CTV takeover: 2025 predictions

CTV and streaming are changing the way viewers watch their favorite shows. The exclusive NFL stream on Netflix this Christmas averaged over 30 million viewers for each game in the doubleheader. (The top game of the previous year’s Christmas triple-header averaged 29 million and change on CBS.) Last year was the first year ad spend on digital video was projected higher than linear TV. Here’s how this shift will affect viewers and advertisers in 2025.

More live programming on CTV

Over the next year, momentum will continue for live programming on streaming platforms, and not just for sports.

“In 2025, streaming platforms will expand beyond live sports, offering more appointment viewing like comedy specials, concerts, political events and even unconventional fare like hot-dog-eating contests,” said Kevin Krim, CEO of ad engagement measurement company EDO. “Award shows may go streaming-exclusive, and weekly releases for scripted programming could make a comeback to sustain audience engagement. These live events highlight streaming’s unique power to create cultural moments, bringing people together in real time and drawing advertisers to capitalize on shared experiences.”

Ad strategies leading with CTV

“The rapid consumer shift from linear TV to streaming has made connected TV (CTV) a cornerstone of modern advertising,” said Adam Roodman, GM of Yahoo DSP. “As streaming services expand their ad-supported tiers, advertisers will gain advanced control over reach, frequency and targeting, making CTV an indispensable tool for engaging on-demand audiences.”

Top streamers like Netflix and Amazon Prime are increasing the number of ad-supported tiers, which means more places where advertisers can run contextually relevant ads.

“The CTV space is expanding rapidly, with opportunities to shift from basic app-level targeting to more advanced methods like contextual and emotional targeting based on the tone of the content itself,” said Jon Schultz, CMO of programmatic advertising company Viant Technology. “These innovations unlock smarter, safer and more measurable campaigns that deliver greater results.”

Dig deeper: CTV ads beat mobile and desktop for viewer attention

SSPs gain an advantage

“Digital video and CTV will continue their meteoric ascent in 2025, presenting SSPs (supply-side platforms) with the opportunity to bridge the gap between supply and demand,” said Chris Hogg, Chief Revenue Officer for Lotame, an adtech company that connects with both SSPs and DSPs (demand-side platforms).

“As SSPs bolster their curation offering and make it easier to buy CTV inventory directly, and agencies slowly adapt to audience-based targeting over the traditional contextual approach of linear buys, the balance of power in the digital video landscape will tip towards SSPs,” Hogg said. “Parent companies leveraging data collaboration technologies will further accelerate this trend, unifying audiences across their subsidiaries for more detailed and scalable targeting.”

Personalizing ads with the help of AI

Streaming is cutting into linear TV’s long-time hold on live sports events. This is good news for advertisers because streaming lets them do personalization in ways that are impossible with linear TV

“[CTV] will be a key channel, with its rise in viewership leading to more targeted and measurable campaigns,” said Sujatha Gopal, Chief Technology Officer of the Communications, Media and Information Services Business Unit at TCS. “Free ad-supported TV (FAST) and OTT (over-the-top) platforms will also see significant ad-based monetization.”

Gopal added: “Software will be using AI to optimize ads in real time. This means the ads can dynamically change to deliver a more personal message. Such ads are more likely to lead to clicks, resulting in a better return on ad spend (ROAS).”

“People want to watch sports live, in real-time,” said Oz Etzioni, CEO and co-founder of digital advertising company Clinch. “And as the demand for live sports continues to rise, so does the investment in the tech that makes it possible. If people are willing to pay extra for live sports content, they’re giving you a clear signal: they want more relevant, personalized ad experiences.”

Consolidation of top shows and differentiation through FAST

“As legacy giants in the industry divest from traditional cable networks, we’ll see a consolidation in how consumers access premium CTV content,” said Aaron Grote, VP of digital products for digital marketing agency Stirista. “The most in-demand content will centralize into fewer, larger distribution points, leaving a polarized ecosystem with a dominant big head, a long tail, and far fewer mid-market players.”

“While many predict a return to a cable-like bundling model, younger generations are driving more flexible, app-based consumption habits,” said Julie Clark, SVP, media and entertainment for TransUnion. “Emerging opportunities with FAST channels like Tubi will play a crucial role in reaching consumers in more dynamic ways.”

Clean rooms help solve CTV data challenges

“Measurement will be critical, but which metrics can be trusted?” asked Travis Howe, Vice President, global head of new product solutions for Samsung Ads. “It will be the clean rooms, not necessarily the measurement companies, that will emerge as the unsung heroes…Effective campaign optimization will require a trifecta between brands, clean rooms and CTV partners with deterministic data to provide meaningful, measured results.”

Dig deeper: Data clean rooms: A beginner’s guide