CTV & OTT Advertising: 5 Challenges Solved
Not too long ago, tuning into your favorite show meant flipping through cable channels and catching it at a scheduled time. That cable subscription was your ticket to news, sports, and entertainment. Connected TV has changed how brands reach audiences and how publishers monetize premium content.
But if you’re a publisher or advertiser stepping into CTV and OTT, you’ve likely discovered it’s not as plug-and-play as running a display campaign.
The ecosystem is fragmented. Measurement is messy. Targeting can feel blunt compared to other channels. And proving ROI? That’s still a debate.
The good news is that these challenges aren’t deal breakers. In fact, they’re solvable today and this guide shows you how.
Quick Refresher: CTV, OTT & the TV Advertising Landscape
Before we dive into the challenges, let’s clear up some terminology.
Connected TV (CTV): Refers to the device itself like a smart TV, Roku, Apple TV, or gaming console that connects viewers to streaming content.
Over-the-Top (OTT): Refers to the apps and services (Netflix, Disney+, Tubi) that deliver video “over the top” of a traditional cable subscription.
Addressable TV: Ads delivered to specific households or audience segments, even when they’re watching the same content.
Linear TV: The traditional cable or satellite model where programming runs on a set schedule.
In practice, advertisers and publishers often lump CTV and OTT together since they work hand in hand. But knowing the distinctions matters for targeting, measurement, and monetization, especially as CTV continues to eat into linear TV’s market share.
Challenge 1: “CTV is too expensive compared to other digital channels.”
The reality: CTV inventory often carries a premium. Between creative costs and CPMs, advertisers get sticker shock especially when compared to display or social. Publishers, meanwhile, worry about filling unsold impressions with quality demand.
The solution: Think value, not just cost.
CTV offers unmatched engagement: viewers lean back, watch on the big screen, and rarely skip. When you measure completed view rates (CVR) and brand lift instead of just CPMs, the investment makes sense.
Publishers can diversify demand sources; from direct deals, programmatic, to marketplaces with AdButler.
While advertisers centralize campaign delivery across CTV, web, and mobile. That means your creative spend works harder, and your inventory sells smarter.
Challenge 2: “CTV inventory is too fragmented.”
The reality: You can buy inventory from smart TV manufacturers, OTT apps, MVPDs, and exchanges. But with so many silos, scaling a campaign or monetizing consistently feels like herding cats.
The solution: Consolidation.
Instead of piecing together deals across 20 partners, publishers and advertisers need a single ad server that integrates with multiple SSPs and DSPs.
AdButler gives publishers the ability to plug into multiple demand sources while maintaining control over priority rules, pacing, and reporting. For advertisers, it means more predictable access to quality CTV inventory without the fragmentation headache.
Challenge 3: “Measurement isn’t standardized.”
The reality: Unlike web or mobile, CTV doesn’t have a universal playbook for measurement. Some platforms report reach. Others focus on completions. Few connect directly to sales data. This leaves both advertisers and publishers frustrated.
The solution: Demand transparency from your stack.
With AdButler, measurement goes beyond impressions. We make it easy to track viewability, completion rates, and frequency across devices, all from one dashboard. Publishers can prove value to buyers, and advertisers get clarity on campaign effectiveness.
By layering on third-party integrations, advertisers can tie CTV exposure to lower-funnel actions, while publishers get cleaner performance data to optimize yield.
Challenge 4: “Targeting feels too broad.”
The reality: CTV is often still household-level targeting. You may know the stream is happening, but not which household member is watching or if they’re even in-market for your product.
The solution: Smarter audience building.
First-party data is the real unlock. Advertisers should combine CRM data, commerce signals, and behavioral insights with streaming platform data. Publishers can do the same by enriching their inventory with contextual and engagement-based targeting.
AdButler’s flexible targeting framework lets advertisers segment campaigns with first-and third-party data overlays, while publishers can package premium audiences and sell them at higher value.
Think beyond demographics; target by behavior, intent, and even past engagement across devices.
Challenge 5: “Proving ROI is still unclear.”
The reality: Every CMO wants to know: did our CTV spend actually drive sales? But CTV’s walled gardens and inconsistent reporting make it hard to tie ad views to revenue.
The solution: Go full-funnel.
CTV isn’t just about awareness anymore. With the right tech stack, you can connect top-of-funnel impressions to mid-and lower-funnel actions across devices.
Here’s how it looks in practice with AdButler:
Awareness → Run CTV ads to reach your audience on the big screen.
Consideration → Retarget engaged viewers with online video and display.
Conversion → Drive action with personalized mobile and desktop ads.
By managing campaigns across CTV, web, and mobile in one place, AdButler helps advertisers prove the impact of CTV on downstream sales. Publishers benefit too, since they can offer performance-driven packages that justify higher CPMs.
The Takeaway
CTV and OTT advertising come with challenges, but they’re solvable when you have the right partner. Publishers need tools to unify demand and maximize yield. Advertisers need measurement, targeting, and full-funnel capabilities that deliver ROI.
That’s exactly where AdButler fits in. Our ad serving platform gives you the flexibility, control, and transparency to launch smarter CTV campaigns or monetize CTV inventory without losing your grip on performance.
