Observed Signal · Jul 15, 2026 · Research Study · Source: Adweek · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Negative
IP-Based CTV Targeting Fails 75% of Time
New research from identity resolution vendor Adstra and indie media agency InterMedia Advertising finds that IP-based connected TV (CTV) targeting is frequently inaccurate. The study reports that only 23% of residential IP addresses reached their intended geographic target and that device-level CTV identifiers were more stable over time (71%) than IP addresses (57%). The authors argue that opaque IP-to-household mapping methods waste media spend and propose a new reliability framework, ID Connection Strength (ICS), which scores identifiers 1–6 across five criteria. ICS has been in testing since January with select brands and agencies and is expected to be more widely available in the third quarter of 2026.
Study exposes widespread inaccuracy in IP-based CTV targeting and proposes an identity-quality framework (ICS); relevant to advertisers, identity vendors, and CTV measurement but originates from a vendor-led study rather than a major platform or regulatory change.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Adstra and InterMedia Advertising research found just 23% of residential IP addresses reached their intended geographic target.
- Device-level CTV identifiers were 24% more consistent over time than IP addresses (71% vs. 57%).
- Adstra and InterMedia say common IP-based mapping methodologies are significantly less accurate than advertised.
- Adstra proposed a new framework, ID Connection Strength (ICS), which rates identifiers 1–6 across five criteria: recency, frequency, signal integrity, congruency, and cardinality.
- ICS has been in testing since January with a handful of brands, agencies, and platforms and is slated to become more widely available in Q3 2026.
Connected Companies & Entities
8 Entities mapped“The Adstra-InterMedia thesis is supported by other industry research; a Truthset study published in February found that nearly 40% of all op...”
“Another Truthset study from last year, conducted on behalf of the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and Go Addressable, foun...”
“he’s worked at some of the world’s leading identity providers, including LiveRamp (which Publicis intends to acquire for $2.2 billion), Acxi...”
“LiveRamp (which Publicis intends to acquire for $2.2 billion)...”
“he’s worked at some of the world’s leading identity providers, including LiveRamp ..., Acxiom (since folded into Omnicom as part of its acqu...”
“Acxiom (since folded into Omnicom as part of its acquisition of IPG)...”
“he’s worked at some of the world’s leading identity providers, including LiveRamp ..., Acxiom ..., and Experian....”
“Acxiom (since folded into Omnicom as part of its acquisition of IPG)...”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Study: IP-Based Ad Targeting Is Highly Inaccurate
A Truthset study, commissioned by CIMM and Go Addressable, finds IP-based ad targeting is highly unreliable for household and audience advertising. The report reports that IP-to-postal address matches occur only 13% of the time and IP-to-email matches 16% of the time, estimating that only $0.03 of every dollar spent reaches the intended audience. Truthset warns that frequently reassigned IP addresses and divergent data from providers undermine programmatic targeting, leaving open-web and free ad-supported streaming services at a disadvantage compared with deterministic, login-driven walled gardens like Google, Meta and Amazon. The study calls for a move toward deterministic identifiers and improved identity infrastructure for addressable TV and cross-platform measurement.
Adstra Launches ID Connection Strength; CTV Identity Gap
Adstra announced ID Connection Strength (ICS), a configurable scoring framework that verifies the quality of identity links before campaign activation. Adstra partnered with InterMedia Advertising to validate ICS using programmatic CTV campaign data. ICS scores connections from 1 (strongest) to 6 (weakest) across five dimensions (recency, frequency, signal integrity, congruency, cardinality) and covers identifier types including HEMs, UID2s, MAIDs, CTV IDs, TTD Cookies, and IPs. The joint study found person-linked CTV IDs with high ICS scores maintained a 71% person-link stability versus 57% for IP-based mapping (a 24% stability premium). The research also found only 23% of residential IP addresses targeted without ICS reached the intended geography. The article cites industry forecasts (eMarketer) and a Truthset report on identity-data waste to contextualize the potential impact on CTV ad spend.
CTV Must Fix Its Accuracy Problem
An AdExchanger opinion piece argues connected TV (CTV) advertising is prioritizing match rates and scale over true audience accuracy. Citing Truthset research that IP-to-postal matches are accurate only 13% of the time, the article warns many CTV identity graphs misattribute households by treating bid-request IPs (often belonging to ad servers) as household proxies. The author and Truthset CEO Scott McKinley call for structural changes: refresh household-to-IP associations more frequently, require multiple independent signals before matching, limit reliance on bidstream data, and make first-party data the primary source of truth. The piece frames accuracy as foundational to targeting, frequency management, attribution and proving incremental lift in CTV campaigns.
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