Marketers plan to scale CTV spend in 2026, report

Connected TV is entering a phase of accelerated investment as marketer confidence in the channel continues to grow, according to research from EMARKETER conducted in partnership with Olyzon.

The report, CTV Spend Unlocks in 2026: Key Innovations Marketers Say They Need to Scale, is based on a survey of 124 CTV ad buyers and finds that close to 80 percent of respondents would increase their CTV budgets by at least 11 percent if greater transparency, improved measurement, and more unified buying and optimisation approaches are achieved.

CTV moves from testing to performance scale

As the channel matures, marketers are shifting away from experimentation towards performance-driven investment. While 14.5 percent of respondents have fully moved linear TV budgets into CTV, almost half plan to reallocate between 5 percent and 30 percent of linear spend to CTV in 2026.

The findings point to growing confidence in CTV as a core part of the media mix, rather than a complementary channel.

Arielle Feger, senior analyst, EMARKETER: "As CTV continues to scale, marketers are increasingly looking beyond standalone tools toward systems that can connect signals, decisions, and execution. Agentic AI represents a shift from analysis to action, helping teams move faster, reduce fragmentation, and orchestrate outcomes at scale."

Beyond transparency, marketers highlighted cross-platform frequency control, interoperable outcome and attention measurement, and agentic AI capabilities as priorities for streamlining CTV planning, buying, and optimisation.

ROI expectations rise for CTV

More than half of respondents expect CTV to deliver higher return on investment than other digital video channels in 2026, reflecting optimism about its long-term performance potential.

Jules Minvielle, co-founder and chief executive officer, Olyzon: "CTV has reached a moment where intent is clear, and expectations are rising. Marketers are ready to invest more, and this research shows they're not asking for radical change, but for smarter systems that bring clarity, coordination, and confidence to how CTV is planned and executed. As those innovations come together, Olyzon is well-positioned to unlock its next phase of growth."

The full report can be accessed here

www.emarketer.com

www.olyzon.tv

Follow Marketing Report on LinkedIn