CTV viewing time outpaces linear TV despite persistent advertiser trust gap
Data indicates that US adults are now watching more connected TV (CTV) than linear TV; however, advertiser confidence in CTV has not kept pace with this growth. The infographic highlights the trends driving CTV's growth and the trust-related challenges it still faces within the advertising industry.
Key Takeaways
- US adults now watch more daily connected TV (CTV) than traditional linear TV.
- Advertiser confidence in CTV remains lower than viewing growth suggests.
- Transparency and trust challenges continue to hold back ad spend scaling.
- The eMarketer report includes a new infographic detailing growth trends and industry friction points.
Why It Matters
The consumption crossover confirms the total dominance of streaming, yet the lag in advertiser confidence reveals a critical disconnect in the B2B tech stack. For platforms and ad-tech firms, this gap signifies that reach alone is no longer a sufficient value proposition; buyers are now demanding sophisticated verification and fraud-prevention tools to justify reallocating traditional linear budgets. This friction directly benefits premium 'walled gardens' that can offer cleaner first-party data at the expense of open-web programmatic players. Watch for the Q3 2026 Association of National Advertisers (ANA) transparency benchmark to see if standardized reporting finally closes this multi-billion dollar trust gap.
Additional Context
The gap in advertiser confidence is closely tied to persistent inefficiencies in the programmatic supply chain. Per the ANA in February 2026, advertisers utilizing disciplined quality governance were able to convert 56.7% of their programmatic spend into 'benchmark-qualified' impressions—those that are measurable, fraud-free, and contextually appropriate. In contrast, lower-performing advertisers only saw a 37.5% conversion rate, indicating that nearly two-thirds of spend for some buyers is still lost to structural waste or low-quality environments. Investment flow is also being redirected toward specific sub-sectors of the CTV market. According to IAB projections from May 2026, total digital video spending is expected to climb 11% to reach $81.9 billion this year, growing 20% faster than the broader ad market. A significant driver of this growth is the Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) sector; eMarketer reported in March 2026 that one-third of the US population, approximately 125.6 million people, now watches a FAST service monthly. To combat the trust issues cited in the eMarketer report, the industry is shifting toward more curated buying models. Per the ANA's Q4 2025 findings, private marketplaces (PMPs) accounted for 100% of analyzed CTV transactions as buyers abandoned open marketplaces in favor of vetted publisher lists. This shift is accompanied by a rise in 'Fraud Free Guarantees' from ad-tech vendors like Madhive, which in June 2025 began offering credits to partners when invalid traffic was detected, signaling a new era of accountability for the streaming screen.
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