85+ Connected TV Advertising Statistics for 2026: Spend, Fraud, and Performance Data

Connected TV advertising statistics for 2026 show a channel that has moved from experimental line item to a core piece of the media plan.

US advertisers are projected to spend $37.95 billion on CTV in 2026, a 14.5% jump from 2025, while streaming has overtaken cable and broadcast combined for the first time in national viewing share.

This page pulls together the spend, device, fraud, and performance data marketers need to plan, buy, and defend CTV budgets this year, organized into ten sections covering the full picture: how much money is moving into the channel, who is watching, where the dollars are going, and how campaigns actually perform once they run.

Quick answer: US connected TV ad spend is projected to reach $37.95 billion in 2026, up 14.5% from $33.35 billion in 2025, with the market forecast to surpass linear TV ad spending by 2028 (eMarketer).

Key stats at a glance

• CTV will account for over 90% of programmatic CTV display transactions in 2026, up from 60% five years ago (eMarketer, 2026)
• CTV captures 20.2% of US media time but only 7.7% of ad spend, the widest attention-to-dollar gap in digital media (eMarketer, 2025)
• Global CTV invalid traffic hit 18% in Q1 2025, more than double the 8% typically cited for premium display (Pixalate, 2025)
• CTV fraud schemes and variants rose 140% in Q1 2026 versus Q1 2025 (DoubleVerify, 2026)
• 90% of US households now use a connected TV device at least monthly, up from roughly 50% a decade ago (eMarketer, 2025)

Connected TV Advertising Statistics: Global and US Ad Spend

CTV spend has grown every year for more than a decade, and the pace is holding even as the market matures.

The clearest thread through this year's numbers is that CTV is no longer stealing share from a shrinking pie; it is absorbing dollars that used to be locked into linear commitments.

1. US CTV ad spend is projected to reach $37.95 billion in 2026 (eMarketer, 2026).
2. That represents 14.5% year-over-year growth, moderating from the double-digit rates of the past five years but still outpacing most other ad channels (eMarketer, 2026).
3. CTV ad spend totaled $33.35 billion in the US in 2025, the base year for 2026's growth (eMarketer, 2025).
4. By 2028, US CTV ad spend is projected to reach $46.89 billion, the year it is forecast to surpass traditional TV ad spending ($45.10 billion) for the first time (eMarketer, 2026).
5. By 2029, US CTV ad spend is projected to reach approximately $51-52.53 billion, with annual growth cooling to around 11% (eMarketer, 2026).
6. Combined US TV and CTV ad spending is projected to grow just 1.1% through 2029, meaning CTV's gains are coming almost entirely at linear TV's expense rather than from new budget (EMARKETER, cited in Teads, 2026). This tracks with longer-running data on the category, which shows overall US streaming ad spending was already projected to overtake linear TV spending by 2025, according to data from Statista.
7. CTV ad spend increased 377% in the US between 2019 and 2025 (StackAdapt, citing Nielsen/eMarketer data, 2026).
8. Global CTV ad spend is projected to reach $36.95 billion in 2026, more than 10 times the spend of the next-largest markets, the UK and China (eMarketer, 2026).
9. Connected TV advertising is growing at a 12% compound annual growth rate, ahead of digital advertising overall (Teads, citing EMARKETER, 2026).
10. CTV upfront commitments are forecast to reach $17.73 billion in 2026, exceeding primetime linear TV upfronts ($16.98 billion) for the first time (IAB 2026 Ad Spend Forecast, cited in Digital Applied, 2026).

US CTV ad spend, 2025-2029

Year	US CTV ad spend	YoY growth
2025	$33.35B	N/A
2026	$37.95B	+14.5%
2027	~$42B (directional)	~13%
2028	$46.89B	~11-12%
2029	~$51-52.53B	~11%

Connected TV Advertising Statistics by Country and Region

CTV spend concentrates heavily in the US, but growth rates are now higher in smaller markets that are still building out streaming infrastructure and ad tech.

