Your web designer just handed you a “TV commercial.” It looks great on their monitor. It’s going to be unreadable on a 55-inch screen viewed from the couch.
CTV creative follows different rules than digital display. The viewing distance is 8-10 feet, not 18 inches. The screen is 40-65 inches, not 6 inches. The viewer is leaning back, not leaning forward.
This guide covers the technical specifications that separate professional CTV creative from repurposed web video.
The 8-Foot Problem
Web content is designed for arm’s length. CTV content is designed for across the room.
Option A
Option B
Everything about CTV creative (font size, contrast, pacing, information density) must account for this difference.
Resolution and Format
Standard CTV Specs
| Specification | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Resolution | 1920×1080 (1080p) |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Frame Rate | 23.98, 24, 25, or 29.97 fps |
| File Format | MP4 (H.264) preferred |
What to Avoid
- Letter-boxing or pillar-boxing. Fill the entire screen.
- Anamorphic scaling. Maintain proper aspect ratio.
- Slates or countdowns. CTV platforms don’t need them.
- Low bitrate. Encoding artifacts are visible on large screens.
MNTN’s spec guide emphasizes: your ad appears alongside premium content. It needs to match that quality level.
Font Sizes for TV Viewing
There’s no universal “legal” font size for CTV, but industry best practices have converged on clear minimums.
Recommended Sizes (1920×1080 canvas)
| Text Type | Minimum Size | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| Body text | 60px | 70px+ |
| Headlines | 90px | 100px+ |
| Phone numbers | 80px | 100px+ |
| URLs | 70px | 80px+ |
| Legal disclaimers | 40px | 50px+ |
Why This Matters
At 8-10 feet on a 55-inch TV, text that looks fine on your monitor becomes illegible. The viewer won’t squint. They’ll ignore it.
Test your creative on an actual TV screen at viewing distance before approval.
Contrast Requirements
The Standard
While CTV platforms don’t enforce a specific ratio, accessibility guidelines (WCAG AA) provide a reliable baseline:
| Text Type | Minimum Contrast Ratio |
|---|---|
| Normal text | 4.5:1 |
| Large text (24px+ or 18.5px bold) | 3:1 |
Why Contrast Matters on TV
- TV displays vary in calibration
- Living room lighting varies (daylight, lamps, dark)
- Compression artifacts reduce clarity
- Low contrast = unreadable at distance
High contrast isn’t just accessible. It’s legible.
Colors That Fail
- Light gray on white
- Yellow on white
- Light blue on medium blue
- Any low-contrast combination that “looks fine” on a calibrated monitor
Safe Zones
What’s a Safe Zone?
The area inside the frame where text and logos won’t be cut off by TV bezels, overscan, or UI overlays.
Netflix/Industry Standard (1920×1080)
| Edge | Inset | Pixels |
|---|---|---|
| Top | 3.5% | 38px |
| Bottom | 3.5% | 38px |
| Left | 3.5% | 67px |
| Right | 3.5% | 67px |
Safe Zone Rules
- All text must be inside the safe zone
- Logos must be inside the safe zone
- Phone numbers and URLs must be inside the safe zone
- Critical visual elements should be inside the safe zone
Background imagery can extend to the edges, but anything the viewer needs to read or recognize should stay inside.
Logo Placement
Best Practices
- Logo in first 3 seconds. Brand recognition before anything else.
- Persistent logo. Small, in a safe corner, throughout the spot.
- End card logo. Larger, with CTA, final frame.
Positioning
| Placement | Use Case |
|---|---|
| Bottom right | Most common, least intrusive |
| Bottom left | Alternative if CTA is right-aligned |
| Top corners | Less common, can feel like a bug |
Size
- Persistent logo: Small enough to not distract, large enough to recognize
- End card logo: Prominent, paired with phone/URL
CTA Requirements
The Dual CTA Rule
CTV viewers can’t click. They can:
- Remember and search later
- Pick up their phone and call
- Pick up their phone and type a URL
Every CTV spot needs both spoken and on-screen CTAs.
