It might be hard to believe, but it’s absolutely true: CTV ad spend isn’t keeping up with viewership. Don’t take our word for it. According to the latest data from EMARKETER, 20.2% of viewers’ time spent with media in 2025 went to CTV, but ad spend on CTV didn’t keep pace, only accounting for 7.7% of ad dollars.
What’s more, EMARKETER expects this gap to widen through 2027, meaning that CTV will only become more underused by advertisers. That’s a serious discrepancy. But also, a serious opportunity for marketers who want to give their brand a huge competitive boost.
So why aren’t marketers flocking to CTV? It’s not as though CTV is flying under the radar. Unfortunately, for most marketers, there are still some significant barriers to investing in CTV campaigns.
Unless you’re launching CTV with GroundTruth.
How GroundTruth Unlocks CTV for Marketers
On one hand, marketers are smart to be slow to trust CTV. According to EMARKETER, many marketers feel that CTV providers don’t provide complete transparency into where one’s ads are showing, find that measurement is inconsistent, and have questions about CTV’s efficiency, as CPMs can be higher compared to other video options.
That’s what makes GroundTruth’s CTV channel different. Unparalleled visibility, standardized measurement, and proof of ROI that justifies the higher CPM.
Problem #1: Low Transparency into Placements.
The unfortunate reality for many marketers: buying CTV ad space can feel like buying a used car sight-unseen. It’s hard to know if it works until after you’ve spent the money. Marketers need consistent reporting and full visibility into placements to ensure ads are running where they should and performing how they should. With many CTV providers, they get neither.
GroundTruth’s Solution: Network-Level Reporting
GroundTruth delivers clear transparency into delivery down to the streaming network on which your ad appears. We give marketers confidence by allowing you to directly validate inventory quality, maintain greater levels of control, and meet your unique content and inventory requirements, whatever they may be.
Problem #2: Measurement Inconsistency
For most marketers, digital metric measurement is your bread and butter. Something everyone understands and can compare against. Historically, CTV hasn’t quite kept up, with many providers following measurement conventions outside what you’d expect from a digital channel. By being inconsistent with the metrics tracked in other digital media channels, marketers aren’t easily able to compare across channels, leading to a disconnect that makes evaluating and optimizing more difficult while muddying the value to stakeholders.
GroundTruth’s Solution: Give CTV the Ad Metrics Marketers Understand
We have a simple two-part answer to the challenges of inconsistent measurement.
- Make metrics consistent: GroundTruth’s CTV channel measures just like all other digital media channels, so performance and outcomes can be directly compared to other digital channels, like Mobile or Desktop, in Ads Manager.
- Measure what matters: In GroundTruth Ads Manager, you can attribute real business results, like real-world in-store visits, web conversions, and QR engagement, directly back to the individual ad and placement that yielded the result. If you’ve ever needed to prove the value of your ads, this one’s for you.
Problem #3: Questions About CTV Efficiency
As marketers, we’re always seeking efficiency. That means optimizing existing campaigns to make the most of every ad dollar and choosing channels that drive the greatest impact. CTV has been a big question mark on this front, with higher CPMs coupled with low visibility into performance. The question has unfortunately become: are you paying for impressions or attention?
GroundTruth’s Solution: Premium Completion Rates and Pricing Flexibility
GroundTruth’s CTV channel boasts a 95%+ Video Completion Rate on average, proving ad viewership. What’s more, we offer tiered buying options to help you choose a right-sized approach for your campaign, starting with CTV Essentials at the most affordable, CTV Top Networks in the middle (which includes heavy hitters like Prime Video, HBO Max, Hulu, and more), and Live Sports at the top-tier for true premium placement.
Our approach to CTV isn’t magic. It’s common sense. Marketers need metrics that align with expectations, visibility into placements, and pricing models that work for them. GroundTruth provides that and more in Ads Manager.
See for Yourself!
Ready to tackle CTV but not sure where to start? We’ve got your back. You can contact us here with any and all of your CTV questions, and we’ll get one of our experts on it.
Ready to get started and see GroundTruth’s CTV channel firsthand? Create your GroundTruth Ads Manager account today, and start exploring our platform (no minimum spend required).