11. The UK is the second-largest CTV ad market at $3.45 billion in 2026 (eMarketer, 2026).
12. China ranks third at $3.40-3.47 billion in 2026, growing 11.5% year-over-year (eMarketer, 2026).
13. Canada's CTV ad spend is projected to reach $1.29 billion in 2026, up 16% from 2025 (eMarketer, cited in StackAdapt, 2026).
14. Australia's CTV ad spend is projected to reach $1.19 billion in 2026, up 11.1% year-over-year (eMarketer, cited in StackAdapt, 2026).
15. Japan's CTV ad spend is projected to reach $1 billion in 2026, up 17.4% year-over-year (eMarketer, cited in StackAdapt, 2026).
16. Italy, Spain, Brazil, and Mexico together account for just 1.25% of global CTV ad spend, but are projected to grow between 23.7% and 27.6% year-over-year, well ahead of the global average (eMarketer, cited in StackAdapt, 2026).
17. Asia-Pacific total media ad spending is projected to grow 6.5% year-over-year to $325.39 billion in 2026, with CTV cited as a primary growth driver alongside retail media (eMarketer, 2026).
18. Digital ad spending in Asia-Pacific is projected to grow 8.6% year-over-year in 2026, with India leading major markets at 9.6% growth (eMarketer, 2026).
19. CTV captured 20.2% of US time spent with media in 2025 but attracted just 7.7% of total ad spend, a gap eMarketer expects to widen before it narrows (eMarketer, cited in StackAdapt, 2026).
20. Global digital ad spend is projected to reach $740 billion in 2026, with digital now accounting for 73% of total global media spend (Digital Applied, citing industry forecasts, 2026).

CTV ad spend by country, 2026

Country	2026 CTV ad spend	YoY growth
United States	$37.95B	+14.5%
United Kingdom	$3.45B	N/A
China	$3.40-3.47B	+11.5%
Canada	$1.29B	+16.0%
Australia	$1.19B	+11.1%
Japan	$1.00B	+17.4%

Connected TV Device and Household Penetration Statistics

Reach is no longer the barrier it once was for CTV advertisers. The device is now in nearly every American home; the remaining questions are about which device and how ads reach it.

21. 90% of US households used an internet-connected TV device at least once per month in 2025, a record high (eMarketer, cited in MNTN, 2026).
22. That figure is projected to reach 92% by 2028 (MNTN, citing eMarketer, 2026).
23. An estimated 119.8 million US households will watch CTV in 2026 (eMarketer, cited in AI Digital, 2026).
24. eMarketer projects 243.6 million individual US CTV viewers in 2026 (eMarketer, cited in Digital Applied, 2026).
25. Smart TV ownership specifically covers 68% of US internet households, rising above 80% when measured against TV households only (AdWave, citing Parks Associates and eMarketer, 2026).
26. Smart TVs became the primary streaming device in 61% of US internet households in early 2026, overtaking external streaming sticks and consoles (Parks Associates, cited in AdWave, 2026).
27. eMarketer projects that more than 75% of the US population will watch CTV by 2030 (StackAdapt, citing eMarketer, 2026).
28. US households interacting with CTV monthly grew from 111 million in 2022 to 117 million in 2025 (MNTN, citing internal research, 2026).
29. That figure is projected to reach 121 million US households by 2027 (MNTN, citing internal research, 2026).
30. Roku leads US CTV device share at 37% as of Q2 2025, ahead of Amazon Fire TV (17%), Samsung (12%), Apple TV (12%), and LG (7%) (Starti, citing device-share research, 2026).

Connected TV Viewing Time and Audience Behavior Statistics

Viewing behavior has shifted faster than ad budgets have followed it, which is the single most important structural fact in CTV advertising right now.

