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CTV school: learn to buy and measure streaming TV ads
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Eight lessons in three tracks. Basics covers what CTV is, how it is bought and how it is priced. Measurement covers attribution, holdout tests and third-party measurement. Launch covers running a pilot without a long-term commitment and using AI assistants.
Basics
01 · 3 min readWhat is CTV advertising? Streaming TV ads explained for buyersCTV advertising is video advertising in streaming apps on an internet-connected TV. It looks like TV but is bought and measured more like digital media.02 · 2 min readHow CTV ads are bought: programmatic, direct deals and publisher toolsStreaming TV ads are bought in three main ways: programmatically through a DSP or CTV platform, through direct deals with publishers, or in a publisher's own self-serve tool.03 · 3 min readCTV pricing models: CPM, outcome pricing, minimums and feesMost streaming TV is bought on a CPM basis. Some platforms add CPA or outcome-based options. The total cost also depends on minimums, fees and how much you hold back for testing.
Measurement
04 · 2 min readCTV attribution: windows, household matching and what they can proveCTV attribution connects a TV ad exposure to a later action by matching households to devices and counting actions inside a time window. It shows correlation, not cause.05 · 2 min readRunning a CTV holdout test: design, sizing and reading the resultA holdout test keeps part of the audience from seeing your ads and compares outcomes. Designed before launch and left alone, it is the most direct way to estimate what CTV caused.06 · 2 min readThird-party measurement for CTV: partners, MMM and verificationThird-party measurement lets you read CTV results with a method you control and compare TV with other channels. Ask which partners a platform works with before you buy.
Launch
07 · 3 min readRunning a no-commitment CTV pilot against your current setupA CTV pilot should answer one question with one test, on terms you can walk away from. Run it next to your current channels or current CTV provider and compare on the same metric.08 · 2 min readUsing AI assistants to run CTV campaigns: MCP, agents and controlsSome CTV platforms now let you plan, launch and change campaigns in plain language, through their own agent or through AI assistants connected over MCP. Set controls before you let an assistant touch budgets.