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The advertising ecosystem in 2026 is undergoing a fundamental shift—away from reach and basic delivery metrics, and toward attention, contextual quality, and intelligent delivery.
Connected TV (CTV) continues to be a central driver of this transformation. Reflecting this adoption, 56% of global marketers say they plan to increase their OTT/CTV spending in 2025, up from 53% in 2024 — one of the few media categories showing year‑over‑year investment growth. (Nielsen)
Yet, this surge in CTV engagement comes with measurement and quality challenges. Persistent blind spots in transparency and viewability tracking, limited visibility into true inventory contexts, and invalid traffic concerns all of which threaten campaign effectiveness if not addressed strategically.
At the heart of 2026’s ad tech story is a clear shift: it’s not just about delivering impressions, it’s about delivering meaningful attention in safe environments and orchestrating it across screens.
Attention and meaningful engagement: Advertising’s new core KPIs
As we enter 2026, the advertising paradigm has shifted decisively toward attention as the primary measure of effectiveness. Marketers are moving beyond counting impressions and basic viewability to focus on whether an ad was truly seen, processed, and engaged with metrics that directly correlate with brand recall, preference, and action.
CTV Leads in Attention Metrics in 2025
Recent industry research shows that Connected TV continues to outperform other channels when it comes to capturing viewer attention. In Q2 2025, CTV earned an average Attention Unit rating (AU) of 58.9, higher than linear TV (52.5 AUs), online video (39.7 AUs), and display advertising (23.2 AUs), underlining CTV’s unique ability to combine broad reach with measurable engagement. (MNTN)
Another 2025 study found that premium CTV placements — such as home screen units — can drive attention rates as high as 48%, outperforming traditional skippable video formats by a notable margin and generating stronger brand impact in early seconds of exposure.
These data points are more than statistics: they reflect a behavioral reality — audiences are more receptive and attentive on screens where content is compelling and free from clutter. Attention is quickly becoming the metric that connects viewing with memory and action.
CTV captures higher attention because it delivers ads within the immersive, choice-driven environment of OTT content, where viewers are focused and engaged.
From Static Delivery to Interactive Engagement
In tandem with rising attention scores, marketers are embracing interactive CTV formats as a 2026 trend. According to industry reports, 70% of advertisers expect interactive connected TV ads to see the highest adoption rates among video formats in 2025, with shoppable and clickable elements increasingly woven into ad experiences. (eMarketer)
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Second‑screen actions, where mobile devices become extensions of CTV engagement — tapping into multi‑screen behavior among Gen Z and millennials.
The interactive formats span:
- Shoppable overlays and QR codes, enabling direct engagement from the living room screen to the device in hand.
- Gamified units, such as quizzes and rewards integrated into ads, making participation part of the viewing experience.
Such formats turn passive exposure into active engagement, helping brands not just reach audiences, but engage them in dialogue — a trend that elevates attention measurement beyond mere observation to interaction and intent.
Omnichannel Attention
In today’s fragmented media landscape, attention doesn’t end on a single screen — it flows across channels, creating true omnichannel impact. High-attention impressions on CTV, the most immersive and focused environment, can be leveraged to guide viewers toward mobile or other digital touchpoints, turning engagement into measurable action.
mediasmart’s Maximize User Awareness (US12354134B2) makes this approach even smarter. Instead of treating all impressions equally, it dynamically identifies users who are most receptive , those with fewer prior ad exposures and a higher likelihood of engagement. By combining:
- Real-time detection of awareness signals across screens,
- Smart targeting that prioritizes fresh, receptive audiences, and
- Optimized spend allocation toward impressions with the highest potential impact
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mediasmart ensures campaigns reach the right people at the right moment. This attention-driven omnichannel strategy connects the highest-attention CTV impressions to actionable channels like mobile, increasing engagement, reducing wasted impressions, and driving measurable results.
Brand Safety and Transparency: Increasingly Strategic
CTV’s growth has brought scale, but it has also exposed weaknesses in inventory transparency and quality. Industry insights from 2025 show that many CTV campaigns still suffer from limited visibility into where ads truly appear, which makes it difficult to confirm whether placements were truly viewable or contextually suitable.
In 2026, brand safety is no longer a defensive afterthought — it’s a strategic enabler. Ensuring placements are not just visible but appropriate and aligned with brand values directly contributes to attention quality, reduces wasted impressions, and builds audience trust. This is especially vital as ad‑supported content becomes the default viewing experience.
CTV AI Safe: GenAI for Quality and Suitability
mediasmart’s CTV AI Safe exemplifies how generative AI is reshaping media execution. By harnessing GenAI powered by OpenAI 3.5, the updated OpenRTB 2.6 protocol, and deep CTV expertise, this solution evaluates the suitability and safety of CTV inventory before impressions are delivered.
CTV AI Safe goes beyond post‑buy verification — it proactively identifies contextually appropriate placements and filters out inventory that doesn’t align with brand standards or quality expectations. In doing so, it enhances campaign confidence and makes every impression more likely to generate meaningful attention.
This shift demonstrates how AI has become more than an optimization tool — it is now a guardian of quality and trust in the CTV ecosystem.
Looking Ahead: What Success Looks Like in 2026
As we move deeper into 2026, the brands that thrive will be those that:
- Measure attention, not just impressions — focusing on quality of impact.
- Prioritize brand safety as a strategic KPI — ensuring environments are trusted and contextually suitable.
- Use AI‑driven solutions like CTV AI Safe to proactively govern alignment and suitability.
- Leverage innovations like Maximize User Awareness to drive engagement at the right moment, with less waste.
CTV has moved from niche to necessity, and in doing so has become the strategic backbone of omnichannel media — where attention, context, and intelligent delivery converge to fuel measurable growth.
Advertisers who embrace this evolution will not just reach audiences — they will engage them meaningfully, protect their brands, and deliver measurable business outcomes in 2026 and beyond.