In 2025, the narrative around CTV is remarkably clear. “Growth” and “opportunity” are the dominant themes when you look at new technology, ad innovation, and consumer habits. In other words, CTV is having another big year.

From the explosive proliferation of FAST channels to the booming digital video ad spend and the innovative convergence of retail media, CTV continues to expand its reach and connect with consumers.

Here, we examine the latest CTV trends that are capturing attention and driving change.

FAST channels are still accelerating

It doesn’t take more than turning on your TV to know that free ad-supported TV (FAST) channels are growing.

The sheer number of channels and platforms offering free, ad-supported TV has increased, and more growth is expected. According to eMarketer, US Fast channel viewers will reach as many as 116 million this year.

The continued rise of FAST channel viewing is driven by a perfect storm: as more consumers cut cable and streaming platforms become increasingly saturated and expensive, viewers turned to free, ad-supported options.

Economic uncertainty also plays a big role, causing viewers to seek out free entertainment options. With the growing number of FAST platforms and channels available, this trend is expected to gain even more momentum in the near future. According to Gracenote, there are 1,600 FAST channels in the US and counting.

Brands looking to enter or move ad spend over to the FAST space have a lot of great opportunities to choose from. The platforms experiencing the most significant growth are The Roku Channel, Tubi, and Pluto TV, which continue to expand rapidly and attract larger audiences.

Digital video ad spend is booming despite challenges

Digital video advertising continues its upward trajectory in the face of broader industry challenges. According to IAB, U.S. digital video ad spend is expected to increase by 14% in 2025, reaching $72.4 billion, compared to $63.8 billion in 2024.

CTV has firmly established itself as a critical component of modern media strategies. With a projected spend of $26.6 billion in 2025, 13% growth year over year, CTV now outpaces the online video segment by 43%. CTV has become a top priority for 68% of marketers, driven by its expanding ad inventory, precise targeting capabilities, and strong performance in reaching audiences who have shifted away from traditional TV.

As nearly 91% of U.S. households are expected to use CTV by 2025, advertisers are drawn to advantages such as targeting precision and flexibility. A significant portion of advertisers are increasing CTV spend to capitalize on its reach, while others cite its superior attribution and ability to reclaim audiences from traditional TV.

In the face of economic pressures like tariffs, the continued investment in digital video reflects a strong belief in its long-term value and effectiveness in driving measurable business outcomes.

New opportunities in retail media

CTV has become a critical channel in the retail media mix. Once siloed, now the two work in tandem to deliver a full-funnel performance.

According to eMarketer, CTV accounts for more than $33 billion of US digital ad spend, with retail media contributing 15% of that total.

While CTV spend in retail media ($4.99 billion) still lags far behind search ($39.64 billion), its growth rate is about three times faster, signaling a major shift in how brands are using retail data to drive not just conversions, but also top-of-funnel brand awareness.

This growth is fueled by increasing inventory from moves like Walmart’s acquisition of Vizio, reflecting a broader trend of retail media expanding beyond performance into high-impact brand marketing.

Walmart is leveraging Vizio’s CTV ecosystem (hardware + SmartCast OS) to merge shopper behavior with CTV ad exposure, creating a closed-loop advertising environment, a highly valuable proposition for marketers focused on attribution and performance.

Shoppable environments are on the rise

Speaking of retail, new shopping environments are popping up.

Tubi debuted a shoppable ad format this year and continues to pursue engaging ad formats. Here are a few highlights:

• Carousel ads bring an immersive, scrollable product showcase to Tubi’s homepage, allowing verticals like CPG, Auto, and Tech to feature videos, images, and QR codes in a virtual showroom format.
• Tubi is expanding its shoppable ad offerings with the Tubi Storefronts. Brands can now quickly set up a dedicated storefront in the Tubi Shop, featuring curated product collections inspired by Tubi content.
• Tubi Moments uses scene-level metadata (tone, sentiment, visual cues) to align brand messages with the most contextually relevant moments in shows and movies, enhancing targeting and emotional resonance.

Amazon Ads also announced new shoppable ads to its capabilities. Amazon Prime continues to scale “Add To Cart” CTV experiences to devices and operating systems beyond Amazon Fire devices.

For shoppable ads for products on Amazon, viewers can add products directly to their Amazon cart while watching an ad on Prime Video. A small “Add To Cart” button appears on screen.

For shoppable ads promoting products not sold on Amazon, viewers can click a “send to phone” button that appears during the ad. This sends a link or more information directly to their phone, allowing them to explore the product further outside of Amazon’s platform.

Shoppable ads are a top focus for brands this year, so be on the lookout for new opportunities on all platforms.

To learn more about how you can improve your ad buying and placement strategy, contact us.