Today, Internet television content has become a big market for digital advertising. Advertisers who want to make Streaming TV an important part of their digital advertising strategy come across two terms that are often misused: OTT (over-the-top) and CTV (connected television). Although these two terms are often used interchangeably, they are different from each other.
What is OTT (Over-the-Top)?
OTT is the transmission of TV content to users directly over the Internet, bypassing the standard cable or satellite broadcast services. OTT content is accessible from computers, mobile devices, smart TVs, game consoles, or streaming devices. Popular OTT service providers are Netflix, Hulu, Crave, Amazon Prime, and Disney+.
OTT services are important to advertisers, as the data obtained from platforms, enable more effective targeting to reach the desired audience.
What is CTV (Connected TV)?
CTV is the name given to TVs with internet access. This access can be achieved through the Smart TV feature or from streaming devices and game consoles.
Popular broadcasting devices and game consoles that provide internet access to TV are Playstation, Xbox, Roku TV, Apple Tv, fireTV, Chromecast. Most OTT content is watched over CTV but a user broadcasting Disney+ on their tablet is also watching OTT content. If the same user watches Disney+ content on a Smart TV or a streaming device connected to a TV, watches OTT content via CTV. The popularity of CTV is increasing day by day around the globe with North America and Europe leading the trend. By including CTV in their media mix, advertisers are having a chance to reach a wider audience on a bigger screen with almost 100% view-ability and near-perfect ad completion.
The internet transforms our video consumption habits as it has ended linear TVs monopoly on broadcasting. The OTT and CTV industry is continuously evolving, growing, and allowing advertisers to reach viewers that wouldn’t be with traditional linear TV. These emerging technologies combine the impactful nature of TV with the targeting capability of digital media. With OTT and CTV, advertisers have better measurement options and retarget TV-viewing households.
At Medialyzer, we focus on new technologies to increase the potential of TV ads. With our TV Attribution and TV Tracking products, you can measure the reflection of TV ads in real-time and benefit from our data-driven approach powered by AI. We invite all TV advertisers to measure smartly and enjoy incremental returns with us.
