As streaming and connected TV (CTV) gain popularity, traditional cable is rapidly losing viewers. As streaming grows, advertisers like vibe.co are increasingly focusing on the best OTT providers. Large audiences, quantifiable outcomes, and accurate targeting are all promised by these platforms.
Demand-Side Platforms (DSPs) help marketers identify the best OTT providers and optimize reach by enabling advertisers to buy OTT ad space across multiple streaming services concurrently, rather than managing each platform independently.
OTT Providers Go Beyond Cable
As of March 2025, streaming accounts for about half of all TV viewing in the US. In just two years, streaming service viewership has grown by ten percentage points to 43.8%. Through targeted video ads, over-the-top (OTT) advertising reaches this valuable audience that has given up on cable.
"83 % of U.S. adults say they watch streaming services, far outpacing the 36 % who subscribe to cable or satellite TV," says a Pew Research Centre survey on streaming usage in 2025.
OTT advertising reaches its intended demographic through smart TVs, streaming sticks, gaming consoles, and apps. OTT ads use data to target consumers using data like interests, location, household demographics, and viewing habits. Cable ads are the same for everyone watching a program, but OTT ads are geared toward a specific audience, so not everyone sees the same ad.
OTT advertising sidesteps the usual cable and satellite setup, opting instead to beam ads directly to streaming devices via the internet. Advertisers can reach these audiences with carefully designed, targeted campaigns as more people switch from cable to streaming services.
OTT/CTV Advertising Platforms for Maximum Reach
Several leading OTT/CTV advertising platforms can deliver the targeted reach advertisers desire.
Roku Ads has one of the largest connected-TV footprints in the United States. It also has strong household-level targeting for advertisers and provides viewing data. The open API provides critical reporting to enable the optimisation of ads.
Amazon DSP and the Amazon Ads Marketplace leverage shopping data, combined with streaming and browsing information, to serve targeted advertisements. These ads can be found on Prime Video, Fire TV, Twitch, and various other third-party streaming applications. Furthermore, the OTT platform employs Nielsen audience segments to refine its targeting capabilities, ensuring ads reach specific demographic groups.
YouTube and YouTube TV have an extensive reach that encompasses TVs, mobile devices, and desktops. By using search and viewing behavior, it has excellent audience targeting. Additionally, it has flexible ad formats that include skippable, non-skippable, and short-form video ads. There is strong intent-based targeting, which means that ads reach those people interested in products like those being advertised to them.
Pluto TV is an AVOD service (ad-supported streaming) and has a large streaming audience. Because they are free and supported by ads, they appeal to those households that are cost-conscious and want to cut the cable cord. They are also considered brand-safe and provide a TV-like viewing experience.
Disney+ and Netflix are two major subscription services with a large inventory that have lower-cost ad tiers to increase their revenue stream. They provide premium content, but for those looking for an affordable option, they have tiers that include ads. Both streaming services also have strong audience engagement, who enjoy long viewing sessions. Advertisers benefit from access to loyal subscriber bases and the ability to place ads within high-quality programming. These platforms continue to refine their ad offerings, introducing new formats and better measurement tools that help brands understand how their campaigns perform.
Ad Platforms Enhance OTT Campaign Efficiency
While many content platforms require advertisers to manage separate campaigns across each of their owned channels, top ad platforms such as Vibe.co allow campaigns to be planned, launched, and optimized from a single interface, with access to inventory across multiple OTT and streaming services. This means advertisers do not need to create or manage individual campaigns for each platform.
In addition to centralized campaign management, the best platforms, like Vibe.co, can track audiences across multiple streaming environments, offering a broader view of viewing behavior than individual content platforms can provide on their own.
More broadly, OTT advertising allows advertisers to set budgets, target specific audiences, optimize campaigns in near real time, and measure performance through metrics such as impressions and completion rates. Compared with traditional cable advertising, OTT also reaches viewers who no longer subscribe to cable, while offering more detailed reporting on how ads are delivered and viewed.
The ability of OTT advertisements to target particular households and viewers is their true strength. Smaller companies, which are often constrained by limited marketing budgets, can now focus on the groups most likely to purchase their products. By minimizing waste from reaching a large, uninterested audience, this strategy optimizes the impact of their advertising budgets. Additionally, campaigns are more adaptable, and the available data analytics enable prompt adjustments. Companies can test various innovative approaches and adjust their spending plans in response to audience feedback. Compared with earlier broadcast methods, advertisers now have greater control over their campaigns, thanks to the ability to test and optimize based on performance metrics.
As consumers continue to shift to streaming, more than half of global advertisers plan to increase their OTT/CTV ad budgets, according to Nielsen. OTT advertising is becoming a more potent tool for advertisers globally as media companies grow their streaming services. OTT advertising provides brands with the accuracy and accountability cable could not, enabling them to engage consumers where they spend their time.
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