The news: Connected TV (CTV) commands higher attention metrics (AU) than online video (OLV) and display advertising thanks in part to its wide variety of interactive ad formats, per EMARKETER industry KPI data provided by Adelaide.

Worldwide CTV AUs led the pack and grew steadily from Q1 2023 to Q3 2024, climbing from 57.55 to 69.53. OLV AUs climbed slightly during the same period to 38.41, while display fell from 22.75 in Q1 2023 to 22.09 in Q3 2024.

The importance of attention: Brands and agencies have increasingly relied on attention measurement over longtime metrics like “viewability,” which was the standard for nearly a decade. There is no standard for how to measure or define attention, but the metric is already a crucial part of digital ad campaigns, leading the IAB and MRC to work toward standardization.

Adelaide’s AUs assess the likelihood that an ad was seen by a consumer and drove an outcome on a scale of 1 to 100, per our September 2024 report on attention measurement.

CTV attention rates: CTV’s rapid rise to prominence has been matched by the pace of advertising innovation. Platforms and advertisers have increasingly placed importance on attention, interactivity, and ads that create a direct path-to-purchase.

• As a result, CTV is gradually becoming more of a performance marketing channel—something that is increasingly important to marketers as budgets tighten and economic uncertainty persists.
• The industry is shifting accordingly: Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon are emphasizing interactivity via ad formats like QR codes and quizzes. Wide availability via programmatic buying channels has also become a priority as platforms attempt to integrate with familiar processes.
• The Trade Desk, a major digital advertising player that runs its own programmatic ad exchange, is developing a CTV operating system (OS) named Ventura—a sign that digital advertising players with experience measuring performance and offering inventory see an opportunity in the space.

Our take: Adelaide’s high CTV AUs show why the ad channel has evolved to become a core pillar of digital advertising budgets. Emphasis on interactivity and outcomes is transforming CTV advertising into a performance marketing channel, and advertiser interest will only grow as viewers increasingly shift toward digital channels.

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