31. The average US adult streamed 208 minutes of TV per day in 2025 (StackAdapt, citing Nielsen, 2026).
32. That figure is projected to grow another 10.6% by 2027 (StackAdapt, citing Nielsen, 2026).
33. Streaming accounted for 47.6% of all US TV viewing time in April 2026, compared with 21.6% for cable and 19.9% for broadcast, meaning streaming now exceeds cable and broadcast combined (Nielsen's The Gauge, cited in AdWave, 2026).
34. Ad-supported viewing reached 73.6% of total US TV viewing time in Q2 2025, up 2 percentage points from the prior quarter (MNTN, citing Nielsen, 2026).
35. CTV time reached 114.9 minutes per day against mobile's 230.3 minutes in 2023, with eMarketer noting the gap between the two has been narrowing each year (eMarketer, 2023, cited as trend baseline still referenced in 2026 planning coverage; flagged here for its role as the origin point of a trend that current 2025-2026 figures above continue).
36. Hispanic viewers in the US spend 55.8% of their total TV time streaming, compared with 46% for the general population (Nielsen, cited in AI Digital, 2026).
37. Among AANHPI audiences, 61% of ad-supported TV time is spent streaming, and 45% of AANHPI adults are "cord-nevers," the highest rate of any US racial or ethnic group tracked (Nielsen, cited in AI Digital, 2026).
38. 86% of US streaming households take an ad-supported tier when one is offered (AI Digital, citing industry survey data, 2026).
39. Among free ad-supported streaming (FAST) services, the Roku Channel leads with roughly 97.3 million monthly US viewers, followed by Tubi (92.5 million) and Pluto TV (68.6 million) (eMarketer, cited in AI Digital, 2026).
40. More than one-third of the US population, an estimated 125.6 million people, are expected to use a FAST service at least once a month in 2026 (StackAdapt, citing eMarketer, 2026).

Connected TV Advertising Statistics by Platform and Publisher

CTV inventory remains fragmented compared with social or search advertising. No single platform controls even a fifth of the market, which is itself one of the channel's defining statistics.

41. YouTube holds the largest single share of US CTV ad sales at nearly 12%, worth an estimated $9.21 billion in 2026 (eMarketer, cited in AdWave, 2026).
42. Amazon holds over 10% share through Prime Video, Fire TV, Twitch, and Freevee combined (eMarketer, cited in AdWave, 2026).
43. Disney holds over 10% share combining Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN, with Hulu alone generating more than $4 billion in annual ad revenue, the largest single ad-revenue streaming service by that measure (AdWave, citing eMarketer, 2026).
44. Netflix's ad revenue is expected to more than double from $1.5 billion in 2025, the fastest growth rate among major platforms (AdWave, citing eMarketer, 2026).
45. Despite CTV's scale, Meta alone is projected to generate $48.77 billion in video ad spending in 2026, over $10 billion more than all of CTV combined ($37.70 billion in this particular eMarketer model) (eMarketer, 2026).
46. Only three companies are expected to capture more than 10% of CTV ad sales in 2026, underscoring how fragmented the market remains compared with search or social (eMarketer, 2026).
47. 75% of brand and agency marketers surveyed said they currently place ads on YouTube as of Q1 2026, the fourth consecutive year YouTube has led this ranking (Modern Retail+/Glossy+ Research, survey of 125 professionals, 2026).
48. Amazon's Prime Video (with ads) ranked second, cited by 47% of marketers surveyed (Modern Retail+/Glossy+ Research, 2026).
49. Hulu and Paramount+ tied for third place, each cited by 43% of marketers surveyed (Modern Retail+/Glossy+ Research, 2026).
50. Streaming CPMs have compressed as competition increased: eMarketer's modeling shows Netflix's average CPM falling from about $42.14 to roughly $31.05 by the end of 2024, and Prime Video's falling from about $35.25 to roughly $28.01 over the same period (eMarketer, cited in Digital Applied, 2026).

CTV platform market share, 2026

Platform	Estimated CTV ad market share	Ad revenue estimate
YouTube	~12%	$9.21B
Amazon (Prime Video, Fire TV, Twitch, Freevee)	>10%	Not disclosed
Disney (Hulu, Disney+, ESPN)	>10%	Hulu alone: $4B+
Netflix	Smaller, fastest-growing	$1.5B+ (2025 base), expected to more than double

Programmatic vs. Direct CTV Ad Buying Statistics

Buying behavior has flipped almost entirely toward automation in the space of five years, and the remaining direct-sold inventory is concentrated in premium live events.

