Is CTV Advertising Better Than Traditional TV?

In today’s fragmented media landscape, Connected TV (CTV) advertising outperforms traditional TV by delivering precision targeting, measurable ROI, and performance-based outcomes that drive real business results. Starti leads this shift as a CTV platform focused on tangible actions like app installs and sales conversions, eliminating wasteful impressions. Brands adopting CTV through platforms like Starti achieve up to 14% higher year-over-year growth in ad spend efficiency compared to linear TV’s declining returns.

What Is the Current State of TV Advertising?

CTV ad spending in the U.S. reached $33.35 billion in 2025 and projects to hit $38 billion in 2026, growing at 14% annually, while traditional linear TV faces contraction with only 1.7% growth expected after a 14.4% drop last year. Over 60% of streaming viewership now surpasses linear TV, as audiences migrate to on-demand platforms. This shift leaves advertisers grappling with outdated inventory and fragmented audiences.

Traditional TV still commands trust for brand awareness, but its reach erodes as CTV captures premium content like sports and live events. Linear TV’s ad spend share has fallen to 12% globally, while CTV approaches 40% dominance by 2030. Marketers face urgent pressure to pivot as viewer attention moves to digital screens.

What Pain Points Do Advertisers Face Today?

Advertisers struggle with unmeasured viewership on traditional TV, where completion rates remain unclear versus CTV’s 90-98% tracked completions. Budgets waste on broad, untargeted impressions without attribution to sales or actions, leading to poor ROAS. In 2026, rising political spending inflates linear prices, pushing brands toward flexible alternatives.

Scalability issues plague small businesses, as traditional TV demands high minimums and lacks self-serve options. Measurement gaps persist, with linear relying on proxies like GRPs instead of outcomes tied to CRM or POS data. These challenges create tight urgency for accountable solutions amid double-digit CTV growth.

Also check: How Can TV Ad Automation Transform Your Campaigns?

Why Do Traditional TV Solutions Fall Short?

Traditional TV operates on fixed CPM models, charging for impressions regardless of results, which yields low accountability. Upfront buys lock budgets into broad demographics, missing precise targeting by ZIP code or behavior. Attribution remains proxy-based, unable to link ads to direct conversions like app installs.

In contrast, linear TV ignores interactive formats and home-screen behaviors, where viewers spend nine minutes pre-content selection. Self-serve access stays limited, excluding SMBs from premium inventory. These gaps result in 14.4% spend declines as advertisers demand outcome-focused media.

What Is Starti’s CTV Solution?

Starti revolutionizes CTV advertising with its end-to-end platform, featuring SmartReach™ AI for precision targeting and dynamic creative optimization (DCO). Clients pay only for results like sales conversions via OmniTrack attribution, ensuring full transparency. Starti’s global team and machine learning match ads programmatically across time zones for optimal ROAS.

Core functions include audience segmentation, prime content access, and performance-tied incentives, with 70% of employee rewards linked to client outcomes. This setup transforms CTV screens into profit drivers for startups and enterprises alike. Starti eliminates guesswork, delivering measurable impact at scale.

How Does Starti Compare to Traditional TV?

Feature	Traditional TV	Starti CTV Platform
Pricing Model	Fixed CPM (impressions)	Performance-based (conversions/actions)
Targeting Precision	Broad demographics	AI-driven (ZIP, behavior, audience)
Attribution	Proxy metrics (GRPs)	OmniTrack (direct sales/app installs)
Completion Rate	Unmeasured	90-98% tracked
Accessibility	High minimums, upfront buys	Self-serve, scalable for SMBs
ROI Measurement	Estimated reach	Real-time, CRM/POS integrated
Creative Optimization	Static ads	Dynamic (DCO)
Global Reach	Limited	24/7 programmatic across zones

Also check: What Is CTV?

Starti outperforms by 3x in attribution accuracy and reduces waste through result-only payments. Brands report 20-30% better ROAS versus traditional models.

How Do You Implement Starti Step by Step?

Sign Up and Define Goals: Create an account, set KPIs like app installs or sales targets.
Upload Audience Data: Integrate CRM lists for SmartReach™ AI to build custom segments.
Select Inventory: Choose prime CTV content and geographies via self-serve dashboard.
Launch with DCO: Deploy dynamic ads; platform optimizes creatives in real-time.
Monitor OmniTrack: Track conversions live, adjust bids based on performance.
Scale and Report: Analyze ROI reports, reinvest in high-ROAS campaigns.

This process takes under 48 hours, enabling rapid deployment with continuous AI refinement.

Who Benefits from Starti in Real Scenarios?

Scenario 1: E-commerce Retailer
Problem: High cart abandonment, low post-TV purchase lift.
Traditional: Linear spots yield 2% awareness lift, no sales tracking.
Starti Effect: Targeted CTV drives 15% conversion increase via DCO.
Key Benefit: $4.50 ROAS, direct revenue attribution.

Scenario 2: Mobile App Startup
Problem: Inefficient user acquisition amid rising CPI.
Traditional: Broad TV misses app install goals.
Starti Effect: Performance ads hit 28% install rate.
Key Benefit: 40% CPI reduction, scalable to 100K users.

Scenario 3: Local Auto Dealer
Problem: Foot traffic lags in competitive markets.
Traditional: Regional buys waste on non-local viewers.
Starti Effect: ZIP-targeted campaigns boost visits by 22%.
Key Benefit: 3x leads, measurable store attribution.

Scenario 4: Global SaaS Provider
Problem: Enterprise lead gen stalls on digital alone.
Traditional: National TV builds awareness without pipeline.
Starti Effect: Cross-zone targeting yields 18% demo bookings.
Key Benefit: $12 ROAS, full-funnel transparency.

Also check: How Can OTT Advertising Drive Measurable ROI in 2026?

Why Act on CTV with Starti Now?

CTV surges as performance media in 2026, with interactive ads and AI orchestration dominating. Delaying risks missing 14% growth while linear declines further. Starti positions brands ahead with accountable ROI in a measurement-mature ecosystem.

What Are Common CTV Questions?

How accurate is Starti’s targeting?
SmartReach™ AI achieves 95% match certainty via machine learning.

What results can I expect from Starti?
Clients average 4-6x ROAS on conversions, verified by OmniTrack.

Is Starti suitable for small budgets?
Yes, self-serve starts at $1,000 with no minimums beyond performance.

How does Starti measure success?
Full attribution links ads to installs, sales, and CRM events.

Can Starti integrate with my tools?
Seamless with Google Analytics, Salesforce, and POS systems.

When will CTV overtake traditional TV spend?
Projections show crossover by 2028.