Meta CTV Advertising Expansion Gains Attention in 2026

Meta CTV advertising is becoming an interesting topic in the digital advertising industry as the company looks beyond Facebook and Instagram. More advertisers are giving attention to connected TV (CTV), and Meta could be looking for ways to become part of this growing market. If the company moves ahead with its plans, it could give advertisers another option for reaching people while they watch their favourite shows, movies and online videos.

The development is worth watching because many brands have already started exploring advertising outside traditional social media platforms. Facebook and Instagram remain important channels for advertisers, but some businesses do not want to depend on just one source of traffic. Streaming television gives them another way to introduce their products to people, particularly those who spend more time watching content on connected devices. Meta has not officially launched a third-party CTV advertising product. However, a report from Digiday published in April 2026 revealed that the company had been exploring opportunities to enter this market. The subject has received renewed attention following Instagram's recent move towards longer videos and television viewing. Get Meta ads agency account here

Meta Has Been Exploring A Move Into CTV Advertising

Meta's interest in connected TV is not something that appeared overnight. The report mentioned companies such as Magnite and FreeWheel, which provide advertising technology used by publishers and streaming services to manage and sell video advertising space. These discussions reportedly began in early 2025, although the exact plans were not clear.

One possible direction would be to allow Meta to bring its advertising demand into third-party streaming television inventory. This would be an interesting development because Meta already has a large advertising business and experience with audience targeting and campaign optimization. For advertisers, this could eventually mean having another place to reach audiences without depending entirely on social media feeds. Businesses that currently use Taboola's advertising network or Outbrain's advertising solutions may also find the development worth following as advertising platforms continue to compete for digital audiences.

However, it is important to understand that these discussions do not confirm a product launch. Meta has not announced when such a service might become available or which streaming platforms could be involved.

Why Is Meta Interested In Streaming Television?

One reason behind Meta's possible move is the change in how people watch video content. A growing number of viewers use smart TVs and streaming devices instead of depending only on traditional television channels. This has also changed the way advertisers think about video campaigns. In the past, television advertising was mostly associated with large brands and expensive media placements. Connected TV has introduced more digital advertising technology into the television experience.

For example, when someone watches a programme through a streaming service, they may see an advertisement between different parts of the content. Advertisers can buy these placements through advertising platforms and use available data to understand campaign reach and performance.

Meta already has experience helping businesses reach specific audiences through Facebook and Instagram. If it can bring similar advertising capabilities to connected television, it could make the platform more useful for businesses that want to reach people beyond mobile devices. There is also a business opportunity here. Meta earns a large portion of its revenue from advertising. Expanding into another video advertising environment could give the company more opportunities to compete for advertising budgets.

Still, entering the CTV market would require more than simply showing advertisements on television screens. Meta would need access to suitable inventory, reliable measurement systems and partnerships with streaming services and publishers.

Instagram's 90-Minute Video Test Adds To Meta's TV Plans

Another recent development has made Meta's interest in television more interesting. On October 26, 2026, Instagram announced that it was testing a new video format called Features. It allows selected creators to upload horizontal videos of up to 90 minutes. The announcement is a notable change for Instagram, which has mainly been known for photos, Stories and short-form Reels videos. Longer videos could give creators more room to publish interviews, podcasts, entertainment and other content that needs more time.

Instagram is also testing a feature called Clips as Reels. It allows creators to take shorter clips from their longer videos and publish them as Reels. Viewers who find those clips interesting can then move towards the full-length content. This approach could help Instagram connect short-form and long-form video instead of treating them as separate formats.

The television experience is another part of the plan. Instagram wants people to watch more of its content on larger screens, not just on their phones. This could give the platform another opportunity to compete for viewers who currently spend time watching YouTube and other streaming services. For Meta, the change could eventually create additional advertising and monetization opportunities. However, the company has not confirmed a permanent advertising model for the new Features format.

Advertisers Are Looking Beyond Facebook And Instagram

Meta's possible CTV expansion is also connected to a wider discussion among advertisers. Some brands are starting to question whether spending most of their advertising budget on a single platform is the right long-term approach.

The discussion took place at Tatari's Forward event in New York. It highlighted a concern that other advertisers may also recognise: reaching people through the same platform repeatedly does not always help a brand find new audiences. This does not mean businesses are leaving Facebook or Instagram. Both platforms continue to play an important role in digital advertising. The difference is that some brands are looking for additional channels that can work alongside their existing campaigns.