51. Over 90% of CTV display ad spend is now transacted programmatically (eMarketer, cited in MNTN Research, 2026).
52. Programmatic's share of CTV spend has grown from 60% to 84% over the past five years (AdWave, citing eMarketer, 2026).
53. Non-programmatic buying (direct sales and insertion orders) has declined from 40% to 16% of CTV spend over the same five-year period (AdWave, citing eMarketer, 2026).
54. By 2028, programmatic is projected to represent over 90% of all CTV transactions (AdWave, citing eMarketer, 2026).
55. Private marketplace (PMP) deals represent approximately 60% of all programmatic CTV transactions, the largest single segment (AdWave, 2026).
56. Global open programmatic CTV ad spend reached $5.02 billion in Q1 2025 alone, up 10% year-over-year (Pixalate research, cited in AdWave, 2026).
57. The US accounts for approximately 65% of global open programmatic CTV spend (AdWave, citing Pixalate, 2026).
58. CTV programmatic spend reached $36 billion globally in 2026, up 28% year-over-year and representing 71% of total CTV ad spend in that model (Digital Applied, 2026).

Programmatic vs. direct CTV buying share, five-year shift

Buying method	~5 years ago	2026
Programmatic	60%	84-90%+
Direct / insertion order	40%	16% and falling

Connected TV Ad Fraud and Invalid Traffic Statistics

CTV's premium CPMs make it an attractive fraud target, and multiple independent measurement vendors now track invalid traffic (IVT) in the channel closely enough that their numbers can be compared directly.

59. Global CTV invalid traffic reached 18% in Q1 2025, based on more than 120 billion programmatic impressions measured (Pixalate, 2025).
60. CTV invalid traffic spiked to 24% during the Q4 2024 holiday season, well above the quarterly average (Yahoo Finance, citing Pixalate data, cited in Fraud Blocker, 2026).
61. Among CTV devices, Roku recorded the lowest global invalid traffic rate at 15%, while Samsung smart TVs recorded the highest at 31% (Pixalate data, cited in Fraud Blocker, 2026).
62. Bot fraud accounted for 65% of all CTV fraud in 2024 (DoubleVerify, cited in Fraud Blocker, 2026).
63. DoubleVerify detected 140% more CTV fraud schemes and variants in Q1 2026 compared with Q1 2025 (DoubleVerify 2026 Global Insights report, 2026).
64. The number of fraudulent CTV apps DoubleVerify identified was 10 times higher in 2025 than in 2024 (DoubleVerify, 2026).
65. In unprotected campaigns, fraud can cost advertisers an estimated $1.8 million per billion CTV impressions served, even at conservative estimates (DoubleVerify, 2026).
66. Bot fraud made up 82% of fraud violations in North American CTV traffic, while data center traffic dominated in APAC (98%), EMEA (66%), and LATAM (91%), showing fraud tactics vary sharply by region (DoubleVerify, 2026).

CTV invalid traffic rate: cross-source comparison

Source	Figure	Date	Scope / method note
Pixalate	18% global IVT	Q1 2025	Based on 120B+ programmatic impressions
Pixalate (device-level)	15% (Roku, lowest) to 31% (Samsung, highest)	2025	Device-level breakdown of the same dataset
IAS	9.1% IVT on non-optimized CTV inventory	2025 measurement, published July 2026	Proprietary measurement, ~300B daily interactions across the open internet
DoubleVerify	34% bot fraud rate in one direct-deal CTV campaign	2026	Single-campaign finding, not a market average; direct deals are not inherently safer

Figures differ because each vendor measures a different slice of the CTV supply chain (open exchange vs. protected campaigns vs. a single direct deal) using its own proprietary methodology; none should be read as "the" market-wide CTV fraud rate.

Connected TV Ad Performance: Viewability, Completion, and Engagement Rates

Once an ad is bought, the next question is whether it was actually seen and watched. CTV performs well against these benchmarks relative to other digital video formats, though "premium by default" is not accurate everywhere.

