At Smadex, we know that CTV is transforming the US advertising landscape, turning the biggest screen in the house into a precise, performance-driven channel. That’s why we sat down with Andrew Whiteside, our VP & GM Americas, to discuss how CTV is reshaping mobile user acquisition, which trends are driving the greatest impact, and the strategies brands can use to maximize results.

“CTV is fundamentally reshaping the US landscape by turning the biggest screen in the house into a measurable, performance-driven channel. It is no longer just about upper-funnel awareness or treating it as “user acquisition on a different device.” It has evolved into a legitimate growth channel that rivals social in scale and measurability. By leveraging granular targeting and advanced measurement, advertisers can now achieve scalable, direct-response results that complement their mobile strategies, proving that the living room is now a performance environment.”

“I am most excited about the flight to quality. For a long time, programmatic CTV was a “black box” of open exchange inventory where buyers prioritized audience data over content quality. Now, we are seeing a massive shift toward Direct Publisher Access and curated supply. Advertisers are realizing that to get real performance they need to know exactly where their ads are running. We are moving from blind programmatic buying to transparent, premium partnerships with the actual broadcasters and content owners.”

“The most successful brands treat CTV as an extension of their User Acquisition strategy, but they measure it. Real performance comes from ensuring a “fair start” in attribution, using view-based measurement to capture the true impact on mobile installs without over-claiming credit. The winning strategy is to run CTV alongside mobile campaigns to create a measurable lift, using holdout groups and incrementality testing to prove exactly how big-screen exposure drives downstream purchases and registrations.”

“Brands often overlook the opportunity beyond the 30-second spot. The TV interface itself is becoming an ad unit. There is massive untapped potential in Home Screen placements and Native CTV experiences that reach users before they even select content. The smartest brands aren’t just waiting for a commercial break; they are utilizing high-visibility native formats to dominate the living room experience and capture user attention during those high-dwell discovery moments.”

“We are moving toward Supply Chain Simplification. The era of buying the same impression through five different resellers is ending. The future is about shorter paths to supply, buyers connecting more directly with content owners (Broadcasters and OEMs) and cutting out the “messy middle” of intermediaries. This shift will improve margins, eliminate fraud, and ultimately make CTV a cleaner, more efficient performance channel for everyone.”