In 2020, 80% of homes have at least one connected T.V. according to MediaPost. We’ve all heard of CCTV from British crime dramas but what is CTV and what makes it different from OTT? What is OTT? All these acronyms are making us dizzy. Let’s look at the difference between OTT and CTV. OTT stands for over-the-top and is defined as content delivered over streaming services or apps. Examples are Netflix, HBO Max and HULU. CTV, otherwise known as connected T.V., is the actual device that is connected to the television used to stream these services. Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple T.V. are examples of this. What does this mean in terms of advertising though? Well, CTV allows for advertisers to insert their ads into the streamed video. This helps brands reach wider audiences. In OTT services, such as HULU, you can even decide which ad you would rather watch. This one or that one. This helps brands reach the eyes of the people that they actually want watching their ads. This aids improvement of their target audience since this experience is user controlled. The cost of CTV advertising is also much lower than traditional T.V. broadcast. Marketers and advertising agencies should be looking into this style of campaigning. It’s worth the time and what little money it does cost.
