Connected TV (CTV) has emerged as a core component of digital video strategies worldwide, driven by changing consumer preferences and technological shifts. DoubleVerify’s 2025 Global Insights: Trends in the Modern Streaming Landscape offers a compelling look into the growth, opportunities, and lingering challenges in the CTV advertising space. With a 66% increase in CTV impression volume year-over-year, it’s clear that advertisers are investing heavily—but the industry must now confront transparency gaps, ad fraud, and measurement inconsistencies to fully capitalize on CTV’s potential.

Insights from DV’s 2025 CTV Report

1. CTV Sees Massive Growth, Especially in Emerging Markets

• CTV ad impressions increased by 66% YoY in 2024.

• Markets such as the Netherlands, Indonesia, and Singapore led the surge in CTV adoption.

• Growth reflects advertisers’ increased confidence in CTV as a performance and branding channel.

2. Transparency and Viewability Remain Elusive

• Only 50% of CTV impressions offered full app transparency, leaving marketers with significant blind spots.

• The "TV Off" issue persists—ads play even after the screen is turned off—costing advertisers roughly $700,000 per billion impressions.

• Inconsistent viewability standards hinder accurate performance measurement.

3. Bot Fraud Threatens CTV Investment

• Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT), particularly bot fraud, now accounts for 65% of all CTV fraud.

• An estimated 4 million infected devices generate fake traffic daily.

• Advertisers lose millions each month due to fraudulent impressions and inflated metrics.

4. Consumer Behavior Signals Shift to Ad-Supported Streaming

• 41% of consumers now prefer ad-supported video over paid subscriptions.

• Long-form content (TV shows, podcasts) offers better brand-building environments than short-form video.

• 64% of viewers say content genre impacts their perception of ads—highlighting the importance of contextual alignment.

5. Marketer Sentiment Reflects CTV’s Promise and Pitfalls

• 72% of marketers say CTV ads outperform their campaign baselines.

• However, 68% demand transparency to justify CTV’s higher costs.

• 63% express concerns about whether their ads are reaching real viewers.

• Despite concerns, 54% of marketers increased their CTV spend in 2024.

• 66% of non-CTV advertisers plan to enter the space within the next year.

DoubleVerify’s 2025 report underscores both the explosive potential and the operational hurdles of CTV advertising. As impression volumes and consumer interest in ad-supported models grow, so too does the need for better fraud protection, visibility, and measurement. With a rising number of marketers recognizing the ROI of CTV and planning to invest further, the pressure is on for the industry to establish clear standards and enforceable best practices. Only through transparency, innovation, and cross-platform accountability can the promise of CTV be fully realized in the modern advertising ecosystem.