Your Guide to Connected TV Video Ad Specs (2023)
If you’ve landed here, we don’t need to convince you of the performance power of Connected TV (CTV).
You already know that:
- Over half of American adults view TV content through internet-connected devices, whether it’s watching Hulu on a Smart TV or streaming Tubi on an Amazon Fire Stick.
- Most of these users (77%) cut the cord to save money, opting for a more convenient and cost-effective model for streaming content.
- Insider Intelligence expects US subscription OTT video ad spending to near $10 billion. They also predict it will account for 10.2% of total video ad spending by the end of 2023.
- You can pair CTV ads with streaming content that appeals to the viewer, drilling down to their location, age, interests, and other demographics to create ads that resonate with your target audience.
Something you maybe don’t know about Connected TV advertising? All of the hyper-specific technical specifications that your video ads need to be in to run on the leading CTV platforms.
This information can be legit hard to find (Seriously: why do they make it so hard to find?), so we’ve compiled, by platform, every single CTV video ad tech spec you need in one easy-to-use guide.
Consider your days conducting incredibly creative Google searches a thing of the past. If you plan on placing your next video marketing campaign on the leading CTV platforms, then it’s time to bookmark this page.
- Hulu Video Ad Specs
- Roku Video Ad Specs
- Tubi Video Ad Specs
- Amazon Video Ad Specs
- Peacock Video Ad Specs
- Paramount+ Video Ad Specs
- Netflix Video Ad Specs
- Sling Video Ad Specs
- YouTube Video Ad Specs
- Performance TV Video Ad Specs
Hulu
With over 47.2 million paid subscribers, Hulu is one of the leading premium streaming services in the United States. What sets Hulu apart from other CTV platforms is that they offer their subscribers not only a library of original content, but instant access to current shows from every major U.S. broadcast network.
Hulu offers a video commercial ad package you can use to place your ad into their long-form content.
Video Specs for CTV Advertising on Hulu
- Aspect ratio: All files must be in 16:9
- Max file size: 10 GB Max
- Video length: 15 seconds – 30 seconds
- Frame rate: 23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 30 fps
- Bitrate: 10 Mbps – 40 Mbps
- File type: QuickTime, MOV, or MPEG-4
CTV Ad Creative Tips for Hulu: Utilize an Engaging Hook
Use the first 3 to 5 seconds of your ad to hook the viewers through dynamic motion graphics, unique aural experiences, or top-line value props. This is especially true for 15-second content, as this can increase engagement by 12x. Plus, if you can cater or nod to a streaming viewer, the better.
For example, you can include mentioning things like watching your favorite shows back to back, or not wanting to use products that aren’t at your fingertips. Other tips to keep in mind:
- Make sure the ad can creatively begin and end with the brand name or logo.
- 63% of top-performing campaigns in 2020 from emerging brands on Hulu had the first branding moment within zero seconds of the ad beginning.
- On-screen text that corresponds to spoken word (VO or Dialogue) performs well to drive home messaging/branding.
An example of an ad that could run on Hulu
Roku
A pioneer of streaming to television, Roku has emerged as a leading global CTV platform, with millions of consumers in North America, Latin America, and parts of Europe. When measured in hours streamed, they are the number one streaming service in the United States.
This platform unlocks a massive and highly engaged consumer audience that any brand can reach. With advertising tools built for streaming, Roku can deliver brands not only relevant audiences, but measurable results. Placing ads on Roku lets you reach more users and personalize your ads to speak to your desired target audience. According to Statista, the platform has over 63 million viewers in the U.S. alone, creating an incredible opportunity for advertisers to reach their audience.
Video Specs for CTV Advertising on Roku
- Aspect ratio: 4:3 (400 x 300, 1920 x 1080)
- File size: 25-100 MB
- Video length: :15, :30, :60
- File type: .mp4
CTV Advertising Creative Tips for Roku: Native Branding
- Messaging of the pre-show is about getting ready to enjoy the content and a timely moment (holiday, awards etc.), so product inclusion must be organically included.
- It must include The Roku Channel logo, follow visual guidelines in Roku color palette, and approved attribution language: “brought to you by [your brand name here] on The Roku Channel.”
- The voiceover and music selected for pre-show must be aligned with the Roku voice and style.
An example of an ad that could run on Roku.
Tubi
Tubi has over 35,000 popular movies and TV shows, and it’s easy to navigate. It’s also free, which has attracted a user base of over 51 million. Tubi offers a personalized experience for its users, sending tailored recommendations based on previous viewing history.
Video Specs for CTV Advertising on Tubi
- Aspect ratio: 16:9
- Minimum resolution: 1920 x 1080 is recommended
- Max file size: 135 MB
- Video length: 6s, 15s, 30s (45s and 60s by approval only)
- Frame rate: 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97p, 50i, 59.94i fps.
