In a recent afaqs panel discussion, experts explored how marketers can leverage connected TV (CTV) and retail media to reach consumers more effectively. As traditional advertising formats evolve, CTV and retail media are gaining prominence as powerful tools for marketers. According to the FICCI–EY 2024 report, India boasts around 30–35 million CTV households, while retail media spending for Amazon and Flipkart in FY24 reached approximately ₹11,621 crore, as per an Economic Times report
The panel, ‘New Frontiers: Utilizing Retail Media and CTV to Unlock Growth,’ was part of the afaqs! Marketers Excellence Conference. Moderated by Venkata Susmita Biswas, executive editor at afaqs!, the panel included Esha Arora (SVP of Growth and Insights, Info Edge India), Krishna Menon (COO, QYOU Media Inc), Pallavi Barman (Chief Strategy Advisor, HRX), Vaibhav Kapur (Senior Director of Monetisation, Flipkart), Varun Mohan (Head of Growth and Revenue, MiQ India), and Vignesh Narayanan (VP and Business Head of Media, JioAds).
As the discussion made clear, Connected TV Advertising is no longer a niche experiment — it’s becoming a core pillar of how Indian marketers plan reach and engagement. For brands still evaluating the channel, it helps to start with the basics: what CTV Advertising actually is, how Smart TV Advertising differs from traditional linear TV, and where it fits into a broader media plan. Our Connected TV Advertising guide breaks down CTV platforms, ad formats, audience targeting options, and campaign planning essentials for marketers exploring this space for the first time.
Why CTV Advertising Has Become a Priority for Indian Marketers
Connected TV advertising has evolved from an experimental media channel to one of the fastest-growing digital advertising formats in India. As Smart TV adoption increases and viewers spend more time streaming sports, movies, regional entertainment, and live events on large screens, advertisers are shifting budgets toward CTV campaigns.
Unlike traditional television advertising, CTV enables advertisers to combine television-scale reach with digital targeting and campaign measurement. Brands can reach households based on geography, language, interests, device type, and viewing behaviour while measuring impressions, video completion rates, and audience engagement.
This shift explains why marketers across industries—including FMCG, BFSI, Automobile, Healthcare, Real Estate, Education, D2C, and E-commerce—are making Connected TV advertising a core part of their media strategy.
Understanding the Connected TV Advertising Ecosystem
While Connected TV advertising is growing rapidly, many marketers still confuse it with OTT advertising or traditional television advertising. Connected TV (CTV) refers to internet-enabled televisions that stream content through apps such as YouTube, JioHotstar, Sony LIV, Zee5, Amazon Prime Video, Samsung TV Plus, LG Channels, and other OTT platforms. Unlike conventional television, Connected TV advertising enables brands to deliver highly targeted video campaigns based on audience demographics, household profiles, viewing behaviour, device type, location, language, and interests.
For marketers looking to understand what is CTV advertising, the ecosystem combines the emotional impact of television with the precision, measurement, and flexibility of digital advertising. This makes CTV one of the fastest-growing advertising channels in India for both branding and performance campaigns.
Advertising on Retail Media
Vignesh Narayanan of JioAds highlighted their goal to exceed what Google and Meta offer by driving value for brands and the broader ecosystem, including both advertisers and publishers. With Jio’s diverse operations spanning retail, e-commerce, telecommunications, and content, the company gains a holistic view of user behavior, enabling precise, activity-based targeted advertising.
“We offer a complete omnichannel advertising solution through our extensive ecosystem and partnerships with over 40 publishers,” Narayanan said. “Effective advertising involves reaching the right user at the right time with the right content, ensuring ads are delivered in a brand-safe environment.”
Vaibhav Kapur from Flipkart emphasized that modern marketers seek retail media solutions addressing the entire consumer journey, not just the final sale. He cited a campaign with Samsung to promote the Galaxy AI phone, which used an integrated approach across the Flipkart app and beyond, resulting in a threefold increase in search volumes during the campaign.
“Our role has expanded beyond driving conversions to also building awareness,” Kapur explained. “As consumer behavior evolves, searches and review checks increasingly happen on e-commerce platforms.”
Pallavi Barman of HRX discussed their precision marketing strategy, which starts with homepage placements to build awareness, moves to category pages for consideration, and finally to product pages for conversions. This targeted approach, leveraging first-party data from Myntra, avoids inefficiencies and ensures effective audience targeting.
“Retail marketing now constitutes 60-70% of HRX’s budget because it delivers incremental revenue by targeting users who have already shown purchase intent,” Barman said.
Why Connected TV Advertising Complements Retail Media
Retail media and Connected TV advertising are increasingly being planned together because they influence different stages of the customer journey. While retail media focuses on shoppers who already demonstrate purchase intent, CTV helps create awareness, educate consumers, and build brand preference before they begin searching for products online.
