoid repetitive ads in the same commercial cycle
- Creative transcoding to reformat the ad to match each publisher’s specs
3. Roku
Roku is a self-service ad platform dedicated to CTV advertising. It has a similar edge to Amazon—it has its own CTV devices. Touted to be America’s number one streaming platform, this connected TV ad network is your best bet to reach US-based viewers.
The Roku Ads Manager has a highly intuitive dashboard that allows for real-time insights and optimizations on the fly.
Features:
- Offers top 100 ad-supported streaming channels with a daily viewership of 125 million
- Has unique interactive ad formats like action ads for direct conversions
- Provides AI-powered upscaling tools to enhance the creative resolution or repurpose it for CTV ad campaigns
- Offers Shopify integration with Roku Ads Manager for a seamless checkout experience on TV screens
- A highly-favored connected TV ad network among growth marketers
4. Madhive
Madhive is a dedicated connected TV ad network that works with top broadcasters and media sellers for CTV marketing. The platform is renowned for its hyper-local targeting, which includes zip code-level targeting. One can even create custom maps on their platform for hyperlocal targeting.
Features:
- Ideal for both big and local businesses for impactful results at a local level
- Offers a portfolio of premium publishers like Disney, Warner Bros., Fox, and Fubo among others
- Has a proven record of providing conversion rate increase by 36%, 9.3 times ROAS, and CPA reduction by 90% on average
- Seamless integration of data sources to create custom targeting criteria
- Offers Frequence (in-house product) for streamlining campaign workflows
5. Eskimi
The last one on our list of best-connected TV ad networks is Eskimi. It provides democratized access to top CTV providers to maximize reach and ad viewability. The platform also partners with top CTV companies like Pluto TV, Samba TV, Samsung Ads, Rakuten TV, and LG Ads to provide a wide reach.
Features:
- No minimum ad spend is required
- On-the-fly CTV ad campaign optimizations available
- Offers a fully immersive experience with automatic sound on functionality
- Has advanced metrics like video quartile metrics for detailed insights into ad campaigns
- Offers detailed pre-campaign insights for a headstart
Benefits of Connected TV Ad Networks
There are many reasons as to why advertisers should try their hands on connected TV ad networks. Some of them are:
1. Expanded Reach
With Smart TVs dominating households, it’s natural for brands to shift from linear TV marketing to CTV marketing. Moreover, CTV advertising allows brands to reach millennials, Gen-Z, and Gen-Alpha, who are more likely to consume content via OTT. Advertisers can also benefit from co-viewing, where multiple people may see the ad simultaneously, increasing ad exposure.
2. Next-to-nil Fraud
Connected TV advertising is still a budding programmatic advertising branch, making it ad-fraud-resistant. This makes it difficult to tamper with, ensuring heightened brand safety. Adding to the point, many CTV ad networks use SmartTech, like AI and Blockchain, to prevent ad fraud.
3. Advanced Targeting Capabilities and Personalization
Unlike traditional TV setups, CTV advertising platforms use first-party and third-party data to create sophisticated targeting options for ads to reach the right audience. Apart from demographics, the targeting options include geolocation using IP address, contextual targeting, behavioral targeting, and time-of-the-day targeting.
4. No Bot Traffic
Advertisers have to deal with problems like bot traffic or MFA (made-for-advertising) websites that can lead to diminished returns. However, with CTV advertising, advertisers get an engaged audience.
5. Precise Measurement and Actionable Insights
CTV ad platforms often provide unified insights like impressions, VTR (view-through rate), VCR (video completion rate), conversion rate, CPCV (cost-per-completed-view), and ROAS. These real-time reports can assist advertisers in making data-driven decisions and optimizing for enhanced results.
How to choose a Top Connected TV Ad Network?
With the advertising market filled with options, it can be troubling for brands to choose the best CTV ad network for their CTV advertising campaigns. But fret not—below are some criteria for selecting the top CTV ad network for your business needs.
Targeting Capabilities
The first thing to look for in a connected TV ad network is its targeting capabilities. Ask yourself these questions before zeroing in on one:
- Does it cater to my targeted locations (Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania)?
