Insights
April 18, 2025
CTV Advertising Statistics: 25 Numbers Every Marketer Needs in 2025
The latest viewership, ad spend, and performance data to guide your strategy
Table of Contents
Streaming just crossed a historic milestone. For the first time ever, streaming viewership has surpassed broadcast and cable television combined.
That's not a prediction for someday. It happened in May 2025, when streaming captured 44.8% of all TV viewing, according to Nielsen's The Gauge. Broadcast (20.1%) and cable (24.1%) combined for just 44.2%.
If you're still treating CTV advertising as a "nice to have" rather than a core channel, these statistics might change your mind. Here are 25 numbers every marketer needs to know in 2025.
CTV Viewership Statistics: Connected TV Statistics That Matter
The shift to streaming isn't slowing down. Here's what the connected TV statistics reveal about the audience landscape:
1. Streaming commands 44.8% of all TV viewing (Nielsen, May 2025). This is the highest share ever recorded and represents a 71% increase since 2021.
2. Broadcast TV has dropped to 20.1% of viewing, down 21% compared to May 2021 (Nielsen).
3. Cable TV now represents just 24.1% of viewing, down 39% from 2021 levels (Nielsen).
4. YouTube captures 12.5% of all television viewing, the highest share for any single streaming platform. That's up over 120% since 2021 (Nielsen).
5. FAST services (Pluto TV, Roku Channel, Tubi) combined for 5.7% of total TV viewing in May 2025, larger than any individual broadcast network (Nielsen).
6. 72.4% of TV viewing time is ad-supported, according to Nielsen's Ad Supported Gauge. Streaming represents 42.4% of that ad-supported viewing.
7. Netflix viewership has increased 27% since May 2021, maintaining its position as the leading subscription streaming service (Nielsen).
8. 85%+ of U.S. households now have at least one CTV device, making streaming accessible to virtually every demographic.
CTV Ad Spend Data & Market Size
The money is following the eyeballs. Here's what the CTV ad spend data reveals about how advertisers are responding:
9. CTV ad spending will reach $33.35 billion in 2025 (eMarketer). That's up from roughly $25 billion in 2024.
10. 98.4% of CTV ad dollars go to video ads (eMarketer). Display and other formats remain minimal on the big screen.
11. CTV and linear TV combined represent 19.7% of total media ad spending in 2025 (eMarketer).
12. 56% of global marketers plan to increase OTT and CTV spending in 2025, up from 53% the previous year (Nielsen 2025 Annual Marketing Report).
13. CTV ad spend grew more than 100% from 2022 to 2024 when measured by programmatic impressions (Basis Technologies).
14. Video accounts for 76% of all digital political ad spend, with CTV claiming 50% of programmatic device ad spend (Basis Technologies, 2024 elections).
CTV Performance Metrics
CTV doesn't just reach people. It keeps their attention:
15. CTV ad completion rates average 95%, significantly higher than mobile video or desktop formats (industry benchmarks).
16. 30-second CTV ads achieve approximately 92% completion rates on average.
17. 15-second CTV ads see completion rates around 94.5%, making the shorter format slightly more effective for holding attention.
18. CTV CPMs average $25-40 for most advertisers. Premium inventory and advanced targeting can push CPMs to $35-65, while platforms like Adwave offer SMB-friendly CPMs in the $15-35 range (averaging $25).
19. Interactive CTV ads see 3-5x higher engagement compared to standard video ads, though adoption remains limited.
Platform & Device Statistics
Not all streaming platforms are created equal:
20. Roku holds 48% of the CTV device market share (Pixalate Q2 2024), making it the dominant player in streaming hardware.
21. Roku has surpassed 90 million streaming households and maintains the #1 selling TV OS position in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
22. Amazon Fire TV holds approximately 13% of the streaming device market, making it the second-largest player behind Roku.
23. YouTube is the single largest streaming destination by viewership, capturing more TV screen time than Netflix, Hulu, or any other individual platform.
SMB-Specific CTV Data
For small and medium businesses, CTV is more accessible than ever:
24. You can launch a CTV campaign for as little as $50. Platforms like Adwave have eliminated the traditional barriers of high minimums and production costs that kept SMBs out of TV advertising.
25. SMB CTV campaigns see CPMs of $15-25 on average when using self-serve platforms, compared to $35-65 for premium programmatic buys. This makes reaching 1,000 viewers cost less than a nice lunch.
What These Streaming TV Advertising Stats Mean for Your Business
The streaming TV advertising stats tell a clear story: viewers have moved to streaming, ad dollars are following, and the barriers that kept small businesses off TV are disappearing. Understanding CTV market size and growth helps inform your strategy.
Here's how to think about these statistics:
The audience is there. With streaming commanding 44.8% of viewing and growing, your customers are spending their evenings on platforms like Roku, Hulu, and YouTube. If you're not reaching them there, you're missing a massive opportunity.
Completion rates matter. Unlike skippable digital ads, CTV ads get watched. A 95% completion rate means your message actually lands. Compare that to the average YouTube pre-roll skip rate, and the difference is stark.
Costs have democratized. You don't need a $50,000 budget to test TV advertising anymore. With minimums as low as $50 and CPMs averaging $25, even local businesses can afford meaningful reach.
The timing is right. CTV ad spending is growing 20%+ year over year, but the channel isn't as crowded as social media. Early adopters in many categories still have a chance to stand out.
Ready to Put These Statistics to Work?
Numbers are useful for making the case, but they don't run campaigns.
Adwave makes it simple to turn CTV's potential into actual results for your business. Create a professional TV ad from your website, target your ideal customers on 100+ premium streaming channels, and launch with a budget that makes sense for your business, starting at just $50.
The data says streaming is where your customers are watching. The question is whether you'll meet them there.