Performance TV now leads ad spend, ties social as most effective channel

Performance TV has become the top advertising investment channel, according to tvScientific’s “State of Performance TV Report.”

The report found the category now represents 24 percent of total media spend, and is tied with social media as the most effective advertising channel, each earning 25 percent of marketers’ confidence. These two channels rank well ahead of others, including search at 11 percent, mobile apps at 9 percent and linear TV at 8 percent in perceived effectiveness.

Media budgets reflect a similar trend.

Viewer tolerance replaces inventory growth as primary yield constraint in streaming

Following performance TV at 24 percent, social media accounts for 20 percent of total spend, followed by mobile apps at 15 percent and linear TV at 11 percent.

The findings show marketers changing strategy to respond to rising media costs, competition for attention and growing demands for measurable outcomes. The report noted a movement away from platforms such as YouTube, Meta and TikTok in favor of TV formats that offer broader reach and more transparency.

Performance TV (PTV) refers to digital advertising delivered through connected TV (CTV) and over-the-top (OTT) platforms. Unlike traditional television, performance TV allows advertisers to target specific audience segments, measure outcomes and adjust campaigns in real time. CTV includes internet-connected devices such as smart TVs, streaming sticks and gaming consoles. OTT refers to content delivered via internet services, including platforms such as Netflix, Hulu and Disney+.

“Performance TV is no longer an experiment,” said Jason Fairchild, chief executive and co-founder of tvScientific. “It has matured into one of the most reliable and accountable growth channels in modern marketing.”

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According to the report, advertisers are now also using artificial intelligence to optimize PTV campaigns, using automation and identity-based targeting to improve creative development and measurement.

The report also found that 77 percent of small and midsize businesses are running PTV campaigns.

Other findings include increased expectations for measurement clarity, with more than half of marketers citing transparency as critical. The channel was also reported to deliver full-funnel value, contributing to both sales growth and brand lift.

The 2026 results follow the 2025 report, which showed that 71 percent of marketers increased their performance TV budgets, with an average increase of 41 percent. Marketers last year were already reallocating funds from search and social into the channel.

tvScientific’s platform is built for outcome-based advertising and claims to reach 95 percent of ad-supported video-on-demand audiences. The company uses proprietary identity technology to link ad exposures with business outcomes.