67. CTV video completion rate reached 97.51% in Q2 2026 across quality-controlled inventory, based on more than 322 million total starts analyzed (Peer39 quarterly CTV benchmarks, 2026).
68. Over 90% of CTV ad impressions meet MRC viewability standards, with a measured viewability rate of 93.3% (Integral Ad Science, cited in StackAdapt, 2026).
69. DoubleVerify's Global Insights Report, analyzing 2.3 trillion ad impressions across 90 markets, found tablet video completion rates of 91.4%, ahead of desktop (83.7%) and mobile (82.1%) (DoubleVerify, 2026).
70. Non-optimized CTV inventory runs a 9.1% invalid traffic rate, according to IAS's 2026 Media Quality Report, which benchmarks 2025 measurement data (Integral Ad Science, 2026).
71. Non-skippable CTV ads often exceed a 95% completion rate, outperforming most other digital video formats (LiveRamp, 2024, still cited as a standing industry benchmark in 2026 coverage).
72. Interactive CTV ad engagement per impression reached 1.94% in Q2 2025, nearly double the 1% recorded in Q2 2024 (eMarketer/BrightLine industry KPI data, 2025).
73. CTV display ad spending in 2025 sent 98.4% of its dollars to video ad formats rather than static display units (eMarketer, 2025).

CTV viewability and completion benchmarks by vendor

Metric	Figure	Vendor / source
CTV video completion rate	97.51%	Peer39, Q2 2026
CTV MRC viewability rate	93.3%	Integral Ad Science, 2026
Tablet video completion rate	91.4%	DoubleVerify, 2026
Desktop video completion rate	83.7%	DoubleVerify, 2026
Mobile video completion rate	82.1%	DoubleVerify, 2026
Non-optimized CTV invalid traffic rate	9.1%	Integral Ad Science, 2026

CTV consistently posts higher completion rates than other screens, but the gap between "optimized" and "non-optimized" inventory (compare row one and row six above) shows why buying quality-verified supply matters as much as the channel choice itself.

Connected TV Advertising ROI, Brand Lift, and Effectiveness Statistics

Brand-lift research is where CTV's numbers diverge most by methodology, source, and audience segment, which is why these figures are best read as a range rather than a single benchmark.

74. Comscore research found CTV advertising delivers a 25% lift in brand awareness (Comscore, cited in AdWave, 2025).
75. The same Comscore research found a 20% lift in purchase intent and a 25% improvement in ad recall from CTV campaigns (Comscore, cited in AdWave, 2025).
76. A Samsung Ads and Kantar analysis of more than 100 brand lift studies found CTV campaigns lifted Gen Z purchase intent by 8.5% and consideration by 7.9% overall, with the effect doubling once viewers saw an ad four or more times (Samsung Ads/Kantar, cited in AI Digital, 2026).
77. A separate Video Advertising Bureau (VAB) study found CTV advertising generated a 20% lift in brand awareness, a 15% lift in consideration, and a 10% lift in purchase intent (VAB, cited in Simulmedia, 2025).
78. 53% of marketing decision-makers say they would increase CTV investment if they had better ROI measurement (Teads 2025 State of Video & CTV study, 2025).
79. 52% of senior marketers cite the lack of unified measurement across platforms as a top barrier to omnichannel success (Teads, 2025).

CTV brand lift benchmarks: cross-study comparison

Source	Brand awareness lift	Consideration lift	Purchase intent lift
Comscore	25%	Not measured in this study	20%
Video Advertising Bureau (VAB)	20%	15%	10%
Samsung Ads / Kantar (100+ studies, Gen Z)	Not isolated in this cut	7.9%	8.5%

Different panels, campaign mixes, and age cohorts explain the spread; none of these figures should be treated as a universal CTV lift rate.

Interactive and Shoppable Connected TV Ad Statistics

Interactivity is the fastest-moving format category in CTV, and second-screen behavior is now the default rather than the exception.

80. 58% of marketers polled in a Digiday survey published in June 2026 said they were using shoppable CTV ad units (Digiday, 2026).
81. 69% of UK viewers use their phone as a second screen while watching CTV, according to Global Web Index data cited in Teads' 2025 UK CTV Pulse report (Teads/GWI, 2025).
82. 15% of 18-24-year-olds and 14% of 25-34-year-olds say they are willing to add products to a shopping basket using interactive features in CTV ads (Teads' CTV Pulse research, 2025).
83. QR code usage in CTV ads has grown more than 3x year-over-year, according to Innovid's 2025 CTV Insights report (Innovid, 2025).
84. 71% of marketers are still developing separate audience strategies for each channel rather than a unified cross-screen approach, as of mid-2026 (Teads, 2026).
85. 64% of marketers now use first-party data for CTV targeting, and 60% use behavioral CTV targeting, the two leading approaches for connecting CTV exposure to other channels (Teads, 2026).

