Connected TV & Streaming Ads: How U.S. Brands Are Moving Beyond Google & Facebook in 2025

Many U.S. brands in 2025 are recognizing that leaning too much on Google and Facebook (Meta) has risks: rising CPMs, privacy constraints, audience saturation, and diminishing marginal returns. Connected TV (CTV) and streaming advertising are increasingly becoming key alternatives to diversify, reach audiences in new ways, build brand, and deliver performance. Below is a deep dive into how this transition is happening, what evidence exists, what challenges are real, and how brands can execute shifts more safely and effectively.

Connected TV Ads are quickly becoming the next big shift in digital marketing. In 2025, U.S. brands are moving beyond traditional platforms like Google and Facebook to invest in CTV advertising, where audiences are more engaged and targeting is more precise. This shift signals a new era of ad strategy that every marketer needs to understand.

---

Table of Contents

1. State of the Market: Data & Trends for CTV & Streaming in the U.S.
2. Case Studies: U.S. Brands & Platforms Leading the Way
3. Problems & Risks in Moving Budget From Google/Facebook to CTV/Streaming
4. Key Metrics, Measurement Tools & Attribution Strategies
5. Best Practices & Tactical Playbook for Successful Shift
6. Strategic Framework: Prioritization & Scaling
7. Forecast & What Brands Should Expect Ahead in Late 2025 / Early 2026
8. Conclusion

---

1. State of the Market: Data & Trends for CTV & Streaming in the U.S.

To understand why brands are shifting, here are the latest data points and trends (2024–2025) in the U.S.:

• According to IAB’s 2025 Digital Video Ad Spend & Strategy Full Report, U.S. digital video ad spend (which includes OTT/CTV, online video, etc.) grew 18% year-over-year in 2024, reaching about US$64 billion, and is projected to hit US$72 billion in 2025. IAB
• Streaming now accounts for 43.8% of all TV viewing time in the U.S. as of March 2025 — up ~10 points from two years prior. Nielsen
• From the Innovid 2025 CTV Advertising Insights Report:
      • CTV impressions rose ~18% in 2024. Innovid
      • But viewership time spent with streaming is growing even faster, so there is a gap: ad spend and inventory still lag behind how much people are watching. Innovid
      • In Innovid’s sample, average campaign household reach was only ~19.64%, and average frequency (~how many ads per household) was ~7.09. Innovid
• In IAB’s “2025 Ad Spend Outlook Study”, CTV, social media, and retail media are expected to post double-digit growth in 2025, while linear TV is declining. IAB
• Also from U.S. market reports: In Q2 2025, CTV viewership grew ~46% (year over year) compared to only ~1% growth in linear TV. (From Samba TV data.) TV Tech
• Netflix’s ad-supported tier is expanding rapidly. As one report states, it now reaches 94 million monthly users globally (up from 40 million earlier), and the U.S. ad-tier is part of that growth. The Verge
• The home screen of smart TVs / streaming devices is becoming prime ad real estate. Smart TV OEMs (like Vizio, LG, Samsung) are emphasizing home screen inventory / carousels / takeovers as high impact placements. Index Exchange

---

2. Case Studies: U.S. Brands & Platforms Leading the Way

Here are some real U.S. brand / platform examples with outcomes, to illustrate both successes and pitfalls. Many of these aren’t solely about CTV, but specifically include CTV & streaming in their media mix, measurement, or innovation.

