CTV ramps up as a channel to win voters
As audiences shift their media consumption to streaming platforms and internet-connected devices grow more and more popular, connected TV (CTV) emerges as a powerful channel for political advertisers to target and reach voters. In 2022, six out of 10 U.S. households owned at least one CTV device. With often non-skippable ads, connected TVs draw viewers of all ages and attract a young demographic difficult to reach with linear television. Additionally, voters can be targeted based on their geographic location and purchasing behavior. On top of that, a survey revealed that 65 percent of American CTV viewers considered targeted ads to improve their viewing experience, while a further 57 percent stated preferring CTV ads to traditional television advertising.Unsurprisingly, candidates and political parties are seizing this opportunity. In 2020, CTVs accounted for nearly 20 percent of political programmatic ad spending in the United States. In comparison, around 7.2 percent of the total programmatic digital advertising spend was allocated to connected TV that year. The data indicates, therefore, that political advertisers are turning to CTV faster than the average. As of August 2022, political ad buys on CTV amounted to 310 million U.S. dollars, roughly 45 percent of the total digital ad expenditure for the current political campaigns.
