Unlocking sustainable growth in CTV advertising

Connected TV (CTV) is now a centerpiece of modern media plans. It combines television’s cultural influence with digital precision, drawing billions in advertiser investment each year. But beneath the rapid growth lies a challenge: CTV buying practices often lack transparency, carry hidden carbon costs, and limit optimization opportunities.

A new report from the ANA, produced in partnership with Scope3, examines these challenges head-on and offers a roadmap for how advertisers can plan smarter, more sustainable CTV campaigns that drive results.

Why CTV needs a sustainability check

The features that make CTV so appealing — premium content, packaged deals, programmatic distribution — also make it hard to manage effectively. Advertisers often buy bundled packages without knowing exactly where their ads will appear. That lack of visibility makes it difficult to enforce brand suitability, measure performance consistently, or evaluate the true environmental cost of each impression.

Carbon intensity is another hidden factor. Variables like creative length, bitrate, and supply paths all affect emissions. Without measurement, these costs remain invisible, even as they meaningfully impact both budgets and the planet.

What the study set out to answer

To bring clarity, the ANA’s Media & Measurement Leadership Council partnered with Scope3 and six leading brands: Chipotle, General Motors, Honda, HP, Mastercard, and Prudential. Together, they explored three questions:

1. What is the carbon impact of CTV advertising?
2. What optimizations can reduce emissions and waste while improving performance?
3. How can sustainable practices scale across the industry?

The study applied Scope3’s carbon measurement framework alongside traditional KPIs like CPM, CPA, and video completion rate. This allowed advertisers to evaluate environmental and business outcomes in parallel.

Small changes, big results

The research tested four simple optimizations:

• Shorter creatives. Moving from 30-second to 15-second ads reduced emissions and often improved cost efficiency.
• Creative optimization. Running formats with stronger completion rates increased both impact and sustainability.
• Inventory suppression. Excluding high-emission, low-performing placements cut wasteful impressions.
• Cleaner supply paths. Prioritizing supply partners with lower average emissions created more efficient delivery routes.

Overall, campaigns lowered emissions while holding (and in many cases improving) performance. In one live sports campaign, emissions fell by 41%, eCPMs dropped 20%, and CPA improved by 92%. Another brand saw a 24% drop in eCPM alongside a material reduction in carbon intensity.

A new KPI for the CTV era

The central recommendation is clear: advertisers should treat emissions the same way they treat reach, CPM, or CPA. Measuring gCO₂PM as a standard KPI uncovers waste that would otherwise remain hidden. With placement-level transparency, brands gain the ability to demand accountability from partners and make sharper buying decisions.

Just as advertisers already tier SSPs on cost or safety, sustainability can now be added to the mix. Favoring cleaner supply partners not only lowers carbon but also elevates the overall quality of supply.

Why this matters now

Sustainability in advertising is no longer a “nice to have.” Consumers expect brands to lead on climate, regulators are raising the bar, and internal stakeholders increasingly want proof of progress. CTV offers a proving ground where brands can deliver both growth and responsibility.

The takeaway from the ANA and Scope3 study is simple: sustainable CTV is practical, measurable, and performance-positive. With better measurement, intentional planning, and small but powerful optimizations, advertisers can reduce waste, improve efficiency, and strengthen the entire media ecosystem.

Download the full report

We’ve only scratched the surface of what the study uncovered about sustainability and CTV advertising. The full report includes deeper data, methodology, and real-world results from some of the world’s most influential marketers.

Download the report today to see how your brand can unlock sustainable growth through smarter CTV planning.