Case Study A: Samba TV – Top 100 Brands Increasing TV / CTV Impressions

• What they found: In H1 2025, 68% of the top 100 brands in the U.S., and 75% of the top 20 brands, increased their TV ad impressions. At the same time, CTV viewership grew ~46% in Q2 vs same period last year; linear TV growth was ~1%. TV Tech
• Why it matters: Major advertisers are already shifting more impressions into CTV/streaming; not just small or experimental budgets. Also notice overexposure and under-reach issues in linear TV: top 50% of linear TV households were seeing an average of ~150 ads/day (94% of total linear ad impressions), bottom 50% saw about 9/day. Indicates inefficiencies in traditional linear buys. TV Tech

Case Study B: Netflix’s Ad-Supported Tier

• What they did: Netflix introduced / expanded its ad-supported tier. They report reaching over 94 million monthly users globally on that tier and are rolling out / considering more ad formats (e.g. pause ads, interactive mid-content ads). The Verge
• Outcomes / implications:
    • Netflix’s ad inventory becomes more accessible / relevant for brands. Previously, Netflix was mostly subscription only. Now it gives brands new premium streaming inventory.
    • Because Netflix streaming hours per user are high (~41 hrs/month for ad-tier users) it gives high engagement. The Verge

Case Study C: tvScientific Startup & Ad Tech

• What it does: A U.S. ad tech startup (tvScientific) raised US$25.5M Series B in early 2025 to scale tools that make buying & measuring CTV more accessible. It works with major streaming platforms (Hulu, Tubi, NBCUniversal etc.), providing both managed services and self-serve: targeting, measurement, outcome linkage. Axios
• Why it matters: Startups like this indicate there’s demand and opportunity: brands want better measurement, more transparent performance, and easier access to CTV/streaming inventory outside of big walled gardens.

Case Study D: Platform Innovation – From Home Screen to Live Moments

• What platforms / publishers are doing:
    • Smart TV manufacturers (e.g. LG, Vizio, Samsung), FAST/AVOD platforms, and streaming services are increasingly offering home screen inventory (carousels / banners / takeovers) as high-impact placements. Index Exchange
    • Live event streaming and programming (sports, big cultural moments) are seen as “must-buys” for reach and resonance. Index Exchange

---

3. Problems & Risks in Moving Budget From Google/Facebook to CTV/Streaming

The opportunities are considerable, but so are the practical challenges. Below are major risks, and what they look like in reality.

Problem Area	Description	Typical Symptoms / Impact
Attribution & Incrementality Gaps	Google/Facebook have rich user-level tracking (cookies, device IDs, clicks). CTV often works at household or device level, fewer direct clicks, delayed/convoluted paths.	Brands may under-count the effectiveness of CTV campaigns, see weak reported ROI initially, or get surprised by where conversions are coming from.
Lag Between Exposure & Conversion	Many CTV/streaming exposures first impact brand metrics (awareness, recall), and influence later purchase behavior (in store, online) via other channels.	Metrics related to “immediate conversion” may look weak, so teams focused solely on short-term performance may undervalue streaming.
Frequency / Overexposure vs Under-reach	Because reach is more challenging in CTV (inventory constraints, selective devices), sometimes the same households see the ad many times; others see none.	Viewer fatigue; diminishing returns; wasted budget; sometimes negative brand perception.
Creative & Production Costs & Suitability	TV/streaming often needs higher production quality, different pacing, assets sized for big screens, different requirements for audio/video clarity.	Brands may under-invest in creative adaptation, leading to sub-par delivery; or costs balloon if not planned.
Inventory Quality, Fraud, and Brand Safety	Not all streaming/AVOD inventory is equal. Some publishers have less transparency. Some programmatic inventory can be low quality.	Lower completion rates, lower viewability, brand risk, potential waste.
Privacy / Data & Identity Constraints	Regulations (state privacy, federal), platform restrictions on identifiers, consumer opt-outs, cross-device matching difficulties.	Less precise targeting; inability to use certain third-party data; difficulty tracking cross-screen or cross-device behavior.
Organizational & Process Limitations	Teams used to “digital/social/search first” may lack expertise in CTV buying, negotiating with streaming platforms, measurement, creative production.	Mis-aligned expectations, mismatch of KPIs, delays, over-spend or under-performance.
Budget Reallocation Friction & Risk Aversion	Moving money out of large, well-known channels (Google, Facebook) can hit resistance internally; risk that initial performance looks worse.	Slow adoption; overly cautious pilots; under-investment so that you don’t realize full potential; potential lag vs competitors.

