| Term | Definition | Relevance to CTV Ad-Tech |
|---|---|---|
| Ad Exchange | A digital marketplace that facilitates the buying and selling of ad inventory in real time via automated auctions. | Enables programmatic trading of impressions across CTV environments. |
| Ad Fraud | Any deliberate activity that prevents ads from being served to real people (e.g., bots, spoofed domains). | A growing issue in CTV, especially with invalid traffic inflating impressions. |
| Ad Impression | A single instance of an ad being displayed to a user. | The fundamental currency of digital and CTV advertising measurement. |
| Ad Pod | A sequence of multiple ads shown back-to-back during a commercial break. | Common in CTV to mimic linear TV ad breaks. |
| Ad Server | Technology that stores, delivers, and tracks digital ads. | Powers ad delivery and reporting for CTV publishers and advertisers. |
| Ad Tech Tax | The accumulated fees taken by intermediaries (SSPs, DSPs, data vendors) before revenue reaches the publisher. | A hot topic in CTV due to heavy leakage from fragmented supply chains. |
| Addressable TV | The ability to deliver different ads to different households watching the same program on CTV. | Key for precision targeting and premium CPMs. |
| Advanced TV | Umbrella term covering all forms of non-traditional TV (CTV, OTT, Addressable, Programmatic TV). | Frames the evolution from linear broadcast to digital-first. |
| Attribution | Method of identifying which ad exposures influenced consumer behavior (clicks, purchases, visits). | In CTV, crucial for proving ROI for advertisers. |
| Audience Graph | A dataset that connects user behavior across devices and platforms to create holistic audience profiles. | Powers cross-device targeting in CTV campaigns. |
| AVOD (Ad-Supported Video On Demand) | Video streaming services supported by advertising revenue instead of subscriptions. | A major monetization model for CTV publishers. |
| Bandwidth | The data transfer capacity of an internet connection. | Impacts streaming quality for CTV viewers. |
| Binge Ads | Ads designed to target viewers watching multiple episodes in a row (e.g., “binge watch” sessions). | CTV innovation responding to binge-viewing habits. |
| Brand Safety | Ensuring ads are not shown alongside harmful or inappropriate content. | Vital for maintaining advertiser trust in CTV. |
| Buy-Side Platform (DSP) | Demand-Side Platform where advertisers and agencies buy media programmatically. | Key player in CTV programmatic buying. |
| CDN (Content Delivery Network) | A system of distributed servers that deliver video content closer to end-users. | Critical for ensuring smooth, buffer-free CTV streams. |
| Channel | A curated stream of linear or on-demand content offered by a broadcaster or streaming service. | In FAST/CTV, channels drive user engagement and ad inventory. |
| Churn | The rate at which subscribers stop using a service. | Relevant to hybrid AVOD/SVOD CTV platforms. |
| Client-Side Ad Insertion (CSAI) | Ads are inserted into the video stream at the device level. | Easier to implement but prone to ad-blocking. |
| Connected TV (CTV) | Television content delivered via internet-connected devices, including smart TVs, Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, and gaming consoles. | The fastest-growing segment of digital video. |
| Contextual Targeting | Placing ads based on the content of the video or program being watched. | Useful for CTV when user data is limited. |
| CPM (Cost per Mille) | The cost of 1,000 ad impressions. | The standard pricing model in CTV. |
| Cross-Device Tracking | Following users across different devices (TV, mobile, desktop). | Provides holistic measurement of CTV ad effectiveness. |
| CTV Fraud | Invalid activity in connected TV advertising (spoofed CTV inventory, fake devices, bot traffic). | One of the most pressing risks in CTV ad buying. |
| Data Clean Room | Privacy-compliant environments where brands and publishers can match first-party data without exposing user-level details. | Emerging solution to improve CTV audience targeting. |
| Dayparting | Scheduling ads for specific times of the day. | Borrowed from linear TV, still effective in CTV targeting. |
| Demand-Side Platform (DSP) | Software used by advertisers to purchase digital ad inventory programmatically. | Core player in the CTV buying process. |
| DMA (Designated Market Area) | A region where the population receives the same or similar TV offerings. | Standard for geographic targeting in US-based CTV. |
| FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV) | Linear channels streamed via internet but supported entirely by advertising. | One of the fastest-growing models in CTV. |
| Fill Rate | The percentage of ad requests that successfully result in an ad being shown. | A key performance metric for CTV publishers. |
| First-Party Data | Data collected directly from viewers by a publisher or platform. | Increasingly important as third-party cookies disappear. |
| Frequency Capping | Limiting the number of times a user sees the same ad. | Prevents overexposure in CTV campaigns. |
