Observed Signal · Mar 20, 2026 · Industry Analysis · Source: ExchangeWire · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Curation: The Key to Cutting CTV Ad Waste
An ExchangeWire analysis, produced with Curated Media, argues that curation of supply is a practical response to ad wastage in the fragmented CTV ecosystem. With US CTV ad spend projected near $38bn and many advertisers increasing CTV investment, the piece warns that programmatic CTV’s scale can drive inefficiency when buyers purchase blindly across fragmented apps, FAST channels and OEM interfaces. Curation—building curated packages, dynamic inclusion lists and bespoke YouTube channel bundles—lets buyers shape supply before bidding, improve context and reduce intermediary margins. The article highlights trade-offs (reduced reach, higher CPMs if over‑curated) and stresses that effective curation depends on data quality, supply relationships and optimisation discipline.
Practical guidance on reducing ad wastage in programmatic CTV and YouTube buying is relevant to advertisers, agencies and publishers but does not report a major platform policy change or product launch.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- US Connected TV (CTV) ad spend is projected to approach USD $38bn for the year.
- ExchangeWire research found 25% of companies increased their CTV spend in 2025.
- Programmatic CTV buying across fragmented apps and channels can increase ad wastage and leak budget through intermediary 'hops' in the supply chain.
- Curation enables buyers to shape supply before it reaches the bidding environment by building custom inclusion packages and dynamic PMP-style deals.
- Three of the four YouTube campaign types only allow exclusion targeting, making proactive curation and bespoke inclusion lists necessary to avoid low-quality or brand-unsafe placements.
Connected Companies & Entities
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