Observed Signal · Mar 2, 2026 · Survey / Research · Source: AdExchanger · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Positive
CTV Advertising Surge: Local Markets Embrace Total Video Strategy
A 2026 CTV/OTT advertiser survey by Advertiser Perceptions shows the market moving from experimentation to structural commitment: 70% of CTV advertisers plan to increase CTV/OTT spend in 2026 with budgets rising an average 17%. Integrated or hybrid teams now control 55% of CTV and streaming TV budgets, and roughly 80% of advertisers say combining linear TV and CTV drives stronger brand and performance results. Growth is increasingly driven by regional and local advertisers, enabled by improved targeting, flexible buying and expanded premium inventory. Advertisers prioritize premium environments (97% agree they improve ROI) and call out fragmentation across providers as a major barrier. AI-driven real-time optimization is viewed as highly valuable (58%), though only 44% expect it to be widely available in 2026.
Survey shows structural budget shifts toward CTV and operational convergence of linear and streaming planning, highlighting local/regional adoption, premium inventory importance, and AI optimization expectations—meaningful for media planning and vendor roadmaps but not a platform policy or regulatory shift.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Advertiser Perceptions 2026 CTV/OTT Advertiser Survey: 70% of CTV advertisers plan to increase CTV/OTT spending in 2026, with budgets rising an average of 17%.
- Integrated or hybrid teams now control 55% of CTV and streaming TV budgets.
- Four in five advertisers (≈80%) agree that combining linear TV and CTV drives stronger results across brand and performance metrics.
- Advertisers cite reach to engaged opt-in audiences (44%) and combining TV branding with digital precision (40%) as primary drivers for CTV investment.
- 97% of CTV/OTT advertisers agree that advertising within premium video environments improves ROI; 58% value real-time optimization as the top AI capability, but only 44% expect it to be widely available in 2026.
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Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Advertisers Boost CTV Spend, Demand Better ROI
A March 2026 industry survey from Advertiser Perceptions and Premion finds most advertisers increasing Connected TV (CTV) budgets in 2026 — roughly seven in ten plan an average 17% spend rise. The report shows the increase is largely a reallocation from linear TV, search and social, with unified teams now controlling the majority of streaming budgets. Programmatic is slated to handle about half of CTV purchases, but buyers complain the ecosystem remains fractured, complicating reach measurement across platforms and walled gardens. As CTV becomes core to media plans, advertisers are demanding simpler activation, improved technology and clearer measurement to justify larger investments.
2026 CTV: Simplify, Integrate, and Optimize for Success
CTV is an established part of the media mix, with advertisers increasing budgets for 2026. A study by Advertiser Perceptions, sponsored by Premion, shows nearly 70% of CTV advertisers plan higher spend next year, with an average increase of 17%. The three imperatives for 2026 are: deliver simplicity in a fragmented market (address fragmentation, improve transparency on where ads run, and reduce ad fraud); make CTV an engine for omnichannel performance by deeper integration into cross-channel campaigns and the shift from linear to digital-first buying (aided by live sports streaming); and turn AI into a practical, measurable tool for optimization and frequency control, while recognizing progress on frequency control may lag. SMB advertisers particularly require streamlined access to premium inventory and easier buying tools. The overall goal is simpler, clearer, and more measurable CTV that lifts performance across the funnel.
Three Takeaways Signal Where CTV Is Headed
A sponsored analysis from May 20, 2026, by Blake Hebert (Premion) summarizes major themes from the POSSIBLE event and related industry conversations: AI is shifting from promise to practical campaign execution (particularly real-time optimization and creative optimization), streaming TV targeting is becoming more signal-driven through bidstream and contextual signals, and omnichannel/converged buying models are becoming the default for managing video budgets. The piece cites Premion research showing gaps between advertiser expectations and available AI capabilities (58% value real-time optimization; 44% expect wide availability in 2026) and notes that integrated or hybrid teams now control 55% of CTV budgets, underscoring operational shifts in how advertisers manage streaming TV within broader media strategies.
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