Connected TV has crossed a symbolic line in Europe. Streaming to the television set now accounts for 53% of all premium video advertising views in the region, according to the latest half-year industry report, while total programmatic ad views grew 44% year over year.
The figures describe a market where the biggest screen in the home has quietly become the main event. Premium video ad views overall rose 20% in Europe and 12% in the United States in the first half of 2026. Connected TV’s share of European views has doubled since 2023, helped by broadcasters stitching their linear and digital inventories into a single buy.
Programmatic buying is broadening as it grows. Automated connected TV ad views rose 9% in Europe and 10% in the U.S., and the number of unique advertisers buying programmatically across both markets increased by about a quarter. France stood out, with programmatic connected TV views up 46% year over year and now representing nearly half of premium video delivery there.
Live programming is also claiming a larger slice. Live ad views in Europe climbed from 25% of the total in late 2025 to 32% in the first half of this year, boosted by a dense summer sports calendar and the shared, co-viewing appeal of live events. Addressable inventory is expanding too, with more than half of bid requests now carrying enriched data.
For media owners and buyers, the direction of travel is clear. The contest is no longer about whether streaming belongs in the television plan, but about how reach, frequency and measurement are managed when the majority of premium views already happen there.
Advertisers, for their part, are following the audience with unusual confidence for a maturing channel. Separate advertiser surveys this year have found roughly seven in ten connected TV advertisers expecting to raise their spending, a sign that the debate inside media plans has moved from whether to buy connected TV to how much of the total video budget it should command.