On-Screen CTA Specs
| Element | Duration | Size |
|---|---|---|
| Phone number | 3+ seconds | 80-100px |
| URL | 3+ seconds | 70-80px |
| ”Call Now” / “Visit” | 3+ seconds | 60-70px |
Why Duration Matters
The viewer needs time to:
- See the CTA
- Process it
- Decide to act
- Pick up their phone
A phone number that flashes for 1 second is wasted real estate.
What Doesn’t Work on CTV
Repurposed Web Video
- Too small (designed for mobile)
- Too text-heavy (designed for reading)
- Wrong pacing (designed for skip)
- Sound-optional (CTV is sound-on)
Repurposed Broadcast Creative
Sometimes works, but watch for:
- Legal disclaimers in 12px font
- Outdated phone numbers or URLs
- Quality issues from format conversion
Social Media Creative
- Vertical or square format
- Text-heavy (designed for sound-off)
- Fast cuts (designed for thumb-stop)
- Wrong tone (casual vs. premium environment)
CTV vs. Web: Quick Reference
| Element | Web/Display | CTV |
|---|---|---|
| Viewing distance | 18 inches | 8-10 feet |
| Font minimum | 14-16px | 60-70px |
| Contrast | 4.5:1 (ideal) | 4.5:1 (required) |
| Sound | Often off | Always on |
| Click CTA | Yes | No |
| Duration | 6-15 seconds | 15-30 seconds |
| Format | Various | 16:9, 1080p |
Pre-Flight Checklist
Before submitting CTV creative:
- Resolution: 1920×1080, 16:9
- Frame rate: 23.98-29.97 fps
- No letter-boxing or pillar-boxing
- Fonts: 60px+ body, 90px+ headlines
- Contrast: 4.5:1 minimum
- All text inside safe zone (3.5% inset)
- Logo in first 3 seconds
- Persistent logo in safe corner
- Phone number visible 3+ seconds
- URL visible 3+ seconds
- Spoken CTA matches on-screen CTA
- Tested on actual TV at viewing distance
The Full System
CTV creative is the first impression, but it’s not the whole system. What happens after the spot matters just as much.
For the complete picture on landing pages, retargeting, and attribution, see our Full-Funnel CTV guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
What resolution should CTV ads be?
1920×1080 (1080p) in 16:9 aspect ratio is the standard. Frame rates of 23.98, 24, 25, or 29.97 fps are accepted. Avoid letter-boxing, pillar-boxing, or anamorphic scaling.
What font size is readable on CTV?
For a 1920×1080 canvas viewed at 8-10 feet, use 60-70px minimum for body text and 90-100px+ for headlines. Phone numbers and URLs should be 80-100px to ensure readability.
What is the safe zone for CTV ads?
The safe zone is a 3.5% inset from all edges, approximately 38 pixels from top/bottom and 67 pixels from left/right on a 1920×1080 canvas. All text and logos must stay inside this area.
How long should CTAs be visible on screen?
Phone numbers and URLs should be visible for at least 3 seconds, long enough for viewers to see, process, and act. A CTA that flashes for 1 second is ineffective.
References
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MNTN. “CTV Ad Specs Guide.” 2025. https://mountain.com/blog/ctv-ad-specs/
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Tinuiti. “CTV Specs: Netflix and Streaming Ad Requirements.” 2024. https://tinuiti.com/blog/ott-ads/ctv-specs/
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IAB Tech Lab. “Ad Format Guidelines for Digital Video and CTV.” 2022. https://iabtechlab.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Ad-Format-Guidelines_DV-CTV.pdf
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Innovid. “Interactive CTV Design Best Practices.” 2024. https://help.innovid.com/hc/en-us/articles/360015398017-Interactive-CTV-Design-Best-Practices