Television advertising used to feel out of reach for many businesses.
Producing a television advert, securing airtime and reaching the right audience often required a substantial budget. For smaller organisations, digital advertising offered a more accessible alternative.
But the way people watch television has changed.
Streaming services, smart TVs and internet-connected devices have created new opportunities for businesses to advertise on television screens without relying entirely on traditional broadcast advertising.
This is where connected TV advertising, often shortened to CTV advertising, comes in.
As more advertising budgets move towards streaming and digital video, connected TV is becoming an increasingly important part of the conversation. But what exactly is it, how does it work and what does it mean for businesses thinking about video advertising?
What Is Connected TV Advertising?
Connected TV advertising refers to advertisements delivered through internet-connected television devices.
Rather than buying advertising space exclusively through traditional television broadcasting, businesses can place video adverts within streaming content watched on smart TVs and connected devices.
This can include advertising on supported services such as ITVX, Channel 4, YouTube and ad-supported streaming platforms, depending on the advertising inventory available.
The key difference is how the advert reaches the viewer.
Traditional television advertising generally places adverts within scheduled programming, while connected TV advertising uses internet-delivered content and digital advertising technology.
This allows advertisers to plan campaigns around particular audiences, locations and other targeting criteria, depending on the platform.
For businesses that have previously focused on social media advertising, connected TV offers another way to reach people through video, this time on the television screen.
How Does Connected TV Advertising Work?
The process is relatively straightforward from the viewer’s perspective.
Someone opens a streaming service on their television, selects something to watch and sees an advert before or during the programme.
Behind the scenes, the advertising platform determines which adverts are eligible to appear based on the campaign settings and available advertising opportunities.
Businesses can work with media agencies, broadcasters or advertising platforms to decide where their adverts should appear and which audiences they want to reach.
For example, a business operating in London might want to advertise to households within a particular geographical area rather than paying for a nationwide campaign.
A larger organisation might use connected TV advertising as part of a broader campaign involving traditional television, YouTube, social media and digital advertising.
The level of targeting varies between platforms, and it is important to understand what audience data is available before planning a campaign.
Why Is Connected TV Advertising Growing in 2026?
The growth of streaming has changed how advertisers think about television.
People are increasingly familiar with choosing what they want to watch and when they want to watch it. Traditional broadcasting remains important, but streaming and broadcaster video-on-demand services now form a significant part of the viewing landscape.
Advertisers are responding to that change.
According to IAB UK’s Digital Adspend 2025 report, investment in digital video advertising grew by 20% year-on-year, reaching £9.3 billion.
That figure covers a wider range of digital video advertising, rather than connected TV alone, but it shows how much attention businesses are giving to video.
Connected TV is part of this wider shift because it brings together the familiar experience of television advertising with some of the targeting and measurement options associated with digital campaigns.
For marketers, that creates opportunities to reach audiences in a different environment from the social media feeds and websites where digital advertising has traditionally been concentrated.
Connected TV Advertising vs Traditional TV Advertising
The biggest difference between connected TV advertising and traditional television advertising is how campaigns are delivered and targeted.
Traditional television advertising is generally planned around channels, programmes, broadcast schedules and audience estimates.
Connected TV advertising can offer more detailed targeting options, including geography and audience characteristics, depending on the provider.
It can also provide digital reporting on campaign delivery, impressions and other performance measures.
However, connected TV is not automatically a replacement for traditional television advertising.
Broadcast television can still offer significant reach, particularly for campaigns targeting broad audiences.
Connected TV may be more suitable for businesses looking to reach particular audience groups or test television-style advertising without committing to a large traditional broadcast campaign.
For some organisations, the most effective approach may involve a combination of both.
Is Connected TV Advertising Suitable for Smaller Businesses?
One of the more interesting developments in connected TV advertising is that television-style campaigns are becoming accessible to a wider range of advertisers.
Businesses that might not have considered traditional TV advertising can now explore streaming advertising through platforms offering different budget levels and campaign options.
A regional hospitality business, for example, might want to promote a new venue or seasonal campaign.
A property company could use connected TV advertising to build awareness around a development.
A healthcare organisation might use video advertising to introduce a service to a relevant audience, subject to applicable advertising rules.