A typical full-funnel campaign may use Connected TV ads to introduce a new product during premium OTT content and then retarget those viewers with retail media ads on e-commerce platforms. This combination helps brands improve both brand recall and conversion rates while making better use of first-party audience data.
CTV Advertising
Krishna Menon of QYOU Media noted that CTV advertising budgets are currently sourced from digital spending, but should ideally blend digital and TV broadcast strategies. Despite the industry’s nascent state, CTV ad breaks still often resemble traditional TV ads.
“While we’ve started using pre-rolls and other digital formats, the industry needs to mature in this aspect,” Menon said.
Esha Arora from Info Edge shared that CTV has become mainstream, providing mass reach for brands like Naukri.com, especially during major events like the IPL.
“CTV offers access to a higher NCCS audience and has become a part of our sustained advertising strategy,” Arora explained. “We can target audiences via platforms like YouTube on TV panels, Jio, and others, covering both live and pre-recorded content.”
Varun Mohan of MiQ India highlighted the evolving market, where CTV fills gaps left by linear TV, offering deterministic targeting based on content, devices, and OEMs.
“Marketers need to view CTV as TV getting smarter, not just mobile screens getting bigger,” Mohan stated. “Budgets are now coming from both TV and digital allocations, recognizing CTV’s value as a key platform in the overall marketing mix.”
The discussion underscored the growing importance of CTV and retail media in contemporary marketing strategies, emphasizing their ability to deliver targeted, effective advertising to today’s dynamic consumer base.
Why Brands Are Increasing Their CTV Advertising Budgets
The growing popularity of Connected TV is driven by several business advantages that traditional television cannot always provide.
| Benefit | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Household-level targeting | Reach specific audience segments |
| Premium viewing environment | Ads appear on large Smart TV screens |
| High video completion rates | Viewers are less likely to skip ads |
| Better attribution | Measure campaign performance accurately |
| Cross-device retargeting | Continue engagement on mobile and desktop |
| Programmatic buying | Optimize campaigns in real time |
These capabilities help brands improve media efficiency while delivering highly engaging video experiences across premium OTT platforms.
Getting Started with CTV Advertising
For marketers new to the format, the learning curve mostly comes down to three things: choosing the right CTV ad formats, understanding audience targeting capabilities, and setting realistic campaign objectives before selecting platforms. Our detailed breakdown of Connected TV Advertising Platforms covers CTV audience targeting options, ad format comparisons, and a step-by-step approach to CTV campaign planning — useful reading before finalizing a platform mix or budget split between CTV and retail media.
CTV Advertising vs Retail Media: Which Should Brands Choose?
Although both retail media and CTV advertising use first-party data, they serve different marketing objectives.
| Retail Media | Connected TV Advertising |
|---|---|
| Conversion-focused | Awareness + Consideration + Conversion |
| E-commerce ecosystem | Premium OTT ecosystem |
| Lower funnel | Full funnel marketing |
| Product discovery | Brand storytelling |
| Shopping intent | Household engagement |
| Performance metrics | Reach + Brand Lift + Video Analytics |
Instead of choosing one channel, many marketers combine both to create full-funnel advertising campaigns that build awareness on Connected TV before driving purchases through retail media platforms.
CTV Advertising Use Cases Across Industries
Connected TV advertising is no longer limited to entertainment or consumer brands. Companies across multiple industries are investing in Smart TV advertising to reach premium households.
| Industry | Example CTV Objective |
|---|---|
| FMCG | Product launches and brand awareness |
| Automobile | New vehicle launches |
| BFSI | Credit cards, insurance, loans |
| Healthcare | Hospital and healthcare awareness |
| Education | Admissions and online learning |
| Real Estate | Premium residential projects |
| E-commerce | Seasonal campaigns |
| Consumer Electronics | Smart devices and appliances |
| Travel | Holiday packages and tourism |
| D2C Brands | Customer acquisition |
This growing adoption demonstrates why Connected TV advertising has become a key component of modern media planning.
Popular Connected TV Platforms for Advertising in India
Brands today can advertise across India’s leading Connected TV ecosystem.
| Platform | Best For |
|---|---|
| JioHotstar | IPL, Cricket, Entertainment |
| YouTube on TV | Broad audience reach |
| Sony LIV | Sports & Premium Shows |
| ZEE5 | Regional audiences |
| Amazon Prime Video | Premium entertainment |
| Samsung TV Plus | Free streaming audience |
| LG Channels | Smart TV viewers |
| Xiaomi PatchWall | Smart TV ecosystem |
Choosing the right platform depends on campaign objectives, audience demographics, content categories, and available inventory.
