YouTube advertising
YouTube CTV Advertising
Run YouTube CTV advertising in India through DV360 YouTube and partners line items. Reach the 75 million+ adults YouTube reported on connected TVs, with open auction CPMs around ₹250–500.
YouTube CTV advertising means showing YouTube video ads to people watching YouTube on smart TVs, streaming sticks and set-top boxes. In India, YouTube reported reaching over 75 million adults on connected TV in April 2025. We buy it through YouTube and partners line items in DV360, targeted to the TV screen. Indicative open auction CPMs for CTV run ₹250–500, and there is no fixed platform minimum.
Last updated: 11 November 2026
YouTube on connected TV at a glance
- Platform
- YouTube app on smart TVs, streaming devices and set-top boxes
- Owner
- Reported CTV reach
- 75 million+ adults
- YouTube said it reached over 75 million people in India aged 18+ on connected TV in April 2025 (Google, Brandcast 2025).
- CTV view growth
- About 4 times in three years
- YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said at Brandcast India in August 2024 that CTV views in India had quadrupled over the past three years.
- Long-form on the TV
- Over half of TV watch time
- Reported by Storyboard18 in 2025: more than half of TV-screen watch time goes to videos longer than 21 minutes.
- Indicative CPM
- ₹250–500 open auction for CTV
- How we buy it
- YouTube and partners line items in DV360
Why use YouTube on connected TV
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The biggest TV audience in streaming
No single OTT app in India matches YouTube's reported 75 million+ adult viewers on connected TV. One buy reaches homes across every state.
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Lean-back viewing
On the TV, people watch long videos, often with family. Ads feel closer to a television spot than a mobile pre-roll.
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Google's targeting on the big screen
You can use demographics, interests, in-market audiences, custom segments and your own customer lists, all on TV impressions.
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Flexible budgets
There is no fixed platform minimum. A regional brand can test YouTube CTV with a modest budget before scaling up.
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Brand lift built in
Eligible campaigns can run Google brand lift studies to measure recall and consideration.
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One DV360 setup
YouTube CTV runs next to your OTT deals in DV360, so frequency and reach are managed across apps in one place.
Targeting options for YouTube on connected TV
What you can usually target. We confirm the exact options for your deal before launch.
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Device type
Limit line items to TV screens, or run across TV, mobile and desktop with separate bids.
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Demographics
Age, gender and household signals, for example adults 25–54 for a car launch.
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Affinity and in-market
Reach people interested in cooking, cricket or travel, or those actively shopping for cars, phones or homes.
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Custom segments
Build audiences from search terms and websites, such as people searching for home loans in Bengaluru.
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Your own data
Use Customer Match lists or website visitors, subject to Google's policies and list size rules.
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Geography and language
Target by state, city or radius, and by the language viewers use YouTube in.
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Content
Include or exclude topics, channels and content labels to keep ads in suitable videos.
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Frequency
Cap exposures per user per week across YouTube and your other DV360 video.
Cost of YouTube on connected TV
Indicative rates to help you plan. Final rates, availability and minimum spends are confirmed for each campaign, and GST is extra.
| What you buy | Pricing | Indicative rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-stream video on CTV, open auction | CPM | ₹250–500 | Indicative. No fixed platform minimum. GST extra. |
| Narrow audiences or high demand dates | CPM | Upper end of the range or above | Festive weeks and tight custom segments push bids up. |
| Non-skippable and bumper formats | CPM | Within or above the range | Pricing depends on format, audience and season. |
| Reservation formats such as Masthead | Fixed CPM or daily rate | On request | Booked in advance through Google. Confirmed per campaign. |
Typical minimum spend: No fixed platform minimum.
How to buy YouTube on connected TV
- 1
Share your brief
Tell us the goal, audience, states, dates, budget and the creatives you have, including any TV commercial.
- 2
Plan reach on the TV
We use DV360 forecasts to estimate CTV reach and frequency for your audience and budget.
- 3
Approve and prepay
Sign off the plan and creatives. Campaigns are prepaid before launch.
- 4
Build YouTube and partners line items
We set up line items in DV360, limit them to TV screens if needed, and apply audiences, caps and brand safety settings.
- 5
Optimise in flight
We adjust bids, audiences and creatives based on view rates, completion and reach.
- 6
Report and measure lift
You get reach, frequency, completion and viewability reports, with brand lift where the campaign is eligible.
Ways to buy YouTube on connected TV with us
Our DV360 Managed Service handles the whole buy for you, from setup and deals to optimisation and reports. A Campaign-Based Engagement suits a single launch or a festive burst. If your team prefers to run its own buying, we can set you up with a DV360 Self-Serve Account.