- Bitrate: 25 mbps
- File type: .mov, .mp4, .mpeg, .mpg, .mxf
CTV Advertising Creative Tips for Tubi: Craft a Narrative
Your storytelling efforts can make or break a CTV advertising campaign. That’s why you must keep a cohesive narrative, whether you have 15 seconds or a full minute to tell your story. Your audience needs to understand your message to be able to remember it and act on your call to action (CTA). You can complement your ad’s visual effects and narrative with:
- Sound effects
- Dialogue
- Voiceover
An example of a storytelling ad that could run on Tubi
Peacock
NBC created Peacock as a way to offer its back catalog to customers. The service now offers almost 1,000 movies and about 350 TV shows. Peacock also offers live sports, including more obscure ones that aren’t aired anywhere else.
According to Variety, Peacock currently has 28 million monthly active subscribers in the U.S. and 13 million paid subscribers.
Video Specs for CTV Advertising on Peacock
- Aspect ratio: 16:9
- Max file size: 10GB
- Video length: :6s, :15s, :30s, :45s and :60s
- Frame rate: 23.98, 25, or 29.97 (based on native frame rate)
- Bitrate: Greater than 15 Mbps
- File type: Video Ad-ID required (.mov and .mp4 also accepted)
CTV Advertising Creative Tips for Peacock
- Register for an Ad-ID.
- Send your creative to the team five days before launch.
- You cannot stitch two shorter ads together to create a longer video.
- Rotate your ads regularly to combat ad fatigue.
An example of an ad that could run on Peacock
Amazon
Amazon’s CTV platform lets users access almost all of their favorite apps, including Prime Video, Freevee (formerly known as IMDB TV), YouTube, Apple TV, Discovery Plus, and much more. Amazon Fire TV has more than 50 million active users per month streaming content through one destination. Plus, they also announced in 2022 they had sold more than 150 million Fire TV devices.
You can choose to advertise directly with Amazon Fire TV or advertise with one of the video on demand (VOD) platforms supported by the device.
Video Specs for CTV Advertising on Amazon
- Aspect ratio: 16×9
- Max file size: 500MB
- Video length: :15, :30
- Frame rate: At least 15 FPS
- Bitrate: 2 MBps recommended
- File type: Video: H.264, MPEG-2, or MPEG-4
CTV Advertising Creative Tips for Amazon: Adopt an Audience-First Strategy
Most campaigns are not a one-size-fits-all solution; people tend to respond better to content that looks and feels tailor-made. With that in mind, all marketing efforts should be planned to revolve around a particular target. CTV is a performance marketing platform that allows you to reach your core audience. Make this advantage work for you by:
- Emphasizing scripts for each customer persona.
- Casting talent that’s relatable to your audience.
- Iterating your unique value proposition.
An example of an ad that could run on Amazon.
Sling
Although Sling TV has been around since 2015, it is becoming more popular because it offers a hybrid model of traditional live TV and on-demand streaming. People can tune into their favorite local news and live sports channels while also binge-watching their shows later. The company has about 2.41 million subscribers in the United States.
Video Specs for CTV Advertising on Sling
- Aspect ratio: 16:9 (1920 x 1080)
- Max file size: 300 MB
- Video length: :15, :30, :60
- Minimum bit rate: 20 Mbps
- Frame rate: 23.98, 29.97 (same as source)
CTV Advertising Creative Tips for Sling: Feature Core Values and Products
Co-watching CTV content within the same household is a common practice. That’s great news, regardless of your marketing goals. It means CTV video ads that would normally be targeted to a specific type of person can effortlessly reach a broader audience — as opposed to other platforms that offer more of a one-on-one experience.
Whether you’re looking to create brand awareness or conversions, you must always keep the door open to new customers by introducing them to your core values and offerings. Use a different creative approach than the one you’re already implementing on your social media video marketing campaign and other higher-funnel performance marketing platforms.
An example of an ad that could run on Sling.
Netflix
One of the most recent brands to join this list, Netflix released its first ad-supported tiers on November 3, 2022, in the U.S. After launching its streaming service in 2007, the platform was ad-free for 15 years. This change, however, has opened up new doors for advertisers and viewers alike.
Video Specs for CTV Advertising on Netflix
- Aspect ratio: 16×9
- Video length: :15 or :30 (in markets other than Spain, where videos are 20 seconds)
- Frame rate: 23.976, 24, 25, 29.97, 30
- Bitrate: For H.264, greater than 8Mbps for 720p & 12Mbps for 1080p. For MOV, greater than 42Mbps for 720p & 80Mbps for 1080p.
- File type: .mov, .mp4
CTV Advertising Creative Tips for Netflix: Focus on Quality
While advertising on the platform is just kicking off, there’s still one aspect to focus on: quality.
One of the most critical aspects of Netflix advertising is going to be the focus on quality. Since the brand has extensive quality control in all aspects of the business, we can expect the same will be in place for the video ads on the platform.
Paramount+
Another streaming service offered by a major network, Paramount+ began as CBS All Access. This service offers a variety of existing and original content with over 30,000 episodes of programming. Paramount+ also offers access to local CBS affiliate networks and live sports with a premium membership. Launched on June 7th, 2021, Paramount+ expanded their offerings to include a more budget-friendly, ad-supported option.
As streaming platforms go, Paramount+ offers one of the more robust advertising packages. In this platform, you can use 3rd Party VAST ads as long as they‘re in HD at a 16:9 ratio. The company requires certain items in each VAST tag, so run this sheet by your provider before sending files over.
