How to Show Ads on Connected TV with DV360

What "Connected TV" Actually Means

Connected TV (CTV) refers to any television set that streams content over the internet — whether through a smart TV operating system, a streaming stick or box (like Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast or Apple TV), or a games console. When people talk about "showing ads on connected TV," they usually mean serving video ads inside streaming apps and ad-supported services running on that big screen.

CTV is not the same as regular online video. The environment is lean-back, full-screen, often non-skippable, and increasingly bought programmatically. That combination makes it one of the most valuable — and most competitive — formats available in Display & Video 360 (DV360).

This guide walks through how CTV advertising works, how to buy it in DV360, and the practical steps to get a campaign live.

Why Advertise on Connected TV

CTV blends the storytelling power of television with the addressability of digital. For most advertisers, the appeal comes down to a few things:

• Premium attention — full-screen, sound-on video on the household's main screen.
• Addressable targeting — you can layer audience, geography and frequency controls that linear TV can't offer.
• Cross-device measurement — CTV exposure can be connected to downstream site and app activity.
• Incremental reach — you reach cord-cutters and light linear viewers who are hard to find elsewhere.

The trade-off is that inventory is finite and premium, so planning and pricing discipline matter more than in open-web display.

How CTV Buying Works in DV360

DV360 is Google's demand-side platform, and it treats CTV as a video environment with several distinct supply routes. Understanding those routes is the key to controlling quality and cost.

The main ways to access CTV inventory

Buying route	What it is	Best for
Open auction	Real-time bidding on available CTV impressions across exchanges	Scale and prospecting with tight controls
Deal ID / Private auction	Negotiated auction access to a publisher's inventory at a floor price	Better quality with some pricing flexibility
Programmatic Guaranteed	Fixed volume and price agreed directly with a publisher	Reserved, premium placements and reliable delivery
YouTube (CTV)	YouTube ads served to the TV screen via connected devices	Reach at scale on the largest ad-supported streaming app

Most mature CTV strategies use a blend: Programmatic Guaranteed and private deals for guaranteed premium reach, plus open auction and YouTube for efficient scale.

The role of YouTube on the TV screen

YouTube is one of the most-watched streaming destinations in living rooms, and it is accessible directly inside DV360. If a large share of your audience watches YouTube on a TV, it deserves a dedicated line in your CTV plan. Our DV360 managed services team frequently combines YouTube CTV with third-party streaming inventory to balance reach and control.

Ad Formats You Can Run on CTV

CTV is primarily an in-stream video environment. The most common formats are:

• Non-skippable in-stream video — typically 15 or 30 seconds, played before or during content.
• Skippable in-stream (where supported, notably on YouTube) — viewers can skip after a few seconds.
• Interactive and QR-enabled units — some publishers support on-screen calls to action that bridge the big screen to a mobile device.

Because viewers usually can't click a TV ad, CTV creative should be built to drive memory and search behaviour, not immediate clicks. Clear branding early, a single message, and a memorable prompt (a branded search term, a QR code, or a simple URL) tend to perform best.

Creative specs to prepare

• High-resolution video (aim for 1080p or higher masters).
• Standard durations: 15s and 30s cover most inventory.
• Sound-on mixing — CTV plays with audio, unlike much social video.
• Correct file wrapping (VAST tags) so the ad server and player communicate correctly.

Targeting Options for CTV

CTV targeting is more limited than desktop display because the device is shared and cookie-based signals don't apply on the TV itself. Focus on the signals that work reliably:

• Geography — down to region, city or postcode-level targeting.
• Audience segments — first-party data (your own customer lists), and curated third-party or publisher audiences where available.
• Content and app targeting — choosing the genres, apps or channels your ads appear alongside.
• Household-level frequency capping — critical on CTV, where the same viewer can be over-served quickly.

Prioritise first-party data

Because signal loss affects all of digital advertising, your own data is your most durable targeting asset. Onboarding customer lists and modelling look-alikes from them keeps CTV targeting relevant. If you're building this foundation, our overview of DV360 services explains how audience strategy connects to activation.

Brand Safety and Inventory Quality

The living-room environment feels premium, but not all CTV inventory is equal. Some open-exchange "CTV" impressions come from low-quality or misrepresented apps. Protect budget by:

• Buying through inventory sources you trust — deals and Programmatic Guaranteed reduce ambiguity.
• Applying authorised seller (ads.txt / app-ads.txt) checks and third-party verification.
• Using inclusion lists of vetted apps and publishers rather than relying only on exclusions.
• Monitoring for invalid traffic and unusually cheap CTV CPMs, which are often a red flag.

A disciplined supply approach usually matters more on CTV than anywhere else in programmatic.

Measuring CTV Performance

CTV can't be measured the way you measure a click-driven display campaign. Instead, focus on outcomes and exposure quality:

• Video completion rate (VCR) — how many viewers watched to the end. On non-skippable CTV this should be high.
• Reach and frequency — unique households reached and average exposures per household.
• Incremental site and app visits — using conversion tracking and lift studies to connect exposure to action.
• Brand lift — surveys measuring awareness, consideration and recall.

Because CTV drives downstream behaviour rather than instant response, attribution should be viewed across a longer window and alongside cross-device signals. Managed measurement — including brand lift and reach studies — is part of our co-managed DV360 service for teams that want expert support without giving up the driver's seat.

A Step-by-Step Launch Checklist

Here is a practical sequence to get a CTV campaign live in DV360:

1. Define the objective. Reach, awareness or incremental conversions — this shapes buying and measurement.
2. Set audience and geography. Lead with first-party data and clear location targeting.
3. Choose your supply mix. Combine Programmatic Guaranteed / deals for premium reach with open auction and YouTube for scale.
4. Build compliant creative. Deliver 15s and 30s versions, sound-on, correctly tagged.
5. Apply frequency caps. Set household-level limits to avoid fatigue and wasted impressions.
6. Layer brand-safety controls. Use inclusion lists and verification.
7. Configure measurement. Set up conversion tracking, and consider brand or conversion lift studies.
8. Launch small, then scale. Start with a controlled budget, review delivery and quality, then expand.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Treating CTV like display — expecting clicks and optimising to CTR misreads the channel.
• Ignoring frequency — the fastest way to annoy viewers and burn budget.
• Chasing cheap CPMs — suspiciously low CTV pricing usually signals poor inventory.
• Reusing horizontal social cuts — creative built for muted mobile feeds underperforms on the big screen.

Getting the Right Level of Support

Running CTV well in DV360 is as much about access and governance as it is about tactics. You'll need a DV360 seat, the right inventory relationships, and confidence in measurement. Depending on your team's maturity, that can mean a self-serve account with training, a fully managed service, or a partner account that gives you platform access with expert oversight.

Ready to Put Your Brand on the Big Screen?

Connected TV gives you television-grade impact with programmatic precision — but only if the inventory, targeting and measurement are set up correctly. If you'd like help planning or launching a CTV campaign in DV360, get in touch with our team and we'll map the right approach for your goals.