03: CTV

CTV (Connected TV)

Streaming TV (think Hulu, Peacock, or a smart TV app), bought and measured more like digital than traditional broadcast.

CTV vs. OTT vs. Linear TV: Linear TV is traditional, scheduled broadcast or cable: what's "on" at a set time. OTT ("over-the-top") means any video streamed over the internet instead of through a cable box. CTV is OTT content specifically watched on an actual television screen (a smart TV, Roku, Apple TV, or game console) as opposed to a phone or laptop.

Addressable TV: The ability to show two different households two different ads during the exact same TV show, based on data about each household.

ACR (Automatic Content Recognition) Data: Information a smart TV collects about what's actually playing on screen, used to help measure and target CTV ads.

Household-Level vs. Device-Level Targeting: CTV usually targets a whole household (one TV, several possible viewers), not one specific device or person, which limits how precise the targeting and measurement can really be.

VOD (Video on Demand): Content you choose to watch whenever you want, instead of at a scheduled time.

Live vs. On-Demand Inventory: Ad space during a live event (a game, an awards show) is priced and sold differently than ad space in on-demand shows and movies.

Publisher-Direct vs. Programmatic CTV: You can buy CTV ad space directly from a specific streaming app, or buy it programmatically alongside the rest of your digital plan. Each publisher-direct platform (YouTube, Hulu, Roku, and others) runs its own political ad verification process. It is crucial to plan for lead time.

FCC Rules Don't Apply Here: CTV and streaming are internet-delivered, so they fall outside the FCC's broadcast rules. There is no "lowest unit rate" pricing window, equal-opportunity requirement, or reasonable-access rule the way broadcast and cable have. That said, FEC disclaimer requirements ("paid for by," and "I approve this message" for federal candidates) still apply regardless of platform, and a growing number of states have their own additional disclosure rules for streaming/digital specifically.