New to Connected TV advertising? This article covers the essentials: what CTV is, how it differs from other advertising channels, and what to expect when running your first CTV campaign.
What is CTV?
Connected TV (CTV) refers to any television that connects to the internet and streams content through apps. This includes Smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Vizio, etc.) and devices connected to a TV like Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, and gaming consoles.
CTV ads are the video ads that play before, during, or after streaming content on these devices. Think of them as TV commercials, but delivered through streaming apps instead of cable.
CTV vs. linear TV
Linear TV: Ads are broadcast to everyone watching a channel at the same time. You buy time slots and hope your target audience is watching.
CTV: Ads are delivered to specific households based on targeting criteria (location, demographics, interests). You reach the right audience regardless of what time they watch.
Key CTV advantages over linear TV:
Precise targeting: Target by ZIP code, metro, demographics, interests, and more.
Measurable results: Track website visits, leads, and purchases driven by your ads.
Flexible budgets: No minimum spend. Start small and scale based on performance.
Non-skippable: CTV ads are typically non-skippable, meaning viewers watch your full message.
CTV vs. social and display ads
If you are coming from Meta, Google, or other digital channels, here are the key differences:
No clicks: CTV ads play on a TV screen. Viewers cannot click on them. This means traditional click-based metrics (CTR, CPC) do not apply.
View-through attribution: Instead of tracking clicks, Vibe uses IP-based matching to connect a TV ad view to a later website visit. See Web Attribution and Attribution Windows.
Household-level targeting: CTV targets households (via IP address), not individual users. One household may have multiple viewers.
Premium environment: Your ad plays full-screen on a TV, in a brand-safe streaming context, with sound on. Completion rates are typically 95%+.
How does Vibe know my ad worked?
Vibe uses IP-based attribution:
Your ad plays on a Smart TV. Vibe logs the household's IP address.
When someone on that same Wi-Fi network later visits your website, the Vibe pixel detects the visit.
Vibe matches the IPs and attributes the visit to your campaign.
This works because the TV and the phone/laptop are typically on the same home Wi-Fi network, sharing the same IP address.
Key metrics to know
Impressions: The number of times your ad was served. Each play counts as one impression.
Unique Households: The number of distinct households that saw your ad. Each household is counted once.
CPM: Cost per 1,000 impressions. Typical CTV CPMs range from $15 to $30.
Completed View Rate: The percentage of impressions where the ad played to completion. CTV typically sees 95%+ completion.
Web ROAS: Return on Ad Spend from website conversions attributed to your CTV campaign.
For a complete metric reference, see Understanding Your Campaign Metrics.
What to expect from your first campaign
Learning phase (7-14 days): Performance will fluctuate as the system optimizes. Be patient.
Delayed conversions: Unlike click-based ads, CTV drives actions over days or weeks. A viewer may see your ad on Monday and visit your site on Thursday.
Next steps