More about YouTube on connected TV
How big is YouTube on the TV in India?
YouTube is now one of the most watched things on Indian televisions. Google said at Brandcast 2025 that YouTube reached over 75 million people aged 18 and above on connected TV in India in April 2025. That count is adults only, and it does not include children or everyone else in the room.
The growth has been fast. At Brandcast India in August 2024, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said CTV views in India had quadrupled over the previous three years. YouTube has also said connected TV was its fastest-growing screen in India for five years, as reported by Storyboard18 in 2025.
Across all screens, YouTube is far ahead of any OTT app. A CLSA report covered by Tele.net in April 2026 estimated about 772 million monthly active users on YouTube in India. Only part of that viewing happens on the TV, but the TV share is the part growing quickest.
What do people watch on YouTube on the TV?
They watch long. Storyboard18 reported in 2025 that more than half of YouTube's TV-screen watch time in India goes to videos longer than 21 minutes. Think full cricket highlights, devotional music, cooking shows, Bhojpuri and Tamil film songs, podcasts, comedy and news.
That changes the ad experience. A family watching a 40-minute recipe channel together on a Saturday morning sees your ad on a 43-inch screen, often with the sound on. That is very different from a teenager scrolling on a phone.
How do you buy YouTube CTV ads in DV360?
We buy YouTube CTV through YouTube and partners line items in DV360. These are open auction buys, priced on CPM, and we can limit them to TV screens. That is why there is no fixed platform minimum. A smaller budget can run a regional test, and bigger budgets build reach faster.
| Format | What it is | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Skippable in-stream | Viewer can skip after 5 seconds | Efficient reach and storytelling |
| Non-skippable in-stream | Full spot plays, up to 30 seconds on TV screens | Message control, TVC cut-downs |
| Bumper | 6-second non-skippable spot | Frequency and reminders |
| Masthead | Top placement on the YouTube home screen, booked in advance | Launch days and big announcements |
At Brandcast 2025 in India, Google introduced an Immersive Masthead on CTV. At Brandcast 2024 it announced pause ads and QR codes for CTV. Availability of these newer formats in a given buy is confirmed per campaign.
Who should use YouTube CTV?
Brands that already run TV commercials are the obvious fit. A 20-second cut of your TVC can run on YouTube CTV with almost no rework. Brands without a TV budget also benefit. A Bengaluru real estate developer can target home buyers in Karnataka on the TV screen, at a fraction of what a regional channel would cost.
It also works as a reach extender. Many households that skip linear TV still watch YouTube on the TV every evening.
How do you measure YouTube CTV campaigns?
Report reach and frequency first, then completion and viewability. Completion rates on TV are usually higher than on mobile, because viewers leave the video running.
Eligible campaigns can add Google brand lift studies, which measure ad recall and consideration with short surveys. For performance goals, QR codes and site tags help, but judge CTV mainly on reach and lift, not last-click sales.
How does YouTube CTV compare with OTT apps?
OTT apps like JioHotstar, ZEE5 and SonyLIV offer edited, premium shows through fixed-price deals. YouTube offers far more reach, richer targeting and lower entry costs, but the content mix is wider and includes creator videos.
Most of our plans use both. A PG deal on an OTT app anchors the premium layer. YouTube CTV adds incremental reach in the same homes at a lower average cost. DV360 lets us cap frequency across both. Our guide on how to buy and measure CTV ads in DV360 explains the full setup, and a free media plan suggests how to split your budget.
Tips for better YouTube CTV advertising results
Design for the TV. Use large text, keep the brand name on screen and mix for speakers, not earphones.
Put your brand in the first five seconds of skippable ads. Many TV viewers skip by habit.
Use content exclusions. Remove categories that do not suit your brand, especially on kids and news content.
Run a brand lift study once you qualify. It is the clearest proof that big-screen YouTube works for you.
Sources
- Google India blog: Brandcast 2025, CTV, Shorts and YouTube as India's new TV
- afaqs: YouTube's connected TV views quadruple in India, CEO announces at Brandcast (August 2024)
- Storyboard18: YouTube sharpens live events push as connected TVs cross 75 million users in India
- Tele.net: CLSA report on India's OTT monthly active users (April 2026)
Questions about YouTube on connected TV
What does YouTube CTV advertising cost in India?
How many people watch YouTube on TV in India?
Can I target only TV screens on YouTube?
Can I use my TV commercial on YouTube CTV?
Is brand lift measurement available?
Are you YouTube's or Google's official sales team?
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