The case for and against CTV in 2026 B2B marketing budgets

I’ve written extensively about CTV, typically to assist entrepreneurs acknowledge when the channel is just not the proper funding. Whereas CTV stays comparatively under-adopted in B2B, curiosity is rising as manufacturers start planning their 2026 advertising and marketing budgets. 

In latest months, inquiries from B2B entrepreneurs evaluating whether or not CTV deserves a spot in these plans have elevated noticeably. That shift raises a sensible query: below what situations does CTV make sense for B2B in 2026 — and when does it not?

Why B2B manufacturers ought to spend money on CTV

It’s a hedge in opposition to inflated CPAs 

CTV isn’t low-cost. You pay quite a bit for premium impressions. However, constructing consciousness on a extremely compelling storytelling platform is an effective way to mitigate ever-rising CPCs and CPAs on closely saturated bottom-funnel channels like Google and, to some extent, Meta.

There are nonetheless early-adoption benefits

In comparison with price inflation on platforms like Google and Meta, CTV’s CPMs have stayed relatively static, whilst spend on the channel will increase. On condition that the channel’s stock nonetheless has room for progress, this pattern is prone to proceed. Advertisers prepared to make the leap and make investments now can be getting in whereas prices are comparatively reasonably priced.

Much less competitors = big alternative

CTV’s energy customers are usually D2C and B2C manufacturers, not B2B. That is smart provided that CTV is already just a little harder to measure than extra direct response-focused channels and B2B’s longer, multi-person gross sales cycle provides complexity on prime of complexity.

However that additionally leaves room for aggressive B2B manufacturers to face out from the competitors and assist form their highest-value customers’ buy journeys from the leap. (In B2B, the knowledge is that 95% of your viewers has no intent to buy at any given time.)

Dig deeper: 4 CTV challenges for B2B and how to overcome them

Shaky economies current an opportunity to seize market share

Through the financial downturn of the early 2010s, a number of now well-known manufacturers accelerated their progress by persevering with to speculate, whereas rivals pulled again. Durations of uncertainty have a tendency to cut back aggressive strain and soften media prices, creating openings for advertisers prepared to spend with self-discipline relatively than retreat.

With 2026 shaping up as a doubtlessly turbulent financial surroundings, comparable dynamics might emerge. Cautious spending throughout verticals might suppress CTV CPMs, leaving room for B2B manufacturers which might be ready to speculate strategically and capitalize on lowered competitors.

CTV is comparatively privacy-safe

CTV has by no means been primarily based on cookies. It could possibly thrive with different, extra privacy-safe identifiers, together with contextual concentrating on and first-party knowledge. IP deal with concentrating on (which is efficient in CTV) is in additional of a grey space because it’s not explicitly concentrating on people.

Ought to IP concentrating on fall firmly out of favor with upcoming rules, contextual concentrating on will function a helpful proxy that continues to be on the proper aspect of privateness pointers.

It’s nice for product/service launches, rebranding and up to date positioning

B2B inventive and positioning could be a vital problem as a result of it’s considerably faraway from human-to-human connection (take into account how laborious Salesforce has to strive with the Matthew McConaughey commercials), however CTV affords an immersive platform to convey comparatively nuanced messaging in unskippable codecs. 

For prime-stakes occasions like new services or products launches, advertisers seeking to make an impression would do nicely to contemplate a extra participating surroundings than, say, LinkedIn movies that default to sound-off settings.

Engagement and viewers quantity are each rising

All volume-related indicators are pointed up for CTV, whether or not it’s a steady increase in user engagement and recall or the sheer amount of CTV viewers (now estimated to be higher in the U.S. than linear TV users). The place customers go in droves, advertisers will observe and prices will rise as competitors will increase.

Dig deeper: How to use CTV to strengthen your ABM strategy

Why B2B manufacturers ought to hesitate to spend money on CTV

CTV is unquestionably extra difficult than lower-funnel efficiency channels. That presents challenges for manufacturers whose advertising and marketing fundamentals aren’t buttoned up. If any of those situations apply, assume twice earlier than dipping a toe and getting poor outcomes that make you hesitate to speculate sooner or later. 

You’re not clear on find out how to measure CTV

If you happen to’re used to the efficiency advertising and marketing world of lead gen and demand seize, chances are you’ll be talking a little bit of an unfamiliar language with CTV, which is commonly greatest assessed with geo-lift assessments and by measuring impression on different channels.

With out that understanding (and with out setting these expectations for these with the purse strings), your CTV efforts will doubtless be short-lived.

Dig deeper: How to assess CTV’s impact on other ad channels

If you happen to’re below the gun to drive leads and pipeline within the quick time period and also you’re inside spitting distance of goal CPAs on Google, LinkedIn or Meta, optimize these channels to their fullest earlier than you divert time and price range into the comparatively long-term play of CTV.

You haven’t optimized your CRM occasion or first-party knowledge segments

First-party knowledge performs a central function in B2B CTV campaigns. It helps viewers segmentation for various messaging and positioning, permits extra exact concentrating on via DSPs and is commonly required when working with platforms comparable to The Commerce Desk or LiveRamp that depend on CTV-specific identifiers.

Contextual concentrating on alone can work in restricted instances, but it surely narrows flexibility and will increase danger. Given the inherent complexity of CTV, most B2B manufacturers are higher served by coming into the channel with sturdy knowledge foundations.

You haven’t completely nailed down your excellent buyer profile

If you happen to aren’t positive who your highest-value audiences are, don’t spend on CTV simply but. That is good recommendation for any channel and in any trade, but it surely’s notably related for the CTV-B2B intersection, which affords a mix of storytelling impression and precision concentrating on that can get diluted with no exact understanding of your ICP’s most important challenges and ache factors.

You don’t know find out how to talk marketing campaign expectations to your C-suite

Few CFOs or CMOs are prepared to approve a major price range with no clear understanding of anticipated returns. Within the absence of upfront alignment, CTV funding dangers being reallocated to channels with extra quick payoff, notably if its affect on different channels is just not clearly communicated or measured.

CTV is greatest approached as a long-term funding, with government buy-in and a measurement framework that displays its function throughout the total buyer journey earlier than significant spend begins.

Dig deeper: Why impression-based advertising will redefine search and CTV

The CTV alternative for B2B in 2026

For B2B manufacturers with sturdy fundamentals in place, CTV affords a compelling mixture of big-screen storytelling and digitally exact concentrating on. Its comparatively low adoption throughout the vertical leaves significant room for differentiation, notably for entrepreneurs prepared to method the channel with long-term intent relatively than short-term expectations.

On the identical time, speeding into CTV with out the flexibility to measure, optimize and talk impression is a standard and dear mistake. Many in any other case succesful programmatic efforts stall not as a result of the channel underperforms, however as a result of supporting infrastructure and expectations are misaligned. In B2B, the place shopping for cycles are lengthy and selections contain a number of stakeholders, that problem is amplified — however with the proper measurement framework and organizational readiness, it stays one nicely value taking over.