Reinforcing Connected TV’s growing role within total video strategies, nearly seven in 10 CTV advertisers (70 per cent) expect to increase their CTV spending, with an average rise of 17 per cent, according to the 2026 CTV/OTT Advertiser Survey released by Advertiser Perceptions and Premion, the CTV/OTT advertising solution for regional and local advertisers in the US.

The survey reveals that advertisers are entering the new year with greater confidence in CTV’s ability to drive measurable business outcomes as part of broader linear and video investments. Spend increases are driven by the ability to reach highly engaged, opt-in audiences (44 per cent) and combine TV’s branding power with digital precision (40 per cent). Among those increasing CTV/OTT ad spend in 2026, 25 per cent of that funding is coming from overall ad budget growth, with the remainder reallocated from other channels — including linear TV, digital display, paid search and social media.

The findings also highlight important implications for agencies. As CTV becomes more deeply integrated into total video planning, integrated or hybrid teams now control 55 per cent of CTV/Streaming TV budgets, reflecting a structural shift in how video investments are managed. Managing reach, frequency and performance holistically across linear and streaming environments is becoming a central priority for agencies navigating a more complex video ecosystem.

“CTV has proven its ability to drive real business outcomes at scale,” said Tim Fagan, SVP, Chief Revenue Officer, TEGNA. “Advertisers are doubling down because CTV consistently delivers what matters most: engaged audiences, measurable performance and full-funnel impact — and it works most powerfully when integrated alongside linear and broader video strategies.”

 CTV and Linear Together Drive Greater Full-Funnel Impact

CTV has firmly established itself as a core pillar of modern total video strategies, working alongside linear TV to deliver brand scale with digital precision. Four in five advertisers agree that combining linear TV and CTV/Streaming TV has a greater impact on increasing brand awareness, reaching viewers across the TV landscape, driving ROI and improving ad recall.

Additionally, more than eight in 10 CTV advertisers agree that CTV/Streaming TV drives performance across the full funnel — from awareness to conversion — and strengthens ad recall within integrated campaigns.

Premium CTV Delivers Measurable Brand and Performance Impact

Advertisers are prioritising premium CTV environments for their ability to deliver both brand impact and measurable business outcomes. Ninety-seven percent of CTV/OTT advertisers agree that advertising on premium video content can improve ROI performance goals. Nearly nine in 10 CTV advertisers agree that CTV/Streaming TV increases brand favorability and strengthens positive brand associations.

Omnichannel Integration Accelerates Across Total Video

As media strategies continue to converge, CTV is becoming a foundational channel within omnichannel planning — activated alongside linear, digital and social to reach audiences wherever and however they are watching. More than two in five CTV advertisers completely agree that CTV will play a growing role in digital-first buying within total video strategies.

Nearly nine in 10 CTV advertisers agree that including CTV/Streaming TV in an omnichannel campaign enhances performance by reinforcing messaging and improving overall campaign ROI and ROAS. Nearly nine in 10 also agree that CTV/Streaming TV will continue to grow as a key channel for local and regional advertisers — not just national brands.

Looking ahead, 50 per cent of CTV/OTT advertising is expected to be purchased programmatically in 2026, signaling continued evolution toward flexible activation models that blend programmatic and managed services.

The Next Chapter of CTV: Higher Expectations, Clearer Demands

As CTV continues to scale, advertisers are raising expectations for what the channel must deliver — including greater transparency, more consistent measurement and simpler execution across an increasingly complex ecosystem.

Fragmentation across providers remains the biggest barrier to achieving scale, with one-third of advertisers citing challenges related to deduplicated reach, cross-provider planning and walled gardens. More than half cite access to walled garden inventory and maximising reach across platforms as the primary reasons for working with multiple CTV/Streaming TV providers. Nearly all advertisers see value in managing CTV/Streaming TV campaigns through a single platform, with ease of achieving scale for effective targeting cited as the top advantage, followed by optimal reach and frequency and unified measurement, reporting and insights.

With AI top of mind, real-time optimisation is considered the most valuable AI functionality for CTV/Streaming TV advertising (58 per cent), while fewer believe it is likely to be widely available in 2026 (44 per cent). Half of CTV advertisers say AI-driven campaign optimisation and better frequency control across platforms would represent the most valuable improvements to CTV, yet only one-third believe meaningful progress on frequency control is likely this year.

“As we move into 2026, advertisers are sharpening their expectations for what CTV should deliver.They want simpler activation, smarter technology, better frequency control and clearer measurement — along with partners that can help them turn premium video into real business results,” added Fagan.

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Categories: Advertising, Broadcast, Connected TV, Headline, Markets, OTT, Research

Tags: advertising, CTV, OTT, TEGNA