What Is Connected TV Advertising? A Local Business Guide

Connected TV advertising is how your business appears inside streaming apps on a television screen. If you've ever seen a non-skippable ad while watching Hulu, that's a CTV ad. Same format if it ran on Roku, YouTube TV, Samsung TV Plus, or Sling.

For local businesses, CTV is significant for one reason: for the first time, you can run a television commercial targeted only to the specific households you want to reach, not an entire metro market.

How CTV advertising works in plain English

A few definitions first:

• CTV (Connected TV), A television connected to the internet. Smart TVs, Roku devices, Fire Sticks, Apple TVs, and gaming consoles that stream video all qualify.
• OTT (Over-the-Top), Video content delivered over the internet, bypassing traditional cable. Hulu, Netflix, Peacock, Paramount+, and YouTube TV are OTT services.
• CTV ads, The ads that appear inside those OTT apps on a connected TV. Usually non-skippable, 15 or 30 seconds, full screen on a television.

When you run a CTV ad campaign, you're buying impressions, the number of times your ad appears on a TV screen inside a streaming app. You target those impressions by geography (ZIP code, city, radius), household type, and behavioral signals. Your ad reaches the right households, not every household.

Why CTV matters right now for Atlanta businesses

Ninety percent of U.S. households now use a connected TV device every month. CTV ad spend is growing 14.5% year-over-year and is forecast to hit $52 billion by 2029. The audience is there, and the cost is still reasonable compared to where it will be in a few years.

The businesses that establish their presence on CTV now, while the cost is still relatively low and the competition is thin, will have a durable advantage as prices rise.

How is CTV different from a cable commercial?

Three big differences:

1. Targeting. Cable shows your ad to everyone watching a channel. CTV shows it only to the households you choose.
2. Measurement. Cable gives you estimated reach. CTV gives you impressions delivered, completion rates, and trackable downstream actions.
3. Minimum spend. Cable typically requires large minimums and long contracts. CTV campaigns can start smaller and be adjusted in real time.

How big is streaming's share of TV viewing now?

Big enough that it's no longer a side channel. Nielsen's July 2026 Gauge report put streaming at 49.0% of total TV viewing in the U.S. When close to half of TV time runs through streaming apps, a local business can reach many of the same households it once reached on cable, with far tighter targeting.

What happens after someone sees your CTV ad?

This is the part most CTV guides skip. Nobody clicks a television. A viewer who likes your ad picks up a phone later and searches your business name, your service, or "near me." What they find in that moment decides whether the ad paid off.

Before you spend on streaming, make sure:

- Your website loads fast on a phone and repeats the offer from the ad on the first screen. - Your Google Business Profile is complete, with current hours, photos, and reviews. - Your brand name is easy to search, and the ad shows it long enough to remember. - You have a simple way to measure lift, such as tracked calls and branded search trends before and during the campaign.

That's why we pair Connected TV campaigns with a website built to convert. For a closer look at costs and targeting, read why CTV is a cost-effective local channel, or get a free review of whether your site is ready for it.

The smart way to start CTV: Street-to-Screen

The mistake businesses make is running an untested video on premium CTV. It's the modern version of the old "let's shoot a TV commercial and hope it works" approach.

The smarter approach: use social video ads to test multiple versions of your message cheaply. See what resonates. Then scale the proven winner to CTV. Every dollar on the big screen is backed by real audience data, not guesswork.

FAQ

Common Questions

Can viewers click on a Connected TV ad?

Generally, no. The response happens on another device, when someone searches your name or visits your site later. That's why your website and Business Profile matter as much as the ad itself.

How do I know whether CTV brought in calls?

Compare tracked calls, form fills, and branded searches during the campaign against the weeks before it, within the ZIP codes you targeted. It isn't click-level tracking, but it gives you an honest read on lift.