What Is CTV Advertising? A Guide for Law Firms

44.8% of TV is now streaming. CTV buys audiences, not programs. Target by household data, measure with real attribution. 23% higher ROI than broadcast.

CTV stands for Connected TV: television through the internet, not cable boxes or antennas. Your commercials appear during streaming content on Hulu, Peacock, Tubi, and thousands of other apps.

For law firms, this changes everything about how TV advertising works.

How CTV Differs from Traditional TV

Option A

Option B

Traditional TV

Buy time slots on specific channels. Reach everyone watching that program. Target by program demographics (rough approximation). Measure with rating estimates. Pay for entire DMA reach.

CTV Advertising

Buy audiences, not programs. Reach specific households regardless of content. Target by actual household data (demographics, behaviors, intent). Measure with household-level attribution. Pay only for targeted impressions.

The difference is precision. Traditional TV reaches “people watching the evening news.” CTV reaches “households that recently took out auto loans in your zip codes.” One is hoping. The other is targeting.

Where CTV Ads Appear

CTV ads run across streaming environments:

Premium SVOD (subscription with ads):

  • Hulu
  • Peacock
  • Max
  • Paramount+
  • Discovery+

FAST channels (free ad-supported):

  • Tubi
  • Pluto TV
  • Freevee
  • Samsung TV+
  • Roku Channel

Live streaming:

  • YouTube TV
  • Sling TV
  • Sports streaming apps
  • News streaming apps

Device platforms:

  • Roku
  • Amazon Fire TV
  • Apple TV
  • Smart TV native apps (Samsung, LG, Vizio)
  • Gaming consoles

Your ad appears the same way traditional commercials do, during content breaks, pre-roll, or mid-roll, but the targeting and measurement are entirely different.

The Scale of Streaming

Streaming has become the dominant form of TV viewing:

THE STREAMING SHIFT
44.8% of all TV viewing is streaming Source: Nielsen, May 2025
90% of U.S. households use CTV monthly Source: Nielsen
+71% streaming growth since 2021
-21% / -39% broadcast / cable decline

This isn’t a niche channel. It’s where television is now. If you’re only buying broadcast, you’re missing nearly half your audience.

Why CTV Matters for Law Firms

Targeting Precision

Traditional TV forces you to reach everyone watching a program. Hope some are potential clients. CTV lets you target:

CTV TARGETING CAPABILITIES
Geographic zip codes, not just DMAs
Behavioral auto loans, motorcycle owners
Demographic actual data, not estimates
Intent legal research behavior

Instead of paying to reach “adults 25-54 in Philadelphia,” you pay to reach “households in specific zip codes with behavioral signals suggesting injury risk.”

Measurable Results

Traditional TV measurement relies on panel-based estimates and correlation analysis. CTV provides:

CTV MEASUREMENT CAPABILITIES
Actual counts impressions, not estimates
Household-level exposure tracking
Website attribution visits from exposed households
Full-funnel conversion tracking

CTV accounted for 38% of ad impressions but drove 63% of attributable conversions. That’s measurable ROI. Traditional TV can’t match it.

Completion Rates

CTV ads hit 94-96% completion rates. Viewers watch your entire 30-second spot. Compare that to digital video. Skip buttons and scrolling kill view-through.

The TV environment commands attention. CTV keeps that attention and adds targeting and measurement.

ROI Advantage

CTV campaigns deliver 23% higher ROI than traditional television. Precise targeting + reduced waste + measurable attribution = better performance. The math isn’t complicated.

How CTV Buying Works

CTV inventory is purchased primarily through:

Programmatic buying: Automated, auction-based purchasing through demand-side platforms (DSPs). You set targeting parameters and budgets; the system buys inventory that matches.

Private marketplace (PMP): Pre-negotiated deals with publishers for guaranteed inventory access, often at set prices.

Direct insertion orders: Traditional media buying relationships with streaming publishers.

75% of CTV ad transactions happen programmatically, enabling the sophisticated targeting that makes CTV valuable for law firms.

CTV Costs

CTV pricing uses CPM (cost per mille, or cost per thousand impressions):

Inventory TypeTypical CPM
Premium streaming (Hulu, Peacock)$40-55
Mid-tier streaming$35-45
FAST channels (Tubi, Pluto)$20-35
Blended average$35-45

For detailed cost analysis, see CTV Advertising Costs for Law Firms.

What Makes Good CTV Creative

CTV uses the same creative formats as traditional TV: 15 and 30-second spots, broadcast quality. But the environment has nuances:

Attention advantage: 56% attention rate for CTV vs. 34.5% for linear TV. Viewers are engaged.

No channel surfing: Viewers can’t flip channels during ads. They watch or they leave entirely.

Device context: Phones are in hand. Your ad should drive searchable action.

No phone number reliance: People search, not dial. Your firm name matters more than your phone number.

For creative best practices, see CTV Creative Production Requirements.

CTV Attribution Basics

How do you know CTV is working when there’s no click?

Verified visits: CTV platforms match exposed households to subsequent website visits using IP/device graphs. 90%+ household match rates in the U.S.

Branded search lift: Monitor search volume for your firm name. Correlation with CTV flights indicates ad-driven searches.

Multi-touch attribution: Connect CTV exposure to downstream conversions, even when other channels (like search) get the last touch.

Conversion tracking: Match website conversions and calls back to CTV-exposed households.

For detailed measurement approaches, see How Law Firms Measure CTV.

Getting Started with CTV

Entry points for law firms:

Option A

Option B

Managed Service (Recommended)

Partner handles strategy, buying, optimization. Integrated creative production. Attribution and reporting included. Typical minimums: $15-25K/month.

Self-Serve Platforms

Direct control over campaigns. Lower minimums possible. Requires expertise and time. Attribution often limited.

Direct with publishers: Relationship-based buying, premium inventory access, higher minimums, less targeting flexibility.

For most PI firms, managed service provides the expertise and integration needed to see results.

References