How These Statistics Were Compiled

Every figure above was sourced against the primary release, research organization, or established trade press report closest to the original data, favoring eMarketer, IAB, Nielsen, DoubleVerify, IAS, Pixalate, and Peer39 over secondary aggregator sites wherever both were available.

Figures were checked against publication or fieldwork dates and excluded if they predated 2023 without a stated reason for inclusion; one 2023 device-behavior figure was kept and explicitly flagged because it is the still-cited origin point for a trend that current 2025-2026 data continues.

Where credible sources reported materially different numbers for the same metric, such as CTV invalid traffic rates or brand lift percentages, the figures are presented side by side in source-comparison tables rather than averaged or silently resolved.

This page was last reviewed in September 2026 and should be re-verified against primary sources before citing in a fixed publication, since CTV spend, fraud, and platform-share figures are revised frequently.

Conclusion

Three patterns run through this year's connected TV advertising statistics. First, money is following attention, but slowly: CTV commands roughly a fifth of US media time and is still capturing less than a tenth of ad spend, which is the single clearest opportunity signal in the data.

Second, the buying side has already gone almost entirely programmatic, with private marketplaces absorbing the bulk of that shift, while fraud has moved just as fast into the same programmatic pipes.

Third, brand-lift and effectiveness research still varies widely by source and audience, so any single benchmark should be treated as directional rather than definitive.

For planners, that means treating CTV less as a single line item and more as a fragmented, fast-moving channel that rewards verified inventory, cross-screen measurement, and skepticism toward any one vendor's headline number.

 As linear TV budgets keep migrating and upfront dollars keep crossing into CTV, the gap between viewing share and ad share documented above is likely to close over the next two to three years, and the advertisers who move early on measurement infrastructure will be the ones positioned to prove it.

FAQ

What do connected TV advertising statistics show for 2026?

Connected TV advertising refers to video ads delivered through internet-connected television devices, including smart TVs, streaming sticks, and gaming consoles. US CTV ad spend is projected to reach $37.95 billion in 2026 (eMarketer, 2026).

How much is spent on connected TV advertising in 2026?

US advertisers are projected to spend $37.95 billion on CTV in 2026, up 14.5% from $33.35 billion in 2025 (eMarketer, 2026).

What percentage of CTV ad spend is programmatic?

Over 90% of CTV display ad spend is now transacted programmatically, up from 60% five years ago, and programmatic's share is projected to exceed 90% of all CTV transactions by 2028 (eMarketer, 2026).

How common is ad fraud in CTV advertising?

Global CTV invalid traffic reached 18% in Q1 2025 according to Pixalate, though rates vary sharply by device, from 15% on Roku to 31% on Samsung smart TVs. DoubleVerify separately reported a 140% rise in CTV fraud schemes in Q1 2026 versus Q1 2025 (Pixalate, DoubleVerify, 2025-2026).

What is a good CTV ad completion rate?

Quality-controlled CTV inventory posted a 97.51% completion rate in Q2 2026, and non-skippable CTV ads generally exceed 95% completion, well above most other digital video formats (Peer39, 2026).

Which platforms get the most CTV ad spend?

YouTube holds the largest single share at nearly 12% of US CTV ad sales, followed by Amazon and Disney, each above 10%. No single platform controls more than an eighth of the market, and only three companies exceed 10% share (eMarketer, 2026).

Is CTV advertising effective for brand awareness?

Brand-lift studies show a range of results depending on methodology: Comscore found a 25% lift in brand awareness, while a separate VAB study found a 20% lift, both well above typical digital video benchmarks (Comscore, VAB, 2025).

What is the difference between CTV and OTT advertising?

CTV refers specifically to ads delivered to television screens through internet-connected devices, while OTT (over-the-top) is the broader category of internet-streamed video content that can appear on any device, including phones and computers. Every CTV ad is OTT, but not every OTT ad is CTV.

As reported by Wikipedia, a smart TV is itself a technological convergence of computers, televisions, and digital media players, which is why the device and the content category are so often conflated in casual use.