Google Brings Segments to CTV Ad Inventory

(Image credit: Google)

Google is stepping up its connected TV game, making its Google Audience segments available to buyers building CTV campaigns on its Display & Video 360 demand side platform.

At its Google Marketing Live event, Google said that the CTV inventory available via Display & Video 360 now includes NBCUniversal’s Peacock in addition to the Walt Disney Co.’s Hulu and Google’s own YouTube.

Pointing to Comscore data, Google said advertisers using Display & Video 360 can reach 93% of ad-supported connected TV households in the U.S. and access inventory on nine of the top 10 most-watched CTV apps.

Also: IAB: Connected TV Advertising Will Rise 39% to $21.2 Billion

“As streaming continues to rise, that future includes more connected TV (CTV) advertising. That's why we’re unlocking even more CTV inventory in Display & Video 360 and extending Google Audiences to CTV devices — helping you reach the right viewers as they watch top streaming content," Google said in a blog post. “You’ll be able to power your CTV campaigns with the same affinity, in-market and demographic audiences you’ve been using for your digital ads for years. Demographics and in-market segments will be available on CTV devices by the end of this quarter. Some affinity audiences are already available and more are coming later this summer.”

The company also said it is beta testing making Google TV Masthead available to advertisers in more industry categories. Masthead ads appear on the home screen of Google TV devices, allowing advertisers to reach viewers at the moment they turn on their sets.

In the blog post, Google quotes clients who have had successful campaigns using Display & Video 360.

"Google audiences on CTV gives us the opportunity to create ad campaigns that align directly with our prospective customers’ lifestyles. It's a great way to extend our digital best practices to the big screen,” said Jacob Jackson, senior marketing manager for GoDaddy.

“Our partnership with Display & Video 360 helped us reach CTV viewers in a much more data-driven way,” said James NT, senior performance manager at Reckitt Benckiser.

“Display & Video 360’s capacity to control ad frequency across YouTube and our other video buys makes it the ideal partner,” said. Hanna El Hourani, Uber’s global head of programmatic. ■

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.