CTV Takes 53% of Premium Video Ads in Europe

CTV Becomes the Focus of Video Advertising

In the first half of 2026, FreeWheel reported that Connected TV (CTV) accounted for about half, specifically 53%, of total premium video ad views in Europe. This is a large enough number to show that viewers are no longer only receiving ads on linear TV, but are shifting strongly to internet-connected devices. At the same time, CTV ad views increased by about one-third year over year. This reflects expansion on both the viewer and advertiser sides in allocating budgets to modern video environments.

Not only did CTV grow, programmatic views in Europe also rose 44%. As programmatic grows quickly, video ads are no longer sold only in fixed time slots, but increasingly rely on data, targeting, and measurement. For broadcasters, this is a signal that better management tools are needed to track broadcast volume, timing, devices, and the performance of each campaign.

The US Market Shows Streaming Has Taken Nearly Half of TV Viewing Time

In the US, Nielsen recorded streaming at 49% of TV viewing time in July 2026. This number shows that the boundary between traditional TV and digital TV is blurring. Viewers can watch content on TVs, computers, phones, or in-car entertainment devices, but what matters to advertisers is that they still engage with video content in a continuous ecosystem.

However, viewing growth does not mean ad prices always rise. DataBeat recorded CTV CPM down 12.3% year over year, while overall CPM increased. This can be understood as CTV ad supply expanding faster, causing the price per view to fall even as overall CPM rises. For advertisers, this is an opportunity to optimize budgets. For broadcasters and agencies, it is pressure to prove the value of each ad placement, not only by broadcast volume but also by measurement and management.

The Booking Challenge for Vietnamese Broadcasters and Agencies

When linear and digital ads coexist, booking management becomes more complex. A broadcaster may receive ads on TV broadcast, digital platforms, and CTV devices. If each channel is still managed with spreadsheets or separate processes, overlap, lack of transparency, and difficult reporting can easily occur.

Therefore, Vietnamese broadcasters and agencies need a booking management system like TVAMS, capable of managing linear and digital ads at the same time. This system should help sales, production, and technical teams see the same data: which ads have been booked, aired in which time slots, on which platforms, whether they meet client requirements, and how performance is measured. With a unified booking platform, broadcasters can be more proactive in selling ads, agencies can optimize campaigns, and viewers can receive more relevant messages.

Strapi Vietnam Perspective

From the data from FreeWheel, Nielsen, and DataBeat, the clear trend is that video advertising is shifting from a single linear model to an ecosystem combining TV, streaming, and CTV. For Vietnam, this is both an opportunity and a challenge. The opportunity lies in having more ad formats, measurement channels, and ways to reach viewers. The challenge lies in whether the internal systems of broadcasters and agencies are flexible enough to manage both the linear and digital worlds.

From Strapi Vietnam's perspective, the key point is not just buying more tools, but standardizing booking data. When linear and digital ad data are brought into one unified system, all parties can more easily reconcile, report, and optimize budgets. This is the foundation for Vietnamese broadcasters to participate more deeply in the modern video advertising market, rather than only selling traditional time slots.