Display and Native
DV360 image, HTML5 and native ads on the open web, run with exchange selection, viewability thresholds and third-party verification.
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DV360 insertion order type
Connected TV (CTV) Advertising with DV360
Connected TV means streams and apps watched on an internet-connected television. In DV360 this inventory is bought with a separate insertion order type: the Connected TV IO. The ad plays on the big screen in the living room, usually with sound and often to several people at once. So CTV advertising is measured by reach, co-viewing and frequency rather than clicks, and planning it looks more like TV planning than digital.
Purpose and appearance
What do we use this format for?
We open a Connected TV IO when we need to reach households that linear TV reaches poorly, on the living room screen, through smart TV apps and YouTube on TV. The business goal is to add household reach to the TV plan, control household frequency and isolate CTV's contribution with branded search and regional tests.
Funnel stages it serves
- Awareness
- Consideration
- Conversion
- Loyalty
Connected TV IO vs. standard IO in DV360
When a CTV IO is opened, DV360 picks TV-appropriate defaults itself: connected TV devices included and other devices excluded; instream positions and large, HD player sizes selected; app and URL targeting starts with the OTT publishers collection. Keyword, on-screen position, browser, connection speed and carrier targeting are not available in this IO.
For awareness goals, besides CPM and value/cost, you can choose cost per unique co-viewed reach as the KPI. We prefer this metric when comparing with TV because it accounts for several people seeing the ad in the same room. For conversion-focused CTV campaigns, CPA and value/cost are available; we use those only for brands with enough conversion volume.
Where we buy CTV inventory: auction, PG and private deals
There are CTV impressions in the open auction, but most premium publisher inventory is sold through deals. With Programmatic Guaranteed or preferred deals, we buy specific publishers' apps, content types and dayparts. YouTube on CTV runs in the same IO with a separate line item and target CPM bidding.
- We check in Marketplace which exchanges sell the smart TV apps of local TV channels and streaming platforms; the list varies by publisher.
- If Amazon's first-party shopping data matters, we plan Prime Video ads outside DV360, through Amazon DSP.
- For sports and live streams, we confirm with our Google representative whether Gemini-assisted live sports bidding is enabled in the account.
- We do not target CTV and mobile with the same creative; we ask for a separate, longer cut for TV.
Household frequency and CTV measurement
The most expensive mistake in CTV is showing the same spot to the same household over and over in one evening. Because we set the frequency cap at CTV IO level, YouTube on CTV and other OTT line items share the same household cap. If a linear TV campaign is also running, we position CTV as complementary reach for age groups and dayparts where TV is weak.
Clicks mean nothing on this channel; nobody clicks an ad with a TV remote, and viewers search for the brand on their phone later. We read the effect through regional tests, branded search lift and changes in direct traffic in GA4. We choose test and control regions at the marketing planning stage, because a control group chosen after the campaign does not make the result reliable.
Brand safety in CTV advertising
DV360's digital content labels and sensitive category exclusions also cover connected TV inventory. On top of that, we ask publishers we have deals with for content lists and ad load. For CTV apps in the open auction, we exclude sources with unclear identity and keep the publisher list tight to reduce the risk of fraudulent traffic.
Connected TV (CTV): when do we recommend it?
We recommend it
- Brands running TV ads that want extra household reach in digital
- Advertisers that want to reach younger audiences who do not watch broadcast TV on the big screen
- Campaigns with the budget and timeline to set up guaranteed deals with publishers
We don't recommend it
- Performance campaigns expecting direct clicks and fast sales
- Brands that only have vertical videos shot for mobile
- Plans where a test region or branded search tracking cannot be set up for measurement
How we manage Connected TV (CTV)
- Audience and TV dataIf there is a linear TV plan, we define reach gaps; if not, we define target households.
- Publisher selectionWe scan CTV apps in Marketplace and collect PG and preferred deal offers.
- CTV IO setupWe check default TV settings and open CTV and YouTube on CTV line items.
- Frequency capWe set household frequency at IO level and account for overlap with other video channels.
- Regional testWe read CTV's contribution through a regional test, branded search and direct traffic change.
Connected TV (CTV): metrics and requirements
Metrics we track
- Unique household reach
- Co-viewed reach
- Average frequency
- Video completion rate
- Branded search lift
- CPM
What you need to get started
- High-resolution, landscape video with sound for the TV screen
- A list of target publishers or content types
- The linear TV plan and daypart details, if any
- A test region or branded search tracking for impact measurement
Official sources
The Brand Move DV360 Team
Contact us nowTo learn more about Connected TV (CTV) or other DV360 ad formats, contact The Brand Move DV360 team today.
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Display & Video 360 overview
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YouTube & partners and Demand Gen line items in DV360, with Floodlight optimization and one frequency plan across video channels.
ExploreAudio Ads
Audio ads across music streaming, podcasts and live radio, managed with content type targeting and companion banners.
ExploreDigital Out-of-Home (DOOH)
Programmatic DOOH: airport, mall and transit screens bought by hour and area through DV360 Marketplace deals.
ExplorePMP and Programmatic Guaranteed
Open auction, PMP, preferred deal and Programmatic Guaranteed buying in DV360, including YouTube, with delivery tracked deal by deal.
ExploreFrequently asked questions
Connected TV (CTV): frequently asked questions
What is connected TV advertising?
It is advertising in streams and apps watched on an internet-connected TV, such as smart TV apps of broadcasters and streaming platforms, and YouTube on the TV screen. In DV360 it is bought programmatically through the Connected TV insertion order.
Is CTV advertising the same as YouTube advertising?
Partly. The share of YouTube watched on TV is part of CTV inventory and is bought in DV360 with a separate line item inside the CTV IO. Other CTV inventory comes from the smart TV apps of TV channels and platforms.
With no clicks on TV, how do you measure CTV's contribution to sales?
Indirectly: the sales difference between test and control regions, branded search lift, direct traffic and, where suitable, brand lift surveys. If linear TV is also on air, we open CTV only in test regions and keep the TV plan the same in both groups so CTV's share can be isolated.
How is frequency controlled at household level?
We set the frequency cap at CTV IO level. Because several people watch in the same household, we also track co-viewed reach and evaluate frequency together with exposure from the TV plan. For long campaigns, we plan creative rotation alongside a weekly cap.
Can we buy Prime Video ads in DV360?
When Amazon's first-party shopping data matters, we plan Prime Video ads through Amazon DSP rather than DV360. DV360 covers other smart TV apps and YouTube on CTV; we coordinate frequency between the two in planning.
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