Connected TV Advertising Statistics: Growth Stats & Trends to Know

Connected TV (CTV) advertising can no longer be ignored. 

Once viewed as an alternative to linear TV, CTV has become the dominant way to watch TV shows, movies, sports, and live events.

Roughly 89.5% of US households own at least one internet-connected TV device. CTV also accounts for nearly half (43.8%) of total TV usage and is projected to reach 248 million US viewers by 2027.

As a result, CTV has become one of the fastest-growing ad channels in the US, with CTV accounting for 1 in 10 US dollars spent on digital advertising (over 84% of which is transacted programmatically).

Whether you’re new to CTV advertising or looking for some CTV stats to beef up your next slide deck, read on to learn more about CTV’s remarkable growth and why marketers continue to flock to it.

Stats on Connected TV Growth and Trends

It would be an understatement to say that the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated CTV’s growth: it sent it skyrocketing.

CTV Ad Spending and Usage Go Up

According to Nielsen, during the week of March 30, 2020, shortly after quarantine measures began, total hours spent with CTV devices in the US shot up 81% year-over-year (YoY). 

Since then, it’s barely let up.

Although lockdowns are now a distant memory, people are watching more CTV than ever before. The average US adult streamed 208 minutes of TV per day in 2025 and is expected to increase their viewing 10.6% by 2027.

As a result, CTV advertising spend increased 377% between 2019 and 2025. It’s projected to see double-digit ad spend growth in the US through the end of 2029.

US advertisers are expected to spend $37.95 billion USD on CTV this year, growing 14.5% YoY. By 2029, CTV ad spending is forecasted to surpass $52.53 billion USD.

Elsewhere, CTV ad spending continues to grow:

• CTV ad spending in China is projected to reach $3.47 billion USD in 2026, reflecting 11.5% YoY growth.
• In the UK, CTV ad spending will climb to $3.25 billion USD in 2026, increasing 16.9% YoY.
• In Canada, CTV ad spending is expected to total $1.29 billion USD in 2026, up 16% from the previous year.
• Australia is projected to see CTV ad spending reach $1.19 billion USD in 2026, rising 11.1% YoY.
• Meanwhile, Japan’s CTV ad spending is set to hit $1 billion USD in 2026, growing 17.4% YoY.

But the fastest growth isn’t coming from the largest markets.

Despite Italy, Spain, Brazil, and Mexico accounting for a mere 1.25% of total global CTV ad spending combined, they’re projected to grow between 23.7% and 27.6% YoY—well ahead of global averages.

Even with rapid increases in ad spend, investment still hasn’t caught up to viewing behavior. EMARKETER reports that viewers are growing at a faster rate than advertiser investment, with CTV capturing 20.2% of time spent with media in 2025 but attracting just 7.7% of total ad spend—and that gap is only expected to widen.

For marketers, that imbalance signals opportunity: audiences are already there, but ad dollars have yet to fully flow, providing ample opportunities to capture demand.

Linear TV Ad Spending and Usage Go Down

Meanwhile, linear TV ad spending in the US continues to decline.

Despite total TV viewing hitting a 12-month high in January 2026, with cable TV viewing in the US increasing 9% MoM due to the College Football Playoffs and the active political news cycle, linear TV ad spending is projected to decline more than 11% in 2026.

Overall, linear TV ad spend now accounts for 12.4% of global media spend compared to 41.3% in 2013—representing nearly a 70% drop in share over the past 13 years.

Despite declining ad spend and audience fragmentation, linear TV still commands 86% of overall TV ad impressions due to higher ad loads, with more than 15 minutes of ads per hour on traditional linear TV compared with one to nine minutes per hour on streaming—making it a powerful driver of scale, especially for broad-reach awareness campaigns.

Although linear TV may still dominate impressions, it’s clear that the dollars are moving in the opposite direction. 

According to the IAB, marketers on average reallocated 36% of linear TV ad spend to CTV in 2025. Through 2029, CTV is expected to capture nearly $19 billion USD in additional ad spend, while linear TV will lose roughly $15 billion USD—showing that most growth in streaming is coming from budgets shifting within the TV ecosystem, not new money entering it.