Video Specs for CTV Advertising on Paramount+
- Aspect ratio: 16×9 (1280 x 720)
- Max file size: 10GB
- Video length: :15, :30, :60, :90
- Frame rate: 23.98, 29.97 FPS
- Bitrate: 10-40 Mbps (constant)
- File type: .mov, .mp4 (preferred)
CTV Advertising Creative Tips for Paramount+: Implement a Clear CTA
Even if your goal is purely awareness, you want to always ensure you’re paving a clear path for a consumer’s journey with your brand. Employing a straightforward CTA that gives the audience a next step encourages immediate action.
We’re all multitaskers today, and the majority of people watching streaming content do so with a digital device in hand or nearby. Consider keeping your logo and URL present throughout your video ad to tap into the channel’s direct-response capabilities.
A CTV-specific CTA can also help with attribution when it comes to measuring performance. Create a new landing page to pair with your creative and drive traffic with an easy-to-remember URL or coupon code.
An example of an ad that could run on Paramount+
YouTube
That’s right, your favorite social platform for chill lofi beats to relax/study/work to now has hundreds of free movies and television series that are (you guessed it!) 100% ad supported.
What does this mean? You can now consider YouTube in the same breath as Tubi or any number of the other AVOD services out there in the market today.
Video Specs for CTV Advertising on YouTube
- Aspect ratio: 16:9 (best quality for CTV, but they also support 4:3)
- Video length: Skippable ads must be at least 12 seconds, but there is no maximum length. YouTube states video ads 3 minutes or less perform best. Non-skippable ads can be 15 or 20 seconds in length, depending on regional standards.
- Frame rate: 60fps
- File type: .mp4, .mov, .mpeg, .avi, or .asf
CTV Advertising Creative Tips for YouTube: Branding, Branding, Branding
When it comes to the presence of branding, the YouTube landscape is aligned with that of other social platforms like Facebook. To drive views, you’ll need to incorporate branding. According to a QuickFrame analysis, videos on YouTube with visible branding had an average view count that was 76% higher than videos without.
Aim to show your product or brand logo within the first 5 seconds of your video ad. Our analysis found that audio mentions of brands by on-screen talent also perform higher than mentions by off-screen talent.
If your goal is to drive engagement, however, you’ll want to omit branding within the video. Our analysis shows that unbranded videos had an average engagement rate that was 145% higher than videos with branding.
An example of an ad that could run on YouTube.
Performance TV
“Hey,” you may be thinking, “I can’t watch Love Island on Performance TV because it isn’t a physical device or a streaming service, right?”
Bingo!
But we wanted to call out this opportunity for your brand because who doesn’t want to combine the power of performance marketing with the engaging reach of Connected Television? With Performance TV, you unlock complete control of not only which of the hottest streaming platforms you want to drop your ads on, but the ability to make agile changes to your ad creative so that your audience doesn’t develop the marketing world’s greatest scourge: ad fatigue (aka getting mad sick over seeing your spots in literally every commercial break.)
Prospect, retarget, attribute, measure, and define your audiences, all in one interface that’s so simple to use you don’t even really have to know what DSP stands for to make a mark with your ad creative.
Video Specs for CTV Advertising on Performance TV
- Aspect ratio: 16×9 (1920 x 1080)
- Max file size: 4GB
- Video length: 30-seconds max (15 & 30 second slots)
- Frame rate: 23.98, 25, 29.97 FPS (must be constant and based on native frame rate)
- File type: .mp4 or .mov
CTV Advertising Creative Tips for Performance TV: Explore Different Styles
The streaming environment is hospitable to a wide array of video styles, including live-action, animation, stop-motion, and post-production repurposing. There are two paths you can take with your CTV creative:
- Original Production (animation or live-action)
- The live-action approach is a great way to create talent-centric video and bring your product or service to life. With animation, you can unlock any aesthetic that feels right for your brand.
- Post-Production Repurposing (generating new creative using existing assets)
- A post-production approach is often the most cost-effective way to generate CTV creative. Using motion graphics and editing techniques, you can animate and repurpose existing assets into a narrative with any message.
Whichever stylistic approach you adopt, be sure to captivate from the start, paint a clear narrative, and adopt a visual identity that feels brand-aligned.
Need help making videos? See how our video production platform can help your business.
Connected TV Video Ad Specs: What’s Next?
So that’s what’s happening right now. But what about in the future?
As ad placements are popping up in more places (hey there, Netflix and Disney+!), advertisers are getting extended opportunities to reach their audiences. In addition, these ad-supported streaming options lower the financial barrier of entry for more audiences to get a chance to experience their content. As the past has shown, AVOD content is on the rise, so these channels will be the ones to watch in the future.
But, as our yogis always tell us, you’ve gotta live in the now. With options ranging from big names like Amazon to fan favorites like Tubi, the opportunities for you to get your ads in front of your target audience are simply, in a buzzword, limitless.
The next frontier is today. Let us introduce you to Creative Analytics, your new favorite data-driven solution to CTV advertising.
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