49% of CTV Ads Still Use Traditional TV Spots, Leaving Opportunity Untapped

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A new industry report from TripleLift finds that 49% of connected TV (CTV) advertising still relies on traditional 15- and 30-second video spots originally designed for linear TV, even as streaming has surpassed traditional television viewing in the U.S. The report argues that the advertising experience on CTV has barely changed, despite the explosive growth of streaming and the ability to create entirely new types of advertising experiences.

Why it matters

The gap between consumer behavior and advertising innovation in the CTV space is widening quickly. While streaming viewership and ad spend continue to soar, most CTV ads still use decades-old creative formats, leaving significant performance gains untapped. Campaigns that combine traditional CTV spots with high-impact formats like pause ads, overlays, and native streaming units can deliver dramatically stronger outcomes, but the lack of standardized specifications across platforms has made it difficult for brands and agencies to scale these innovative formats.

The details

The TripleLift report found that campaigns using a mix of traditional CTV spots and high-impact formats saw a 33% increase in brand recall, 11 times higher brand consideration vs. industry benchmarks, and a 76% boost in purchase intent. However, the biggest barrier to wider adoption of these innovative formats is infrastructure, as streaming platforms have introduced custom ad formats that are difficult for brands and agencies to scale due to a lack of standardized specifications across the industry.

• In May 2025, streaming surpassed cable and broadcast television for the first time in U.S. viewing share, according to Nielsen.
• Global advertising spend is expected to see CTV ad spending surpass linear television by 2030, according to WARC.

What’s next

The report suggests that solving the creative infrastructure challenge in CTV may require broader industry collaboration, as past digital media innovations only scaled once standards were established across platforms. With streaming audiences continuing to grow and advertising budgets shifting toward CTV, the pressure to create scalable, high-performing creative formats is intensifying.