Shoppable CTV ads: FAQs & Examples [Updated June 2025]

Interactive TV ads collapse the path between entertainment and purchase.

With the FIFA Club World Cup, Super Bowl LX, and 2026 Winter Olympics on the horizon, it's no wonder CTV ad spend is projected to grow by 13% this year to $26.6 billion!

70% of the US population will be a CTV user in 2025.

That's truly a can't-miss advertising opportunity for brands.

But sophisticated media buyers are looking at ways of measuring sales conversions from CTV investments, not just awareness-related metrics like impressions, reach, and frequency.

In the context of omnichannel marketing, advertisers must bridge the gap between the TV ad watch and the point of purchase for the modern shopper.

Shoppable CTV ads may be the solution.

What is a shoppable CTV ad?

Shoppable Connected TV, sometimes referred to as T-Commerce (short for television commerce), is the newest evolution in television advertising, incorporating interactive or transactional features directly into television platforms. In other words, consumers can purchase products directly from a TV ad without ever leaving the couch.

Premier Protein lets shoppers buy straight from a QR code to their phones

What is an example of T-Commerce?

The actual formats can vary:

• It could be as simple as a call-to-action (CTA) with a text message discount code, or

• a TV ad could display a QR code to scan and checkout via mobile phone; or

• a voice-activated command to a smart speaker; or

• even check out right from the TV

Our longtime client and friend, Kristin Rasmussen of Premier Nutrition Company, spoke about this at the May 2025 MediaPost Brand Insider Summit: CPG in Nashville, TN:

Kristin Rasmussen of Premier Nutrition Company finds success with shoppable CTV campaigns for her brands

Are shoppable CTV ads effective?

Data shows...yes!

In a recent study by LG, 51% of the 1200 CTV users surveyed said they "wish they could shop online using their TV."

Many TV watchers today have their phones closer at hand than their TV remotes.

This strategy capitalizes upon the increasing trend of consumers turning to digital platforms for both entertainment and shopping (we see you, TikTok Shop). With T-commerce, consumers can seamlessly explore and purchase products with a simple click while watching their favorite shows. This frictionless experience eliminates traditional barriers between content consumption and commerce, providing consumers with a more simple and enjoyable path-to-purchase journey.

Technological advancements such as smart TVs, interactive content overlays, and seamless payment gateways, have played a pivotal role in making T-commerce possible, and all the major TV players want a piece of the pie. Disney, NBCUniversal, Samsung, Paramount, and others have already rolled out shoppable ad features to brand marketers and media agencies.

What are the benefits of shoppable CTV ads?

The shift from conventional TV commercials to shoppable CTV ads:

• benefits advertisers in measuring and optimizing campaigns,

• enhances the viewing experience for consumers, and

• creates new revenue streams for content creators and streaming platforms

T-Commerce relies on data analytics to provide a personalized and curated shopping experience. As consumers engage with shoppable content, their preferences and behaviors are tracked, allowing for targeted product recommendations.

Data-driven personalization benefits consumers by presenting them with better offerings, and it helps advertisers improve their inventory and media strategy going forward.

Shoppable ads for "The Chosen" by KERV let viewers watch the trailer or buy tickets immediately

How do I measure ROI on shoppable CTV ads?

Every brand will have different metrics for success, which can depend on things like:

• price point

• retail availability

• consumption habits

• how target consumers interact with shoppable ads.

Our media planners and ad-tech partners listen to each brand's unique objectives, provide insights on what's worked well for similar campaigns in the past, and tailor the advice accordingly.

A few methods for measuring ROI in shoppable CTV include:

• Tracking pixels and unique landing pages: These can help attribute conversions to viewers who have seen your ad.

  
  

• QR Code tracking: Monitor the traffic and conversions generated from QR codes within your shoppable ads.

  
  

• Platform analytics: Utilize analytics tools provided by CTV platforms or integrated with your e-commerce platform (e.g., Google Analytics, Shopify Analytics) to track key metrics and performance. 

How do I set up cross-device tracking for shoppable CTV campaigns?

Partner with a cross-device vendor. For example, The Trade Desk uses Identity Alliance to map connections between users and their devices into a single graph for better frequency management and accurate measurement. 

Ad-tech partners like KERV.ai can see both exposure-level data for the ad based on device and any interactor data (various engagement points with the creative) for full transparency.

How do I measure across streaming platforms?

Most ad-tech platforms have limited relationships with the publishers and streamers, but some (including KERV) have partnerships with all the major streamers and many TV manufacturers for accurate measurement.

How do I comply with privacy laws?

With the ease and convenience of shoppable TV comes the responsibility of understanding data sharing and privacy. As consumers engage with shoppable content, they need to be mindful of the information they share and the permissions granted to platforms.

Contextual targeting ensures relevance and privacy by aligning ads with the content they appear in, rather than consumer identity data.

For example, a kitchen gadget brand could appear during an ad break for Top Chef, or an automobile ad could appear during a travel show.

Show-level data helps brands appear in front of increasingly relevant audiences without needing to extract data from the consumers themselves.

How is AI shaping the future of shoppable CTV ads?

AI is the engine driving the contextual targeting and shoppability mentioned above, helping both publishers and brands at the same time.

Imagine the ad break in a home remodeling show being a retailer that showcases the exact furniture in the show. Or a paint manufacturer advertising the exact shade of paint in the beautiful home. Imagine ads showing the exact jeans or makeup brand your favorite character was wearing in the last scene. 

"What we're building today couldn't be done with traditional CTV. The publishers can make their ad breaks more relevant and their content more powerful to brands. Moving that consumer down the funnel with immediate add-to-cart...that's what's exciting and powerful in the space today." - Mark Corte, VP of Brand & Agency Partnerships, KERV

With the expansion of CTV ad formats and interactive capabilities, paired with premium streaming video content and audiences hungry to buy, our programmatic advertising experts predict this space will transform in the next three to five years. Brand clients who are already testing into this will be ahead of the game.

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This piece originally appeared in our weekly Paid Media Insights newsletter. For more tips, research, and analysis; subscribe for free here.