Programmatic and Display

TV advertising without a TV budget: is Connected TV worth it?

A connected TV is any television used to stream video over the internet, usually through downloaded apps; that includes streaming devices, smart TVs, set-top boxes and game consoles dv-ctv. Buying happens programmatically, and frequency control applies here too: caps can be set across environments, Connected TV explicitly included dv-freq. The difference to classic television lies less in the creative than in the measurement: a click rarely happens here, a contribution to the business does anyway.

What we do: We settle the measurement question before buying, produce a dedicated creative for the big screen, control frequency across all environments and choose the buying type by need; you get TV reach whose impact can be proven.

By Svenja Müller, Strategic Team Lead Programmatic

Last updated on 5 October 2026

What it is about and when it becomes relevant

What counts as Connected TV

Streaming devices, smart TVs, set-top boxes and game consoles, meaning any television that plays video from the internet dv-ctv. Buying runs through the same programmatic routes as other inventory, with guaranteed and non-guaranteed deals dv-deals.

When it becomes relevant

When reach beyond the performance channels is needed and classic television is too expensive or too coarse. Likewise for products that need explaining and get no attention in the feed.

Why measurement decides

Nobody clicks on a television. Whoever measures the channel by last touch will switch it off, no matter how well it works. Which is why the measurement question belongs before the buy, not after it.

Common mistakes and how you spot them

Measured by last click

How you spot itThe channel reports hardly any conversions while brand and direct traffic rise over the same period. A click practically never happens on a television.

Frequency not thought across environments

How you spot itThe same person sees the creative on the television and additionally in the browser. Caps can be set across environments, Connected TV included dv-freq.

Creative carried over from the feed

How you spot itThe video is portrait, short and built for sound-off. On the television it runs landscape with sound, and the message does not land.

Guaranteed deals without a need

How you spot itReach is committed but not needed, and the targeting cannot be changed afterwards dv-deals.

How we go about it

Settle the measurement question before buying
We define what the channel is measured by: control groups, regional tests or time periods instead of last-touch attribution.
A dedicated creative for the big screen
Landscape, sound considered, a message for a situation where nobody clicks. We produce for it specifically instead of repurposing.
Control frequency across all environments
We set frequency across environments, so television and browser do not add up dv-freq.
Choose the buying form by need
Guaranteed deals only where volume and environment really have to be committed dv-deals, otherwise the more flexible form.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as Connected TV?

Any television used to stream video from the internet, usually through apps. That includes streaming devices, smart TVs, set-top boxes and game consoles dv-ctv.

How do I measure whether Connected TV works?

Through control groups or regional tests, not through last-touch attribution. On a television, practically nobody clicks.

Can I cap frequency on the television?

Yes. Frequency caps can be set across different environments, Connected TV explicitly included dv-freq.

Do I need a dedicated creative for Connected TV?

As a rule, yes. A portrait feed creative built for sound-off does not carry on the big screen.

Is this exactly where you are stuck?

Write to us about where it is stuck. Svenja Müller and the team will look at what is concretely behind it in your case, and tell you where the biggest lever sits.

Book a meeting

Sources

Every statement about ad products comes from the official documentation of the respective platform, with the date we retrieved it. Products change; if something looks outdated to you, write to us and we will check it.