- What target segmentation (behavioral, demographic, interest-based, local, contextual, device-based, etc.) does it follow?
- How granular is their targeting (zip-code level, purchase history, time-of-day)?
- Does the ad network offer partnerships with top CTV publishers like Roku or Hulu?
Inventory Depth
The next point to consider is whether a connected TV ad network offers sufficient scaling capacity and access to specific platforms that fit its user base. Ask yourself:
- Will the CTV ad network be able to target specific genres (sports, horror, lifestyle) or streaming apps (Netflix or Pluto TV)?
- What kind of CTV inventory is available with the ad network (premium vs non-premium, programmatic vs direct)?
- Does it have inventory only from well-known platforms or emerging ones as well?
Ad Formats
Every advertiser has a specific campaign goal, which requires deploying a particular set of ad formats. The goal can range from brand awareness to in-store visits. Check with your connected TV ad network whether they have the required formats. Some of them include:
- Interactive ads: These ads incorporate interactive elements like clickable buttons, gamifications, or QR codes to encourage user participation.
- Linear ads: These include pre-roll (play before the content), mid-roll (play in between the content, just like commercial breaks), and post-roll (play after the content is finished) ads.
- Non-linear ads: These include overlay ads, Overlay banner ads (which are non-intrusive and superimposed on video content), and double-box ads (which stream content and ad play simultaneously).
- Pause ads: They appear when the user pauses streaming content, giving brands the opportunity to capture the user’s attention at the right time.
- Shoppable ads: These ads integrate products or services into the ads so the user can purchase directly from their TV.
- Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI): It’s a technique that lets CTV advertising companies display contextually relevant and highly personalized ads to the user, thus increasing user engagement.
Pricing Structure
The pricing model is another factor you should consider while looking for the top CTV ad network. As an advertiser, you should also check whether the CTV ad network provides a flexible pricing structure. Some of them include:
- CPM: The advertiser is charged for per thousand views the ad receives.
- CPCV: The brand pays only when the viewer watches the entire ad.
- CPC: The ad network charges only when the user clicks the ad.
- CPV: The fee is charged when the ad is viewed, regardless of whether it is skipped or is fully watched.
Platform Usability and Support
What makes a great connected TV ad network is its intuitive UI/UX, especially if you are beginning with the CTV campaign journey. A user-friendly interface will aid brands in streamlining the processes, like setting up, managing, or optimizing the campaigns.
Consider how navigable the ad network is and the clarity of the reporting dashboard. Are you getting all the information in one place? Are you getting the insights you require? Make sure the answer is yes.
Another consideration is seamless integration into the existing AdStack, such as DSPs and DMPs. Readily available support for issues like troubleshooting or understanding platform capabilities can further ease your burden.
Key Takeaways on Connected TV Ad Networks
1. Connected TV ad networks are a subset of ad networks that aggregate ad space from various media publishers and make it available to the buy-side for advertising.
2. Some of the popular and best CTV ad networks include Amazon ads, StackAdapt, Roku, Madhive, and Eskimi.
3. There are many benefits of CTV ad networks, such as no ad fraud, no bot traffic, sophisticated targeting capabilities, and precise measurement of important metrics.
4. The factors marketers should consider before finalizing on a CTV ad network includes targeting capabilities, ad inventory depth, available ad formats, pricing structure, platform support.
Are you an app publisher or a media platform looking to run CTV ads? Contact AdPushup and get a free demo today! Our lightweight, unified SDK will provide you access to a vast pool of premium demand partners and advanced reporting capabilities to maximize your ad revenue.
FAQs on Connected TV Ad Networks
Connected TV (CTV) platforms are internet-connected devices, such as smart TVs, streaming sticks (Roku, Fire TV), and game consoles, that allow users to watch video content without using traditional cable or satellite services.
Examples of connected TVs include TV sticks (Amazon Fire TV Stick), streaming devices like set-up boxes (Chromecast, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV), gaming consoles (PlayStation, Xbox), and smart TVs (Sony Bravia).
CTV platforms often use a CPM (cost per thousand impressions) pricing mechanism. CPM rates can range from $20 to more than $50, depending on the platform and target specificity.