Ad-Supported Streaming Sneaks In

Due to household financial constraints, rising subscription costs, and increasing streaming availability, ad-supported video on demand (AVOD) and free ad-supported television (FAST) are on the rise.

According to the New York Times, there were 93 million ad-supported streaming subscriptions in the US by the end of 2023. In spring 2024, that number nearly doubled to 170 million, with 75% of US homes having at least one ad-supported streaming service.

As a result, FAST platforms are becoming a larger part of the streaming ecosystem, with 92.5 million Americans projected to watch content through Tubi alone in 2026—a 7.7% YoY increase in viewership.

Over one-third of the US population (125.6 million people) are expected to use a FAST service at least once per month in 2026, and 60% of CTV viewers say they’ll watch ads if it means they don’t have to pay as much.

With total hours watched across major FAST streaming services increasing 43% YoY, FAST is quickly becoming a dependable source of incremental streaming reach for advertisers.

Related: Tap into Tubi’s massive ad-supported streaming audience with StackAdapt’s direct integration.

Stats on Connected TV Viewership: Audience Demographics and Generational Shifts

CTV adoption now spans every generation, but usage and growth rates vary significantly by age group.

• Millennials are the largest CTV audience in the US, with 64.3 million viewers. 
• Gen Z follows closely behind at 55.7 million. 
• Gen X accounts for 52.3 million viewers. 
• Baby Boomers trail at 37.4 million.

But the fastest growth isn’t coming from the largest generations. It’s coming from Gen Alpha, the youngest cohort—comprising children and teens roughly between the ages of 8 and 17, who have already reached 23.3 million viewers.

In 2026, Gen Alpha is projected to increase its CTV viewership by 6.5% YoY—outpacing every other cohort.

While only 41% report watching traditional TV, their streaming habits and constant online presence are reshaping how advertisers think about future media plans.

That’s because this generation isn’t just digitally native, it’s also financially active. Nearly half (48%) of teens have more than $1,000 in savings from part-time jobs and allowances, compared to just 31% of millennials at the same age a decade ago.

For marketers, Gen Alpha represents more than incremental reach. It signals a long-term shift in viewing behavior, where streaming-first households and ad-supported environments will increasingly define how the next generation discovers brands and makes purchasing decisions.

Stats on CTV Advertising Benefits

According to a report from the IAB, 69% of advertisers say CTV is essential to their media plans.

Here are some key stats that explain why marketers are increasing their spend on CTV:

• 84% of advertisers believe CTV delivers better targeting capabilities than linear TV, with 29.5% using demographic targeting to reach specific audience segments more precisely.
• Advertisers who leverage both linear TV and CTV achieve a 32% increase in total reach compared to those who use linear TV alone.
• According to StackAdapt’s The State of Programmatic Advertising 2026, 31% of top performers are investing in CTV, compared to just 25% of other marketers. 
• 34% of US CTV users say holiday marketing ads on streaming TV are useful for gift information, compared to 32% who say the same about traditional TV ads.
• 65% of marketers say their company increased sales using CTV alongside other paid channels.
• One-third of US viewers have used their CTV devices to complete a purchase after viewing an ad.
• 43% of US adults say TV is the most acceptable place for advertising, reinforcing CTV’s role as a trusted environment for brand messaging.

Stats on the Future of Connected TV

Even though CTV offers advertisers a lot of potential, it’s important to know where it’s headed to make the most of your campaign strategy.

Here are some research-backed predictions on the future of CTV:

New Formats Provide Stronger Engagement (and Sales)

As CTV becomes more measurable and performance-driven, new ad formats are redefining what it can deliver beyond awareness.

Interactive and shoppable formats—such as clickable and pause ads—are proving to drive higher engagement, with interactive ads increasing viewer time by 71 seconds. Other studies have shown that these formats can boost brand recall by 36% and foot traffic by 13%.

With EMARKETER reporting that 41.8% of US marketers are already using interactive and shoppable formats across social and CTV, brands that experiment now can move beyond awareness and give viewers a direct path to engage, explore, and buy—all without ever leaving the screen.

Ad Loads Rise, Along With Pressure on Performance

Streaming platforms are increasing ad loads to drive revenue growth, expanding inventory across major services. Prime Video, for example, doubled its ad load after launching its ad-supported tier in early 2024, and other platforms are following suit.

