Innovid, an independent software platform for the creation, delivery, measurement, and optimisation of advertising, recently released its 2025 CTV Advertising Insights Report, which analysed hundreds of billions of ad impressions from 2024 to assess the current state and future trajectory of CTV advertising.
New Digital Age spoke with Megan Garnett Coyle, Vice President, Communications at Innovid & Mediaocean, to find out more about the research…
Why does Innovid invest in this research?
Because we’re in a unique position to see what’s actually happening across the CTV ecosystem. Sitting at the centre of the marketplace, powering campaigns for brands, agencies, and publishers alike, gives us visibility into billions of impressions across hundreds of campaigns. Our goal with this research is to surface trends that matter: where the audience really is, how they’re engaging, what’s driving performance, and where opportunities are being missed. Whether it’s unpacking reach, frequency, or full-funnel KPIs, we publish this report to help the industry make informed, future-ready decisions.
What, for you, were the headline findings?
CTV continues to prove itself as a high-growth, high-engagement channel. Impressions grew by 18% YoY, and interactive ad formats saw an average of 71 seconds of additional time earned vs. standard pre-roll – all clear signs that viewers are embracing more dynamic, lean-forward ad experiences.
That said, there’s still a disconnect between where audiences are and where budgets are going. Brands allocated only 7.4% of their total video budgets to CTV, despite consumer attention shifting heavily toward streaming. It’s a reminder that while the medium is evolving rapidly, media strategies haven’t fully caught up. And that gap is where the biggest opportunity lies.
How significant has the growth of live sports on streaming channels been for advertisers?
When the history of CTV advertising’s early years is written, Netflix’s streaming of the Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul fight last November may be viewed as its watershed moment. When 108 million people tuned in, it was proof that live sports are now a streaming-first experience.
For marketers, the implications are massive. CTV brings together the scale and emotion of traditional live broadcasts with the precision and agility of digital, with things like dynamic creative, interactivity, real-time measurement, and addressability. It’s no longer just about reaching fans – it’s about engaging them, converting them, and learning from every impression.
And as more streaming platforms secure sports rights, these kinds of high-impact, performance-ready moments will become available to a broader set of brands – not just legacy advertisers.
Did any of the findings surprise you?
Absolutely. The level of engagement with interactive formats really stood out. There’s a common assumption that viewers won’t interact with TV ads the way they do on their phones, but the data tells a different story.
QR codes, overlays, and surveys are seeing sharp growth. In fact, marketers’ use of interactive ads with QR codes increased by 3.25x, and the number of impressions surged to more than 200%. Scanning your TV with your phone is no longer niche – it’s becoming mainstream.
What innovations should we expect in the CTV ad marketplace of the near future?
CTV is quickly becoming a full-funnel, shoppable, data-driven channel. Expect to see more dynamic creative powered by real-time signals like location, weather, shopping intent, or sports scores. We’ll continue to see interactive ad formats grow, making TV a two-way experience. And there will be more adoption of outcomes measurement that connects ad exposure directly to purchases, app activity, store visits, and so on.
As shopper behaviour becomes more omnichannel, marketers will look to CTV not just for storytelling, but for both accountability and action. It’s where awareness, engagement, and conversion happen all on the same screen.
