Author: Maggie Drake, Head of National Sales, Premion 

Connected TV (CTV) has firmly established itself as a core pillar of modern video advertising — and it’s now an essential part of how brands reach audiences across the full television landscape. Today, CTV sits alongside linear TV as a foundational component of total video strategies — combining the storytelling power of the big screen with the precision and measurability of digital media.

Our new 2026 CTV/OTT Advertiser Survey, conducted with Advertiser Perceptions, reinforces just how central CTV has become to modern media planning.

What we found: Nearly seven in ten advertisers (70%) plan to increase their CTV spending in 2026, with budgets rising by an average of 17%. Much of that investment is not from new budgets. Instead, advertisers are reallocating spend from other channels — including linear TV, digital display, paid search and social — signaling that CTV is becoming a core part of how brands structure their video investments.

From our perspective, the findings highlight several shifts shaping the next phase of CTV.

CTV and Linear — Together Drive Greater Impact 

For years, the industry framed CTV as a replacement for traditional television. What we’re seeing instead is convergence. Advertisers increasingly view linear and streaming as complementary parts of a unified video strategy. Our survey found that four in five advertisers believe combining linear TV and CTV/streaming TV drives stronger results across key metrics like brand awareness, audience reach, ROI and ad recall. 

This reflects how audiences actually watch today — moving fluidly between broadcast, cable and streaming platforms. As a result, media teams are evolving as well. Our research shows that 55% of CTV budgets are now managed by integrated or hybrid planning teams, reflecting a broader shift toward unified video planning. 

Premium Video Environments Deliver Results

As advertisers deepen their CTV investments, they are also becoming more selective about where campaigns appear. Our survey found that 97% of advertisers believe advertising within premium video content improves ROI performance goals, while nearly nine in ten say CTV advertising increases brand favorability and positive brand associations. 

That balance of brand impact and measurable performance is one of CTV’s defining strengths.

Streaming TV offers the high-attention viewing experience of traditional television while enabling data-driven targeting and measurement. For marketers, that combination makes CTV effective across the full funnel — from awareness to conversion.

CTV Is Accelerating Omnichannel Strategies

Another clear signal from our research is how quickly CTV is becoming embedded within broader omnichannel strategies. Nearly nine in ten advertisers told us that including streaming TV in an omnichannel campaign improves performance by reinforcing messaging and improving overall ROI and return on ad spend.

As media strategies continue to converge, CTV is becoming a foundational channel within total video planning — activated alongside linear, digital and social to reach audiences wherever and however they are watching. This shift is particularly meaningful for regional and local advertisers. Historically, premium TV inventory was largely reserved for national campaigns. 

Today, CTV gives local and regional brands the ability to reach streaming audiences with both scale and precision. Nearly nine in ten advertisers in our study expect CTV to continue growing as a key channel not only for national brands, but also for local and regional advertisers.

The Next Challenge: Simplifying the Ecosystem

As CTV continues to scale, advertisers are raising expectations for what the channel should deliver next. Fragmentation across platforms remains a key barrier to achieving scale. In our survey, roughly one-third of advertisers cited challenges related to deduplicated reach, cross-provider planning and navigating walled gardens. 

At the same time, nearly all advertisers said they see clear value in managing CTV campaigns through a single platform that simplifies activation, measurement and optimization. Technology innovation is also shaping expectations. More than half of advertisers said real-time campaign optimization powered by AI would be the most valuable advancement for CTV advertising.

The Future of Video Is Integrated

The most important story our research uncovered isn’t disruption — it’s convergence. Linear and streaming are increasingly working together to help advertisers reach audiences across the full video landscape. The brands that succeed in this next phase will be the ones that take a holistic approach to video — combining premium content, data-driven targeting and unified measurement into a single strategy.

And based on what we’re seeing in our research, that shift is already well underway.

For more insights, download the complete 2026 CTV/OTT Advertiser Survey.