Performance CTV

Amazon Surges in CTV as Trade Desk Struggles

The article analyzes a competitive shift in connected-TV (CTV) advertising: CTV is growing (13% in 2025 to $26.6B, projected $51B by 2029) while The Trade Desk (TTD) has shown sustained deceleration in growth. Amazon’s ad business has outpaced TTD — reporting 23% year‑over‑year ad revenue growth in Q4 2025 — helped by DSP improvements, deeper CTV partnerships (Roku, Disney), and first‑party audiences across Prime Video and Fire TV. TTD’s recent product and fee changes (OpenPath publisher fee, Predictive Clearing bid‑shading, AI-driven Performance Mode) have raised buyer concerns about opaque fees and algorithmic steering; WPP and Dentsu exited OpenPath. The piece argues increased transparency and buyer tools are collapsing information asymmetry, shifting buy‑side priorities and favoring platforms that combine scale with clearer economics.

Rethinking CTV: Embrace Full-Funnel, Not Just Performance

An AdExchanger column by Erez Levin argues that the term “Performance CTV” is misleading because it oversimplifies how television delivers value. The piece contends that TV drives both short- and long-term outcomes, and that an exclusive focus on short-term performance (often measured over a single short window) risks sacrificing longer-term brand impact. Levin recommends adopting “Full Funnel CTV,” measuring impact over longer periods and valuing both immediate and delayed effects. He cites a range of brands (Airbnb, Adidas, P&G, Uber, Chase, LEGO, Nike) that experienced a “performance penalty” from over‑prioritizing short‑term tactics and later shifted back to brand-focused strategies. The column notes exceptions where Performance CTV can make sense (SMBs or temporary short‑term sales drives) but warns that Performance CTV generally faces scale, incrementality, and CPA-efficiency challenges versus search and social.

Retargeting Revolutionizes Performance Marketing in Connected TV

The AdExchanger piece argues that retargeting is becoming the next phase of performance in connected TV (CTV), with marketers demanding downstream results beyond reach and awareness. Thought leaders like Jay Trinidad of Moloco say performance marketing is outcomes-based and that retargeting viewers across mobile devices is crucial for CTV attribution. The article notes signal loss from limited Apple IDFA access and the ongoing decline of third-party cookies, complicating CTV-to-mobile matching, but highlights workarounds such as a Strategus partnership with Intent IQ that uses first-party data. It also covers Unity’s integration with Roku to allow matching data to Roku’s identity graph for measurement, and Rumpl’s move into CTV after adopting MNTN’s Google Analytics-integrated platform. The piece emphasizes programmatic growth as central to CTV and questions whether 2024 will be the year when performance marketing and programmatic go mainstream in CTV.