Cannatube, it’s become de rigueur among marketers to acknowledge the rise of CTV as they start to shift budgets away from traditional, linear TV.
However, data indicates there is still adisconnect between budget allocation and where the audience actually is. This is especially true for brands that want to reach younger audiences. In practical terms, brands are missing opportunities to reach potential new customers who are no longer tethered to their cable box.
Despite that, our report shows that perceptions about TV advertising have changed in 2020, with marketers showing increased interest in the potential of CTV, as compared with linear TV advertising. Overall, an overwhelming majority (89 percent) of marketers feel that CTV advertising is just as effective as, if not more effective than, linear TV. As a result, attitudes are changing around industry “upfronts,” an annual ad-buying event which made its debut nearly 60 years ago. While some of those traditional advertiser rites remain, a majority (59 percent) of linear TV buyers said they’re making fewer upfront commitments in 2021, with ad budgets shifting away from linear
TV programming and toward CTV, indicating the industry is realigning around this new marketplace.
One of the most significant findings of our study is marketers’ preference for CTV when building awareness for their brands. Forty-three percent of respondents identified CTV as the number one channel for brand storytelling in 2021.

CTV advertising has been building over the past few years, but 2020 was a step change with myriad streaming platforms vying for consumer attention and increased opportunities for marketers to make conscious connections.