CTV advertising is growing rapidly in Finland
Impact and accurate measurability of the big screen
Finns are increasingly watching TV through a smart TV or other CTV device connected to the Internet. Connected TV, or CTV, offers marketers new opportunities to reach audiences. It combines the power of the big screen, data-driven targeting, and digital, accurate measurability.
Connected TV means a TV connected to the Internet or other device connected to the TV through which content is viewed over the Internet. Such devices include smart TVs, Apple TV and Chromecast, as well as game consoles. Content is transferred online from the content provider directly to the screen without traditional terrestrial or cable transmission.
CTV advertising can be implemented in streaming services, as interactive ads (e.g. HbbTV polls), in digital advertising breaks and on smart TV home screens in video or display format. CTV advertising is already a globally significant market and, according to PwC’s Global Entertainment & Media Outlook, it is one of the fastest-growing areas of the entire entertainment and media industry.
The impact of a big screen and digital precision in one package
For advertisers, the essence of CTV is that it combines two things that have traditionally been separate: the impact of the big screen and the accuracy of digital measurability. Digital TV advertising enables the utilisation of data and also programmatic purchasing in a safe media environment.
The reach of CTV advertising is still overshadowed by traditional television advertising, and in addition, traditional TV advertising is generally cheaper in terms of contact price than CTV advertising. However, reach and cost per contact are not necessarily the best metrics to monitor: CTV can be used to plan and implement campaigns with high attention value on the big screen with smaller media investments than what a traditional national TV campaign usually requires. Alternatively, CTV can be used as part of a broader Total TV strategy, for example with an always-on idea outside the advertiser’s critical campaign periods.
Finland is ready for CTV’s growth rate
CTV is not replacing the Finnish relationship with television, but builds on it. According to the “Commercial TV in Finland 2025” report published by Screenforce, in 2025, Finns spent almost 3.5 hours a day in front of a large screen. The transition from linear viewing to streaming happens within the same screen and familiar viewing habit.
In Finland, there is a particularly strong foundation for the growth of the CTV market precisely because Finnish TV viewing is still at a high level. Finnish homes are also technically ready for the CTV era, as the number of smart TVs has increased fivefold since the beginning of the last decade. From 2024, the number increased by about 16 per cent to 2025, when 72 per cent of households already had a smart TV. The HD transition accelerated the renewal of the equipment base.
CTV is therefore no longer a marginal experimental channel in Finland, but an established part of the media mix. Advertising inventory is available from several different sources, both as direct purchases and programmatically, and the importance of the channel can be expected to grow in the coming years as well.
Interested in the Connected TV purchase method? Contact us and we will design a campaign solution that suits your needs and works!
AUTHOR
Senior Media Planner
Ville works with moving image and audio design and is a member of Dagmar’s Moving Image working group. Ville has strong experience with both large international brands and Finnish customers. Ville is particularly impressed by the pace of change in moving image and audio advertising, as well as how TV advertising is digitizing with CTV and the media field is becoming even more fragmented. In his free time, he is most likely to be found grounded on a football field or at a cottage.
Sources:
Finnpanel TV year 2025 and 2026
Screenforce: https://www.screenforce.fi/ajankohtaista/mika-connected-tv-ja-miten-se-vaikuttaa-televisiomainontaan
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