| Header Bidding | A programmatic technique allowing multiple demand partners to bid simultaneously. | Improves yield management for CTV publishers. |
| Hybrid Monetization | Combining multiple revenue models (SVOD, AVOD, FAST). | Common for modern streaming TV businesses. |
| Identity Graph | Maps multiple identifiers (cookies, device IDs, emails) to a single user profile. | Helps unify targeting in fragmented CTV ecosystems. |
| In-Stream Ads | Ads played within video content (pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll). | The most common ad format in CTV. |
| Invalid Traffic (IVT) | Traffic that does not represent genuine user engagement (bots, fraudulent impressions). | A constant threat in programmatic CTV. |
| Linear TV | Traditional scheduled broadcast television. | The legacy benchmark CTV is disrupting. |
| Lookalike Modeling | Using known audience data to find new audiences with similar traits. | Popular for scaling campaigns in CTV. |
| Measurement & Attribution | Tracking and connecting ad exposure to outcomes like conversions or store visits. | Vital for proving CTV effectiveness. |
| Middleware | Software that enables apps and services to run on smart TVs and CTV devices. | Influences app performance and ad delivery. |
| Multi-SSP Waterfall | Sequential ad calls to multiple SSPs to fill inventory. | Leads to revenue leakage and inefficiency for CTV publishers. |
| Native Video Ads | Ads designed to match the style and format of the surrounding content. | Growing in CTV for non-intrusive viewer experiences. |
| Omnichannel Advertising | Coordinated ad campaigns across TV, desktop, mobile, and other channels. | CTV is increasingly integrated into omnichannel buys. |
| OOH CTV (Out-of-Home Connected TV) | Streaming content viewed in commercial environments (bars, gyms, hotels). | Expanding CTV reach beyond households. |
| Open Exchange | A public marketplace where ad inventory is openly available. | Often criticized in CTV for inefficiency and fraud. |
| OTT (Over-the-Top) | Streaming video delivered over the internet, bypassing traditional cable or satellite. | CTV is a subset of OTT. |
| PMP (Private Marketplace) | Invitation-only programmatic auction with select buyers. | Provides premium demand and transparency for CTV publishers. |
| Programmatic Guaranteed (PG) | Automated media buying with pre-negotiated deals and fixed terms. | A premium and predictable buying method in CTV. |
| Programmatic TV | The use of automation and data to buy/sell TV ad inventory. | A bridge between traditional linear and digital CTV. |
| Publisher Ad Server | Technology that manages a publisher’s inventory and prioritizes direct vs programmatic demand. | Essential for CTV yield optimization. |
| QOE (Quality of Experience) | Measurement of user satisfaction during video playback. | Directly tied to ad load and streaming performance. |
| Retargeting | Serving ads to users based on prior interactions with a brand. | Effective in CTV when connected with household-level data. |
| SDK (Software Development Kit) | Tools developers use to integrate ad delivery and measurement into apps. | Powers ad monetization in CTV apps. |
| Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) | Ads stitched into the video stream at the server level. | Standard for CTV to ensure seamless playback and block resistance. |
| Share of Voice (SOV) | Percentage of total ad exposure a brand commands within a market or platform. | Benchmarks ad presence in CTV campaigns. |
| SSP (Supply-Side Platform) | Technology that helps publishers sell ad inventory programmatically. | Often blamed in CTV for complexity and “tech tax.” |
| SVOD (Subscription Video On Demand) | Paid subscription streaming model (e.g., Netflix, Disney+). | Competes with AVOD/FAST for audiences. |
| Targeted TV | Ads tailored to specific audience segments using demographic, behavioral, or geographic data. | Core promise of CTV advertising. |
| Third-Party Data | Audience data purchased from outside providers. | Used in CTV targeting but facing privacy restrictions. |
| Transparency | Clear visibility into ad delivery, costs, and performance. | A critical issue in programmatic CTV. |
| Upfronts | Advance sales of TV advertising inventory for the upcoming season. | Being redefined as streaming becomes dominant. |
| VAST (Video Ad Serving Template) | IAB standard protocol for delivering video ads across different players. | Backbone of CTV ad serving. |
| Verification | Third-party auditing of ad delivery (viewability, fraud, brand safety). | Key for building advertiser trust in CTV. |
| Viewability | Whether an ad had the opportunity to be seen by a user. | Standard CTV metric, though TV viewability differs from web. |
| Waterfall | Sequential calling of multiple demand partners until inventory is filled. | Inefficient legacy model being replaced by header bidding. |
| Yield Optimization | Strategies to maximize revenue from ad inventory. | Essential for CTV publishers balancing direct and programmatic demand. |
| Zero-Party Data | Data explicitly provided by users (e.g., surveys, preference settings). | Becoming valuable for compliant targeting in CTV. |
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