Common CTV Advertising Formats Used by Brands
Different campaign objectives require different creative formats. One of the biggest advantages of Connected TV advertising is the variety of premium video placements available to advertisers.
| Ad Format | Best Used For |
|---|---|
| Pre-roll Ads | Brand awareness |
| Mid-roll Ads | Long-form OTT content |
| Pause Ads | High engagement |
| Interactive Ads | Customer interaction |
| QR Code Ads | Website visits and lead generation |
| Masthead Ads | Product launches |
| Home Screen Ads | Maximum visibility |
| Sponsored Content | Premium brand storytelling |
Choosing the right CTV ad format depends on campaign goals, audience behaviour, and platform capabilities.
Why Smart TV Advertising is Growing in India
India’s Smart TV market continues to expand as consumers shift from cable television to internet-enabled streaming devices. Affordable Smart TVs, better broadband connectivity, and the popularity of live sports, regional entertainment, and OTT-exclusive content have transformed viewing habits across metro and Tier-2 cities.
For advertisers, this means access to engaged viewers who consume content on large screens in premium viewing environments. As Smart TV penetration increases, brands are allocating a larger share of their digital video budgets toward Smart TV advertising to reach audiences with higher purchasing power and longer viewing sessions.
How to Build an Effective Connected TV Advertising Strategy
An effective CTV campaign typically follows five stages:
- Define campaign objectives.
- Identify target audience segments.
- Select the right OTT platforms.
- Design TV-first video creatives.
- Measure reach, completion rates, and conversions.
Combining CTV with mobile, YouTube, social media, and retail media often produces stronger campaign performance than relying on a single advertising channel.
Ready to Launch a CTV Campaign?
As the panel highlighted, brands across FMCG, BFSI, D2C, and e-commerce are increasingly blending Connected TV Advertising with retail media to build full-funnel strategies. If you’re evaluating a CTV Advertising Agency to plan and execute your next campaign, The Media Ant’s CTV Advertising Services cover everything from CTV media planning and buying to campaign optimization — with transparent CTV Advertising Pricing and CPM rates to help you budget with confidence. Whether you’re looking to buy CTV ads for the first time or scale an existing Connected TV Advertising strategy, our team can help you launch a campaign matched to your goals and audience.
FAQ
What is Connected TV advertising?
Connected TV advertising refers to video advertisements delivered through internet-connected televisions using OTT apps and streaming platforms. It combines television-scale reach with digital audience targeting and measurement.
Why are marketers investing more in CTV advertising?
Marketers are investing in CTV because it offers premium video environments, precise audience targeting, measurable performance, and higher engagement than many traditional digital formats.
How is Connected TV different from retail media?
Retail media focuses on influencing purchase decisions within shopping ecosystems, while Connected TV primarily builds awareness, consideration, and brand recall through premium video advertising.
Which industries benefit the most from Connected TV advertising?
Industries such as FMCG, BFSI, automobile, healthcare, real estate, education, e-commerce, consumer electronics, and D2C brands are seeing strong results from CTV campaigns.
Is Connected TV advertising suitable for small and medium businesses?
Yes. Programmatic buying and flexible campaign budgets make Connected TV advertising increasingly accessible to startups, regional brands, and SMEs alongside large enterprises.
Can Connected TV advertising be combined with traditional TV campaigns?
Yes. Many advertisers use a hybrid strategy where Linear TV delivers mass reach while Connected TV adds audience targeting, measurement, and incremental reach among digital viewers.
What is the difference between Connected TV advertising and OTT advertising?
Connected TV advertising refers to ads shown on internet-connected televisions, while OTT advertising includes ads across streaming services on Smart TVs, mobiles, tablets, and desktops. CTV is therefore a subset of OTT advertising focused specifically on television screens.
Which are the most popular CTV platforms in India?
Popular Connected TV platforms include YouTube on TV, JioHotstar, Sony LIV, Zee5, Samsung TV Plus, LG Channels, Amazon Prime Video, and Xiaomi PatchWall.
What are the benefits of Connected TV advertising?
Connected TV advertising offers premium video experiences, precise audience targeting, measurable performance, cross-device attribution, higher video completion rates, and improved brand recall compared to many traditional advertising formats.
How much does Connected TV advertising cost?
CTV advertising costs vary depending on the OTT platform, audience targeting, geography, ad format, campaign duration, and inventory demand. Pricing is commonly based on CPM or programmatic buying models.
Can SMEs use Connected TV advertising?
Yes. Many SMEs now use Connected TV campaigns by targeting specific cities, audience segments, and OTT platforms, making CTV advertising accessible without requiring nationwide television budgets.
