NEW YORK—A new survey indicates that CTV advertisers are bullish on the medium in 2026, with seven in 10 CTV advertisers (70%) telling researchers that they expect to increase their CTV spending this year.
The new 2026 CTV/OTT Advertiser Survey released by Advertiser Perceptions and Tegna’s Premion, the leading premium CTV/OTT advertising solution for regional and local advertisers, also found that they are planning to increase their CTV ad spend by a hefty average of 17% in 2026.
The survey also found that advertisers are entering the new year with greater confidence in CTV’s ability to drive measurable business outcomes as part of broader linear and video investments. Spend increases are driven by the ability to reach highly engaged, opt-in audiences (44%) and combine TV’s branding power with digital precision (40%). Among those increasing CTV/OTT ad spend in 2026, 25% of that funding is coming from overall ad budget growth, with the remainder reallocated from other channels — including linear TV, digital display, paid search and social media.
The findings also highlight important implications for agencies. As CTV becomes more deeply integrated into total video planning, integrated or hybrid teams now control 55% of CTV/Streaming TV budgets, reflecting a structural shift in how video investments are managed. Managing reach, frequency and performance holistically across linear and streaming environments is becoming a central priority for agencies navigating a more complex video ecosystem.
“CTV has proven its ability to drive real business outcomes at scale,” said Tim Fagan, senior vice president and chief revenue officer, Tegna. “Advertisers are doubling down because CTV consistently delivers what matters most: engaged audiences, measurable performance and full-funnel impact — and it works most powerfully when integrated alongside linear and broader video strategies.”
The CTV, Linear TV Funnel
The study also addressed how CTV and linear TV can work together to drive greater “full-funnel impact.”
Four in five advertisers agree that combining linear TV and CTV/Streaming TV has a greater impact on increasing brand awareness, reaching viewers across the TV landscape, driving ROI and improving ad recall.
Additionally, more than eight in 10 CTV advertisers agree that CTV/Streaming TV drives performance across the full funnel — from awareness to conversion — and strengthens ad recall within integrated campaigns.
The study also found that advertisers are prioritizing premium CTV environments for their ability to deliver both brand impact and measurable business outcomes. Ninety-seven percent of CTV/OTT advertisers agree that advertising on premium video content can improve ROI performance goals. Nearly nine in 10 CTV advertisers agree that CTV/Streaming TV increases brand favorability and strengthens positive brand associations.
In another major finding, the study reported that CTV is becoming a foundational channel within omnichannel planning — activated alongside linear, digital and social to reach audiences wherever and however they are watching. More than two in five CTV advertisers completely agree that CTV will play a growing role in digital-first buying within total video strategies.
Nearly nine in 10 CTV advertisers agree that including CTV/Streaming TV in an omnichannel campaign enhances performance by reinforcing messaging and improving overall campaign ROI and ROAS. Nearly nine in 10 also agree that CTV/Streaming TV will continue to grow as a key channel for local and regional advertisers — not just national brands.
The Ongoing Rise of Programmatic Ad Buys
Looking ahead, the report found that 50% of CTV/OTT advertising is expected to be purchased programmatically in 2026, signaling continued evolution toward flexible activation models that blend programmatic and managed services.
As CTV continues to scale, advertisers are also raising expectations for what the channel must deliver — including greater transparency, more consistent measurement and simpler execution across an increasingly complex ecosystem.
The study noted that fragmentation across providers remains the biggest barrier to achieving scale, with one-third of advertisers citing challenges related to deduplicated reach, cross-provider planning and walled gardens.
More than half cite access to walled garden inventory and maximizing reach across platforms as the primary reasons for working with multiple CTV/Streaming TV providers. Nearly all advertisers see value in managing CTV/Streaming TV campaigns through a single platform, with ease of achieving scale for effective targeting cited as the top advantage, followed by optimal reach and frequency and unified measurement, reporting and insights.
The Prospects for AI in 2026
With AI top of mind, real-time optimization is considered the most valuable AI functionality for CTV/Streaming TV advertising (58%), while fewer believe it is likely to be widely available in 2026 (44%). Half of CTV advertisers say AI-driven campaign optimization and better frequency control across platforms would represent the most valuable improvements to CTV, yet only one-third believe meaningful progress on frequency control is likely this year.
“As we move into 2026, advertisers are sharpening their expectations for what CTV should deliver," Fagan added. "They want simpler activation, smarter technology, better frequency control and clearer measurement — along with partners that can help them turn premium video into real business results.”
The complete “2026 CTV/OTT Advertiser Study” can be downloaded here.
