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CTV adoption rises, but agencies struggle with coordination and control

Connected TV (CTV) is rapidly cementing its place at the center of video planning, but agencies are grappling with challenges that go beyond technology or inventory. While audiences and advertisers have embraced the medium, its hybrid TV–digital nature is exposing operational silos, inconsistent buying practices, and fragmented measurement now some of the channel’s biggest risks.

CTV’s rise appears straightforward: more viewers are accessing content via connected TVs, platforms have expanded offerings, and advertisers have responded with growing budgets. Platforms like YouTube, JioAds, and JioHotstar have pushed exclusive CTV propositions, while device penetration in India surged from 10–15 million devices in 2024 to 20–30 million monthly in 2025. For advertisers, CTV offers a rare combination: television-like reach coupled with digital-style targeting.

Agency Structures Struggle to Keep Pace

Yet friction emerges in execution. Traditional agencies continue to apply legacy TV operating models, creating internally disconnected teams for CTV campaigns. Digital-first agencies, meanwhile, face a steep learning curve in adapting digital frameworks to shared-screen viewing and contextual exposure. The result is uncoordinated planning, internal fragmentation, and gaps in measurement.

“CTV is planned like digital, bought like television, and measured like neither,” said Prabhvir Sahmey, CEO of Stratpulse Techlabs. “Agencies have to reconcile multiple shifts across platforms while managing audience expectations, targeting, and brand safety.” Currently, standardized CTV measurement remains limited, with publishers using varied methods, further complicating campaign evaluation.

Advertisers Demand Better Stewardship

Despite these challenges, brands continue to invest in CTV, appreciating its scale and ability to deliver tangible business impact. “CTV exposed overlaps and attribution gaps, but it clarified expectations rather than eroding trust,” said Russhabh R Thakkar, CEO of Frodoh. As budgets grow, tolerance for operational errors is shrinking. Agencies are now under pressure to enforce frequency caps, targeting logic, and brand safety consistently.

Experts agree that the future of CTV depends less on belief in the medium and more on effective agency stewardship. Sahmey noted that crossing 100 million active devices per month will force agencies to shift planning from platforms to households, managing overlap and measuring incremental reach. As CTV scales, the onus is on agencies to unify planning, enforce control, and ensure campaigns deliver on intent. CTV’s growth is undeniable, but its success now hinges on whether agencies can match its scale with coordinated execution.