Charities and cultural organisations may also find opportunities to reach people with awareness campaigns, fundraising messages or event promotions.
However, connected TV advertising still requires careful budgeting.
There is the cost of producing the advert, the cost of placing it and potentially additional fees for campaign management.
Businesses should understand all three before deciding whether it is the right channel.
What Makes a Good Connected TV Advert?
The creative side of connected TV advertising deserves just as much attention as the media planning.
People watching television are in a different environment from someone scrolling through Instagram or LinkedIn.
The advert needs to communicate clearly, capture attention and give viewers a reason to remember the organisation.
A good connected TV advert should have a clear message and a strong idea behind it.
That might involve showing a product or service in action, introducing real people, telling a short story or explaining something that matters to the audience.
The first few seconds are important, but so is making sure the overall message is easy to follow.
Professional sound, clear visuals, appropriate branding and a considered edit all contribute to the finished film.
It is also important to think about what viewers should do after seeing the advert.
Connected TV is often used to build awareness, but advertisers may also want to encourage website visits, searches or other actions.
The creative approach should reflect the campaign’s purpose.
Can You Use the Same Video for Connected TV and Social Media?
Sometimes, but it is worth planning carefully.
A video produced for Instagram or TikTok may not be suitable for a television screen without some changes.
Social media content is often designed for vertical viewing, fast scrolling and people watching without sound.
Connected TV adverts are generally designed for landscape viewing on larger screens, often with sound playing.
There may also be specific technical requirements around video length, file formats, audio levels and resolution.
Rather than producing one video and trying to make it work everywhere, it can be more effective to plan several versions during the same production.
A connected TV advert might form the centre of a campaign, with shorter social media edits, website content and additional digital advertising created from the same filming.
This gives businesses more flexibility and helps keep the campaign consistent across different platforms.
How Much Does Connected TV Advertising Cost?
There is no single price for connected TV advertising.
The cost depends on the advertising platform, the audience you want to reach, the length of the campaign and how much advertising space you purchase.
Some providers offer relatively flexible campaign budgets, while others may require higher minimum spending commitments.
Production costs are separate from media placement.
A straightforward advert using interviews and existing footage may be less expensive to produce than a campaign involving actors, multiple locations, specialist equipment and a larger production crew.
It is worth speaking to both your media buying partner and your video production company before committing to a campaign.
That way, you can understand how much of the overall budget should go towards creating the advert and how much should be reserved for getting it in front of the audience.
Is Connected TV Advertising Worth It?
Connected TV advertising can be a useful option, but it will not be right for every business.
If your organisation needs to reach a very specific professional audience, other channels might be more effective.
If your goal is to build brand awareness among a broader consumer audience, connected TV could be worth exploring.
The important thing is understanding the purpose of the campaign before deciding where to advertise.
It is also worth considering how success will be measured.
Connected TV platforms can report advertising delivery and viewing-related metrics, but connecting those figures directly to enquiries or sales can be more complicated.
Businesses should agree on realistic objectives and measurement methods before launching a campaign.
How Pictures for the People Can Help with Connected TV Video Production
At Pictures for the People, we work with organisations to create video content for a wide range of audiences and platforms.
As connected TV advertising becomes more accessible, businesses may find themselves considering television-style video campaigns for the first time.
Our role is to help develop the creative idea and produce a film that communicates the message clearly.
That might mean creating a short promotional advert, filming interviews, producing a brand film or developing a wider collection of video content that can be used across connected TV, websites and social media.
We work across corporate, charity, healthcare, property, arts and cultural projects, adapting the production approach to the organisation and its audience.
We can also help plan different versions of a film so that the footage can be used across multiple channels.
Media buying and advert placement are separate from video production, so it is important to establish how those elements will be managed as part of the wider campaign.
Thinking About Connected TV Advertising?
Connected TV is changing the way businesses can approach television advertising.
It offers another route to audiences watching content on television screens, with different targeting and campaign options from traditional broadcast advertising.
But the platform is only one part of the process.
The quality of the creative idea, the clarity of the message and the relevance of the content still matter.
If your organisation is exploring connected TV advertising and needs help producing a video advert, Pictures for the People can help you develop the concept and create content suited to your campaign.
