The growth of OTT/CTV video advertising in recent years has been nothing short of explosive. Industry forecasts project that ad spending in this category will reach approximately $434 billion by 2027, double what was spent just three years ago. While initially dominated by Fortune 500 brands and major agencies, much of the recent growth is being fueled by small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) who now see the platform as both accessible and highly effective.

At the same time, consumer video habits have undergone a dramatic shift in the 2020s. According to The Gauge, Nielsen’s monthly snapshot of TV and streaming trends, streaming has rapidly overtaken traditional TV viewing:

In 2021, when The Gauge debuted:

• 39% of viewing was on Cable
• 26% on Streaming
• 25% on Broadcast

By March, 2025:

• Streaming jumped to 44% (+69%)
• Cable declined to 24% (-39%)
• Broadcast fell to 20% (-20%)

As we know, the big screen has become an on-demand experience, with viewers expecting content when and where they want it. For cable and broadcast TV, live programming remains a vital anchor. So much so, that individual events like the Oscars or SNL’s 50th Anniversary can significantly spike ratings. Just this week at the TV upfronts, NBC emphasized this trend, announcing that 70% of its upcoming schedule will be live content.

Which brings us back to the opportunity in OTT/CTV advertising, a format that combines the hype and sizzle of great content with the data-driven ad targeting of digital media. It’s an avenue you don’t have a hype to a client during the pitch. The ad-supported tiers of Netflix, Disney+ and Max have added billions of ad impressions to ad ad universe, both dropping wholesale CPMs and ensuring the the SMB decision makers on Main Street have seen OTT/CTV advertising.

As audiences continue to migrate toward on-demand platforms, OTT/CTV stands out as the most strategic way to meet them where they are—with precision, scale, and impact.

New Charts Show 70% of Streaming Video is Ad-Supported
The ratings giant revealed the new report prior to Upfronts. The inaugural report showed that in Q1 of this year, 72.5% of TV viewing was on ad-supported platforms compared with 27.6% for ad-free platforms, a data point to counter clients who claim there aren’t enough ads on streaming video content. [details]

Overall Ad/Marketing Rose 8.7% in 2024; Traditional Dipped 4.1%
Digital continued its growth worldwide, at the expense of traditional media.  Digital continues to beat traditional in ad spend, rising another 13.3% worldwide. [details]

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Chris Brunt

Chris has thirty-plus years' experience in radio programming, digital content creation, and digital sales, most recently at Beasley Media Detroit. During his time at Beasley, and Greater Media Brunt made his mark in the development of websites, audio and video streaming, podcasts, and social media channels. As Digital Sales Manager, he drove increases in revenue by leveraging both owned/operated and programmatic media.

Along with his duties at Jacobs Media, Chris develops revenue opportunities for jācapps’ mobile apps clients.

Latest posts by Chris Brunt (see all)

• Are We Past Peak SEM? - June 6, 2025
• New Shifts and Opportunities in the 2025 Borrell Report - May 30, 2025
• The stats that show why everyone’s bullish on OTT/CTV - May 16, 2025