---

4. Key Metrics, Measurement Tools & Attribution Strategies

To shift successfully, brands need to plan up front how they will measure success. Below are metrics, tools, and strategies that are being used by brands already shifting toward CTV/streaming.

Key Metrics to Track

• Reach (unique households/viewers exposed)
• Frequency (how many times a household / viewer sees the ad)
• Impressions & Viewability (ensures ads are actually seen)
• Completion rate (how many ads are watched through)
• Cost per Mille (CPM) – cost per thousand impressions
• Cost per Acquisition / Cost per Conversion (CPA)
• Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
• View-Through Conversions (when viewer sees ad, later converts through other channel)
• Incrementality (what additional outcomes the CTV ad brings vs what would have happened without it)
• Brand Lift / Awareness / Recall / Purchase Intent (survey or experimental designs)

Tools & Attribution Strategies

• Incrementality Measurement Platforms: e.g., INCRMNTAL. They measure lift, causality (i.e. what outcomes increase because of your ad spend) rather than just correlation. incrmntal.com
• Clean Rooms / Data Collaboration: Partnerships between streaming platforms, publishers, or retailers where first-party data can be matched (in privacy-safe ways) to viewership or purchasing behavior.
• Cross-Screen / Cross-Device Measurement: Deduplication of audience across devices (TV, mobile, desktop) so that reach and frequency are more accurately understood.
• Surveys & Brand Lift Studies: Exposed vs control audiences surveyed for recall, awareness, etc.
• Media Mix Modeling (MMM): For longer timeframe, to understand how different channels (CTV, linear TV, social, search) work together to drive sales/brand metrics.
• Test / Holdout / Control Groups: E.g. geographies or audiences that don’t receive the CTV ad, to measure what difference the exposure makes.

---

5. Best Practices & Tactical Playbook for Successful Shift

Here’s a tactical playbook for brands that want to shift some budget from Google/Facebook into CTV & streaming, while minimizing risk and maximizing payoff.

1. Set Clear Dual Metrics — Brand & Performance Define what you want from CTV: brand awareness, reach, recall, AND/or performance metrics (site visits, conversions). Having both helps avoid undervaluing CTV.
2. Budget and Pilot Phases
   • Start small with a pilot: maybe 10-25% of your video budget or of the part of your digital budget that is allocated for reach/awareness.
   • Use multiple platforms (premium & mass reach) to test which streaming channels perform best for your audiences.
3. Select Inventory Carefully
   • Prioritize premium inventory (reputable streaming services / AVOD / FAST / ad tiers).
   • Ensure transparency: know where your ads are running, how viewability is measured, who has access to the data.
   • Negotiate for frequency caps, brand safety, appropriate formats.
4. Adapt Creative for CTV
   • Optimize creative for large screen: legible text, good audio, strong visuals.
   • Branding early (logo, messaging) because viewer may change source if unengaged.
   • Consider ad-formats unique to streaming (pause ads, overlays, interactive, shoppable).
   • Refresh creative periodically to avoid ad fatigue.
5. Plan Attribution & Measurement Before Launch
   • Decide on tracking methods, what KPIs will be used, what control or holdout measures are feasible.
   • If available, set up partnerships / clean room arrangements.
   • Budget time for lag in performance: brand metrics may take days/weeks; conversions may happen later via other channels.
6. Monitor, Optimize & Iterate
   • Track early metrics: reach, frequency, viewability, CPM, completion.
   • Compare performance vs your pilot goals.
   • Adjust: shift inventory, adjust creative, reallocate among platforms, tweak targeting if possible.
7. Leverage Cross-Channel Synergies
   • Use CTV for top-of-funnel awareness; follow-up via digital channels (social, search, display) to capitalize on exposure.
   • Retarget exposed households or viewers on other devices.
   • Use findings from brand lift / incrementality / MMM to optimize media mix.
8. Guardrails & Risk Controls
   • Set budgets in phases, not huge up-front spends.
   • Have clear stop / reassessment points: e.g. after 4-8 weeks of pilot.
   • Monitor frequency to avoid waste.
   • Keep an eye on creative refresh.

