Welcome to the final part of our Connected TV (CTV) 2026 predictions series. Our CTV Working Group’s predictions spotlight both the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of CTV, and to dive deeper we’ve split this content into a mini-series. Across the week, we’ve been sharing perspectives from Working Group members to build a broader picture of where CTV is headed and what needs to happen next.
Today, we finalise the conversation with insights from the last set of voices in the Working Group.
Thank you to the following contributors for sharing their expertise in this instalment:
Todd Randak, GM CTV, DoubleVerify
Sotiris Oikonomou, Managing Director, MarkApp Media
Sarah Lewis, Global VP CTV, ShowHeroes
And don't forget, if CTV is on your radar for the new year, now is the perfect time to get involved. You can explore more of our work on our Knowledge Hub and reach out to Marie-Clare Puffett at puffett [at] iabeurope.eu to learn how you can participate, contribute, and share your expertise in the Working Group.
Todd - "2026 will be a defining year for transparency in connected TV. As streaming continues to command a growing share of video spend, advertisers are demanding a clearer view of the environments shaping audience perception and performance. New privacy-forward methodologies can finally make program-level visibility a reality, revealing the shows, genres, and full context where ads appear. With that insight, brands can better link relevance to real outcomes. The shift promises not just sharper planning and curation, but a new level of accountability - positioning CTV as marketing’s most measurable screen."
Sotiris - "As already mentioned, the main challenge remains scale and standardisation. While global CTV adoption continues to rise, Europe still struggles with market fragmentation, inconsistent data frameworks, and limited cross-platform measurement, while the available volume and market education are missing. The opportunity lies in creating interoperable ecosystems, bridging broadcaster supply with programmatic infrastructure and AI-led contextual optimisation. From MarkApp’s perspective, global operations show that when transparency and data accessibility are prioritised, CTV grows exponentially, as seen across APAC and the US., contextual development is needed."
Soitiris - "AI will drive the next phase of CTV evolution, from contextual intelligence to predictive optimisation. It will power ad relevance, automate yield strategies, and enable dynamic creative delivery based on real-time content signals. Across our ecosystem, AI is already reducing waste and enhancing performance through contextual analysis rather than user IDs. As privacy regulations tighten, AI will replace data dependency with intelligent interpretation, turning signal quality into performance outcomes. Publishers need to adapt the Open RTB 2.6 protocol or even softer model of structure in their request to enhance the signals."
Todd - "Artificial intelligence will fast-track CTV’s transformation towards more outcome-driven buying. By identifying content tone, genre and sentiment with remarkable accuracy, AI will help advertisers align creative with context more precisely than ever. On the optimisation side, machine learning will blend contextual, attention and outcome signals to drive investment toward the impressions that truly perform. AI will also unlock scalable personalisation - tailoring creative to local markets and audiences in real time. The key will be applying these tools transparently, ethically and with proper privacy considerations, ensuring innovation enhances trust as much as it improves performance."
Todd - "Building a transparent and standardised measurement framework for CTV will need alignment across the industry—attuned to advertiser goals, and compatible with publisher requirements. That starts with shared content taxonomies, common technical standards, and consistent performance metrics—so advertisers and publishers can measure outcomes with confidence and comparability. Privacy-forward data collaboration, powered by clean rooms, can enable program-level and audience insights without compromising viewer privacy. Widespread OM SDK adoption will further unify measurement signals across platforms and devices, paving the way for true standardization in streaming environments."
Sotiris - "Achieving transparency will require unified data standards and cross-industry collaboration. Consistent ORTB signal definitions, shared log-level data, and IAB-backed frameworks like TCF are essential to align broadcasters, SSPs, and DSPs under the same ruleset. The goal is not more metrics, but comparable ones, viewability, completion, and engagement measured equally across platforms. Initiatives like IAB’s TCF, combined with AI-driven validation and third-party verification, are key steps toward that ecosystem."
Sarah - "CTV can absolutely drive both performance and branding, but its core strength will always be in building brand impact. Reach, attention, and brand uplift drive value and shouldn't be overshadowed by a narrow focus only on conversions. Performance campaigns are growing thanks to more sophisticated measurement options, but it would be limiting to label CTV as only either branding or performance, as the capabilities for personalisation, targeting, and measurement are expanding and can be tailored to achieve both sides."
Sotiris - "2026 will be the crossover point. As programmatic maturity and audience addressability evolve, CTV will transition from a brand-awareness channel to a performance layer within omnichannel strategies. Attribution models, cross-device mapping, and real-time creative optimisation are already bridging this gap. Advertisers are increasingly valuing measurable CTV outcomes, not just reach or GRPs, but I firmly believe that market education will be in 2026, and real growth will start in 2027."
Todd - "2026 is shaping up to be the year CTV delivers on both brand impact and measurable performance. With deeper visibility into streaming content, advertisers can finally connect the dots between context, attention and conversion. The ability to see where ads run, and how those environments influence behaviour, will drive smarter optimisation and stronger ROI. Privacy-forward attribution and attention analytics will reinforce this momentum, proving that CTV’s power lies not in choosing between awareness and action, but in achieving both simultaneously. For that to happen, content relevance is the key. As more UK and European broadcasters, OEMs, publishers and platforms provide program-level transparency, advertisers can plan CTV with far more precision."