For example, a business could use social media advertisements to generate website visits while using connected TV to introduce its products to a wider audience. Advertisers planning campaigns across several platforms may also need to review how native advertising budgets are allocated. Comparing different traffic sources can help businesses decide where their next advertising investment should go. The idea is not to replace one platform with another. It is to find a better mix of channels that can help a business reach the right people.

CTV Advertising Budgets Are Getting More Attention In 2026

There are also some useful figures that explain why connected TV is attracting interest. A report from Paramount Ads Manager found that 54% of the 165 advertisers surveyed had increased their CTV advertising budgets in 2026. The same research found that advertisers planned to increase CTV's share of their budgets from 25% to 28% during the second half of the year. The report also stated that 68% of surveyed advertisers said connected TV had helped them reach audiences they could not reach through social media or search.

These numbers suggest that CTV is becoming a more serious consideration for advertisers. However, the findings come from Paramount's own survey and should not be treated as a complete representation of every advertiser in the United States. The wider industry figures also show the importance of digital video.

According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), US digital video advertising spending is expected to exceed $80 billion in 2026, growing by 11% compared with the previous year. The report covers connected TV, online video and social video. It also points out that social video spending is projected to grow by 13%, slightly faster than CTV's 11%.

This is an important point. Connected TV is attracting more advertising investment, but social video is not losing its place in the market. Both channels are growing, and advertisers are deciding how to use them together.

Meta Will Have To Compete With YouTube And Amazon

Even if Meta decides to enter the connected TV advertising market, it will not be starting in an empty space. YouTube already has a strong position in online video and television viewing. Its advertising business also benefits from its connection with Google's wider advertising technology. Amazon is another major competitor. Its advertising business gives brands access to streaming audiences as well as customers across its retail and digital platforms. Companies such as Roku and The Trade Desk are also active in the connected TV advertising ecosystem.

For Meta, the challenge will be to give advertisers a reason to choose its services alongside these existing options. Its experience with performance advertising could be useful. Many businesses already understand how to create campaigns and manage budgets through Meta's advertising tools. If the company eventually offers similar campaign management options for CTV, some advertisers may find the transition easier.

However, advertisers will also want to know how their television campaigns are performing. Measuring whether someone who watched a TV advertisement later visited a website or purchased a product can be difficult.

This is where accurate measurement and advertising attribution become important. Businesses need to understand which channels are contributing to their results rather than relying only on the number of impressions or video views.

What Meta CTV Advertising Could Mean For Businesses

If Meta eventually launches a third-party CTV advertising solution, it could give businesses another way to reach potential customers. Consider a company that currently runs Facebook and Instagram campaigns to promote a product. It could potentially use connected TV advertisements to introduce that product to viewers who spend more time watching streaming content.

Some of those viewers may later search for the brand, visit its website or interact with another advertisement. This creates an opportunity for businesses to connect their television and digital campaigns. Agencies and media buyers could also have another advertising channel to consider when planning campaigns for their clients.

However, businesses should not assume that moving money into CTV will automatically produce better results. Campaign performance depends on several things, including the audience, creative quality, advertising cost and measurement setup.

A television advertisement may help people become familiar with a brand, while another channel may be more suitable for generating direct clicks or conversions. Advertisers need to understand these differences before deciding how to divide their budgets. For now, Meta's possible entry into CTV is more of an industry development to follow than a new advertising opportunity that businesses can start using immediately.

What Happens Next For Meta's CTV Plans?

There are still several questions about Meta's possible expansion into connected TV advertising. The company has not confirmed when it might introduce a third-party CTV advertising product. It has also not announced which publishers, streaming services or advertising technology companies could become partners. Instagram's move towards longer videos and television viewing is another development worth following. If the platform continues investing in this area, it could create more opportunities for creators, brands and advertisers.

For advertisers, the main takeaway is that video advertising is no longer limited to social media feeds. Streaming television is becoming a bigger part of the conversation, and companies are looking for ways to reach audiences across different screens. Meta already has a strong position in digital advertising. Whether it can turn its reported CTV discussions into a successful advertising product remains to be seen. But if it does, the connected TV market could become even more competitive in the coming years.