---

6. Strategic Framework: Prioritization & Scaling

To avoid missteps, brands should apply a strategic framework for deciding how much to shift, when, and how.

1. Audience Overlap & Saturation Analysis
   • Identify whether your target audience is already heavily exposed on social/search. If yes, incremental reach via CTV may be high.
   • Map where your audience watches streaming/CTV — what platforms, what devices, what content types.
2. Revenue & Product Lifecycle Considerations
   • For new product launches or rebranding, CTV may deliver strong impact (brand awareness).
   • For mature products where performance (e.g. direct sales) is critical, ensure that exposure leads are traceable or retargeted.
3. Costs vs Margins
   • Determine what CPA / ROAS you need to maintain or beat, given your margins.
   • Estimate what you can tolerate in roll-out costs / creative development.
4. Platform & Partner Evaluation
   • Identify which streaming platforms / publishers offer the best reach, measurement, transparent reporting, and inventory quality.
   • Evaluate self-serve vs managed placements; programmatic vs direct.
5. Scaling Up
   • Once pilots demonstrate acceptable ROI (or acceptable trade-offs), shift more budget, increase platforms, expand geographies or target audiences.
   • Use learnings from creatives, frequency, attribution to improve performance.

---

7. Forecast & What Brands Should Expect Ahead in Late 2025 / Early 2026

Given current momentum and market shifts, here are what many analysts / brands should expect in the near term:

• More Premium Streaming / AVOD / FAST Inventory Opens Up — As demand increases, streaming services will continue expanding ad-tiers or allow more inventory, including interactive / shoppable units.
• Better Measurement Tools, Clean Rooms, Cross-Screen Frameworks — To justify bigger budgets, more tools will become available (or mature) for tracking across devices/screens, tying exposure to outcomes, and incrementality.
• New Ad Formats — More streaming platforms will introduce interactive ads, pause ads, overlays, shoppable experiences. The fringe will move to mainstream.
• Cost Pressures — As more brands shift to streaming, competition for premium inventory will push up CPMs. So efficiency, creative quality, targeting precision will matter more.
• Integrated Buying Strategies — Brands will increasingly plan “converged TV” / “omni-screen” media buys that treat linear + streaming + digital video as parts of a continuum, rather than separate silos.
• Evolving Consumer Expectations — Viewers will expect less intrusive, more relevant ads; brand safety and ad frequency will be more scrutinized. Platforms with poor ad experiences may lose viewership or face backlash.

---

8. Conclusion

Moving ad spend from Google & Facebook toward Connected TV & streaming is no longer optional for many U.S. brands — it is becoming essential. The data shows that streaming is growing fast, viewership is shifting, advertisers are increasing their CTV/streaming investment, and platforms are innovating in measurement, creative formats, and inventory.

However, success doesn’t happen by simply shifting budget — it requires careful planning: defining dual goals (brand + performance), choosing inventory & platforms smartly, adapting creative, setting up robust measurement & attribution, pilot testing, optimizing, and scaling responsibly. When done well, brands can achieve better reach, more engaging ad experiences, higher engagement and brand lift, and improved long-term performance — often surpassing what they had previously extracted from social/search alone.

If you like, I can write a version of this blog tailored to your vertical (e.g. retail, CPG, travel, B2B) with examples & KPIs specific to your type of brand. Would that be useful?

If you want to know about The Rising Cost of Google & Facebook Ads in 2025: How Small U.S. Businesses Can Still Compete then click it

Frequently Asked Questions