More inventory gives advertisers additional buying opportunities and, in some cases, lower CPMs. But it also risks crowding the viewing experience, creating concerns around ad fatigue due to excessive repetition, which can weaken attention, engagement, and brand perception.

For marketers, the shift underscores the importance of thoughtful frequency management and creative differentiation. 

As supply grows and pricing fluctuates, performance will depend less on volume alone and more on how well brands manage frequency, creative quality, and viewer experience.

Retail Media Creates New Opportunities to Connect With Customers

Retail media and commerce media are becoming central to CTV’s next phase of growth. In the US alone, retail media CTV ad spending is projected to climb from $4.46 billion USD in 2025 to $9.03 billion USD by 2029.

For marketers, the appeal goes beyond incremental reach. Retailers are merging 1st-party data and working with demand-side platforms (DSPs) to help brands connect ad exposure directly to in-store and online transactions.

Instead of relying on proxy metrics, advertisers can see how CTV campaigns influence real purchases, bringing the same level of accountability, precision, and transparency to streaming that performance channels already offer.

Healthcare Advertising Shifts to CTV

Healthcare and pharmaceutical advertisers are increasingly turning to CTV to capture attention. 

According to EMARKETER, 51% of US consumers report seeing healthcare and pharma ads while streaming—a 41.8% increase from last year. That makes CTV the most noticed channel for healthcare advertising, ahead of both search and social media.

The shift is especially pronounced among older audiences. Baby Boomers (ages 62–80) overindex on noticing healthcare and pharma ads on CTV, with 59.2% recalling ads there.

For pharma marketers and agencies, the implications are clear: As budgets continue moving from linear to digital video, CTV is emerging as a dependable channel for driving awareness, especially among high-value patient populations. 

When paired with NPI targeting, brands can extend that precision even further, reaching verified healthcare providers alongside consumer audiences within the same streaming environments.

Live Sports Continues to Anchor TV Viewing

Live sports remain one of the few programming categories capable of delivering broad reach at scale, with nearly half of the US population tuning in. 

That reach is increasingly extending into streaming environments. 

In 2025, Christmas Day became the most-streamed day ever, surpassing 55 billion viewing minutes, led by NFL games on Netflix and Prime Video. Meanwhile, an estimated 6 billion people plan to watch the FIFA World Cup in 2026, including via streaming.

Tentpole sports moments like these now draw massive digital audiences alongside linear broadcasts, creating premium, high-attention CTV inventory opportunities.

For advertisers, that means live sports are no longer just a linear strategy but an opportunity to reach engaged audiences wherever they choose to watch.

Personalization Expands Beyond the Inbox and Into CTV

For many brands, email remains the foundation of personalized marketing. But relying on inbox engagement alone limits scale.

Extending personalized messaging across channels like CTV allows marketers to reinforce messaging across more touchpoints and reach consumers where they’re actively watching, browsing, and streaming content.

The data suggests that leading brands are already making that shift, with a recent StackAdapt report finding that advanced marketers are more than twice as likely to use personalization in emerging formats like CTV compared to other brands (33% vs. 14%).

Looking ahead, brands and agencies expect personalization in emerging channels like CTV to be one of the key forces shaping strategy over the next two to three years, alongside creative automation, AI-driven optimization, and stronger 1st-party data strategies.

As streaming environments become more addressable, integrating personalization into CTV campaigns gives advertisers a way to extend data-driven messaging into high-impact video placements.

Programmatic CTV Becomes the Standard

Programmatic CTV ad spending continues to outpace other digital formats, with growth projected to remain in the double digits through 2027.

That momentum reflects a broader shift in how advertisers want to buy streaming media. Buyers now expect nearly half (47%) of their CTV inventory to be biddable—an increase of 13 percentage points, or nearly 40%, from 2024 to 2025.

As streaming platforms expand their biddable supply, brands gain more flexibility to plan, optimize, and adjust campaigns in real time.

At the same time, programmatic platforms lower entry costs, opening CTV to advertisers that were once limited to social or search.

That flexibility allows advertisers to respond to shifting audience behavior, manage frequency more precisely, and better integrate CTV into broader digital performance strategies—something traditional linear TV could never support.

Ready to make the leap into CTV advertising with StackAdapt? Request a demo to see it in action.

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