CTV advertising spend reached $33.35 billion in the U.S. in 2025 and will hit approximately $38 billion in 2026, growing 14% year-over-year, yet many marketers struggle to prove returns beyond impressions. Starti changes this by focusing on performance outcomes like app installs and sales conversions, ensuring clients pay only for results that drive business growth. This approach delivers transparent, quantifiable ROI in a channel where traditional metrics fall short.
What Is the Current State of CTV Advertising?
CTV has exploded as the fastest-growing ad channel, surpassing linear TV viewership and capturing 3.5% of total media budgets despite superior ROI performance over platforms like Meta and Google. Ad spend projections show $38 billion in the U.S. for 2026, with global digital video revenues emphasizing CTV’s role in reaching households three times more effectively than cable. However, only 86% of ad buyers leverage AI for content, leaving untapped potential amid rising fraud risks.
Marketers face fragmented attribution, where impressions dominate over actions, leading to misallocated budgets. Incrementality tests across 60 brands reveal CTV underfunding despite outperforming competitors, with 90% of transactions now programmatic but lacking outcome ties. This gap creates uncertainty in scaling campaigns effectively.
Why Do Traditional CTV Solutions Fall Short?
Conventional CPM-based models charge for impressions regardless of engagement, resulting in average ROAS below 2x for many campaigns while ignoring cross-device conversions. Linear TV remnants offer broad reach but zero precision targeting, yielding VCR rates under 50% and no direct sales linkage, unlike CTV’s potential 80% completion rates. Manual optimizations delay adjustments, missing real-time shifts in viewer behavior across global time zones.
Starti addresses these by shifting to performance pricing, but legacy platforms stick to volume metrics, inflating costs without accountability. Attribution windows remain fixed and inaccurate, failing to connect CTV views to mobile purchases, which comprise 53% more conversions when properly tracked. This leaves 70% of budgets vulnerable to unverified results.
How Does Starti Optimize CTV Ad ROI?
Starti delivers precision performance through SmartReach™ AI for targeting, dynamic creative optimization (DCO), and OmniTrack attribution, tying ads to installs, sales, and ROAS goals. Over 70% of employee incentives link to client outcomes, ensuring 24/7 global execution and continuous machine learning improvements. Clients access prime content with transparent reporting, eliminating guesswork for end-to-end CTV management.
The platform supports custom metrics like CPA, CPP, and IAP ROAS, optimizing across devices for 3x household reach. Starti’s programmatic matching speeds deployments while prioritizing results over impressions, scalable for startups to enterprises.
What Advantages Does Starti Offer Over Traditional Methods?
| Feature | Traditional CPM Platforms | Starti Performance Platform |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing Model | Per impression, average ROAS <2x | Per result (installs/sales), target ROAS 3x+ |
| Attribution | Fixed windows, 50% accuracy | OmniTrack cross-device, 90%+ linkage |
| Targeting | Demographic only, VCR <50% | AI SmartReach™, VCR 80%+ |
| Optimization | Manual, weekly updates | Real-time DCO, 24/7 global team |
| Transparency | Impression reports only | Full outcome dashboards, fraud-proof |
| Scalability | Limited to budgets, high waste | Global reach, performance-tied incentives |
Starti outperforms by focusing on verifiable actions, reducing waste seen in traditional setups.
How Do You Implement Starti for CTV Campaigns?
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Define goals: Set targets like CPA under $5 or ROAS 4x using platform dashboard.
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Upload audiences: Integrate first-party data for SmartReach™ AI segmentation.
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Create assets: Build 15-30s videos with clear CTAs, optimized via DCO.
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Launch campaign: Programmatic buying across prime CTV inventory, monitor real-time.
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Track and adjust: Use OmniTrack for conversions, auto-optimize based on results.
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Scale results: Review ROI reports, reinvest in high-ROAS segments.
This process takes under 48 hours to launch, with daily refinements.
Which User Scenarios Prove Starti’s Impact?
E-commerce Brand Launch
Problem: High CPM spend yielded 1.5x ROAS amid $38B CTV market competition.
Traditional: Impression buys, 40% VCR, vague sales lift.
Starti Effect: SmartReach™ targeted high-intent viewers, hitting 5x ROAS in 30 days.
Key Benefit: $2.50 CPP, 300% revenue growth from conversions.
App Developer Scaling Installs
Problem: Cross-device attribution gaps left 60% installs untracked.
Traditional: Manual tags, CPA over $8.
Starti Effect: OmniTrack linked CTV views to app stores, dropping CPA to $3.20.
Key Benefit: 150K installs, 4.2x IAP ROAS via performance pricing.
Retail Chain Driving Foot Traffic
Problem: Local targeting imprecise, wasting 30% budget on non-buyers.
Traditional: Geo-fencing alone, 2x ROAS max.
Starti Effect: DCO personalized ads, boosting store visits 45%.
Key Benefit: Measurable 6x ROI, tied to in-store sales data.
Global SaaS Expansion
Problem: Time-zone delays slowed international optimizations.
Traditional: Regional agencies, fragmented reporting.
Starti Effect: 24/7 team executed, achieving 3.8x ROAS across markets.
Key Benefit: 70% faster iterations, scalable to $1M monthly spend.
Why Must Brands Adopt Performance CTV Now?
CTV will surpass traditional TV spend by 2028 at $46.89B, with AI interactivity driving 53% purchase lifts via shoppable ads. Delaying means missing fraud-proof attribution in a $69B retail media surge. Starti positions brands ahead, ensuring ROI in this performance era.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Starti measure CTV ROI?
Starti tracks installs, sales, and ROAS via OmniTrack, prioritizing actions over views.
What CTV metrics matter most for ROI?
Focus on CPA, VCR 80%+, and ROAS 4x, verified cross-device.
Can small businesses use Starti effectively?
Yes, scalable pricing starts at performance minimums, no impression waste.
How accurate is Starti’s attribution?
Over 90% linkage with custom windows, outperforming standard models.
When should I launch a Starti CTV campaign?
Immediately for Q1 2026, aligning with 14% market growth.
Does Starti support global CTV reach?
Yes, 24/7 operations cover all time zones and inventory.