YouTube connected TV ads: how to plan channels for the living room
Part of YouTube channel planning
The short answer
YouTube connected TV ads are YouTube video ads served when people watch the YouTube app on smart TVs, gaming consoles and streaming devices. Google Ads calls this device TV screens and lets Video campaigns target it. Planning differs because several people may watch one screen, viewing habits shift by device and time of day, and reports model co-viewing.
Key takeaways
- Google Ads treats TV screens as a device type, available for Display and Video campaigns, and a Video campaign targets it under Additional settings, Devices.
- YouTube's recommendation system learns from time of day and device type, so a channel's mobile audience is weak evidence of its TV audience.
- Google's co-viewing metrics count everyone watching an ad together on a connected TV, using panel and survey based models.
- In Display & Video 360, Google recommends standard insertion orders for Efficient reach, non-skippable reach and video views line items, not the Connected TV insertion order.
How do YouTube ads run on connected TVs?
When someone opens the YouTube app on a television, the ads they see come from the same YouTube campaigns that serve phones and computers. What changes is the device. Google's device targeting help (opens in a new tab) describes TV screens as "devices that stream TV content such as smart TVs, gaming consoles, and connected devices like Chromecast", and says TV screen targeting is "only available for Display and Video campaigns."
Definition
- TV screens (Google Ads device type)
- The device category Google Ads uses for ads shown on smart TVs, gaming consoles and streaming devices, next to computers, mobile phones and tablets. It is a setting and a report dimension, not a separate campaign type.
Two other TV products sit near this one. YouTube TV is a subscription live TV service with its own ad rules, covered in the non skippable ads guide. The Google TV home screen is a separate surface reached through in-feed ads, described in the YouTube ad formats guide. This page is about the YouTube app on a television.
| Name | What it is | Effect on a channel plan |
|---|---|---|
| TV screens | The device type for the YouTube app and partners on smart TVs, consoles and streaming devices | Channel placements apply; the plan should judge channels for TV viewing |
| YouTube TV | A subscription live TV service | Its own rules; covered in the non skippable guide |
| Google TV home screen | In-feed inventory on the Google TV interface | A YouTube channel list does not describe it |
Which formats run on TV screens?
Format by format coverage is in the YouTube ad formats guide, so this section keeps to what changes on a television. Google's video ad formats page (opens in a new tab) says "People can use their TV remote to interact with the Masthead ad" and "You can't add a CTA to a Masthead ad on TV screens." Shorts ads can also serve on "connected devices like streaming devices, gaming consoles, and TVs."
One format exists only on the television. Google's Pause ads page (opens in a new tab) says "YouTube Pause ads are only available on Connected TV devices and in select countries", with Canada and the United States on the list. They are "static image ads that appear 10 seconds after the viewer pauses a video", bought through reservation Premier reach and "only available in YouTube Select lineups." Booking is covered in the reservation ads guide.
| Item | What Google says | Planning consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Calls to action | No CTA can be added to a Masthead ad on TV screens | Do not build a TV cut around a click; state the brand and the next step on screen |
| Interaction | Viewers use the TV remote to interact with the Masthead | A remote is not a mouse; keep any interaction simple |
| Pause ads | Static images shown 10 seconds after a pause, in Select lineups only | A separate image asset and a reservation booking |
| Pause ad measurement | First and third party viewability and third party brand suitability measurement aren't supported | Agree with the client how Pause ads will be judged before booking |
| Shorts on TV | Shorts ads can serve on streaming devices, consoles and TVs | Vertical creative will appear on a horizontal screen |
How should channel choice change for TV viewing?
A channel that fits a brief on a phone may not fit it on a living room screen, and the reason is documented by YouTube itself. Its recommendations help page (opens in a new tab) says the system "learns from signals like time of day and device type to understand diverse viewing preferences", giving the example of viewers who "prefer watching news on the phone in the morning and comedy on the TV at night." It adds that "if a video historically performs better for a given user on one device, it is more likely to be ranked higher there."
Two consequences follow. First, a channel's overall size says little about how much of its viewing happens on TV, so the evidence has to be device specific. Second, the screen is shared. Google's co-viewing definition (opens in a new tab) describes several people watching YouTube together on a connected TV and seeing the same ad at once. A channel that suits the target adult may still play to a room with children or guests, which matters for suitability and tone.
Five checks for a channel on a TV heavy plan
- Ask for the device split. The YouTube Analytics dimensions reference (opens in a new tab) defines deviceType as "the physical form factor of the device on which the view occurred", with TV and GAME_CONSOLE among its values. A channel owner can share that split; a planner cannot see it from outside.
- Look at video length and format. Long episodes, full matches, documentaries and music sessions suit lean back viewing. A channel that is mostly Shorts gives TV plans little to work with.
- Judge the room, not only the viewer. Read recent uploads for language and themes that the brand would not want playing in front of a family, even if the target viewer is an adult.
- Check the made for kids label. Children's content watched on a family TV still falls under YouTube's made for kids limits on personalized ads.
- Record the TV reasoning. Note in the plan why each channel is in the TV layer, separate from its reason for being in the mobile layer.
How do you target TV screens in Google Ads?
In Google Ads, TV screens are a device setting at the campaign level. Google's Video targeting setup page (opens in a new tab) says the default is "Show on all eligible devices (computers, mobile, tablet, and TV screens)", and that a buyer narrows it with "Set specific targeting for devices" under Additional settings, Devices. The same page says channel and video placements need "a minimum of 10 YouTube channels or videos" in an ad group.
Setting up a TV screens layer in a Google Ads Video campaign
- Create a separate campaign for the TV layer. Device targeting is set per campaign.
- Open Settings, then Additional settings, then Devices. Choose Set specific targeting for devices and leave only TV screens selected.
- Add the TV channel list to the ad group. Use channel IDs, at least 10 channels or videos.
- Load horizontal creative made for a large screen. Check legibility at a distance.
- Check the device report after the first days. Confirm delivery lands on TV screens.
In Display & Video 360, Google offers a dedicated route. Its Connected TV line item page (opens in a new tab) says a YouTube & partners on CTV line item sits in a Connected TV insertion order, with line item type, format, bid strategy, inventory source and device targeting preset. Google adds that Efficient reach, non-skippable reach and video views line items should be created "in standard insertion orders", and that placement targeting in the CTV route is limited to options most compatible with connected TV inventory. The YouTube in Display & Video 360 guide covers line item setup.
How is TV viewing reported?
Google's device help gives the path for device delivery: Campaigns, Insights and reports, When and where ads showed, then the Devices tab, where TV screens appear as their own row. That is the first check that a TV layer is reaching televisions.
Audience counts on TV are modeled. Google's co-viewing page says it uses connected TV panel data and real time surveys, with a reach model that weighs day of week, time of day, country and demographics. Unique users include "all co-viewers", and total co-view impressions are impressions shown to the targeted viewer plus anyone watching with them. The About Reach Planner page (opens in a new tab) says Reach Planner "measures mobile, desktop, tablet, and connected TV usage" and that its values "don't guarantee future performance."
| Question | Where to look | Caution |
|---|---|---|
| Did the ads reach TVs? | Google Ads When and where ads showed, Devices tab | Device rows show delivery, not who was in the room |
| How many people saw them? | Unique users and co-view impressions | Co-viewing is modeled from panels and surveys, not counted |
| What was forecast? | Reach Planner, with connected TV included | Forecasts are estimates, not guarantees |
| Did TV drive conversions in Display & Video 360? | YouTube Conversions metric | Google says Floodlight conversion measurement is not available for connected TV devices |
What does a TV screen plan look like for one brief?
Fictional example
A home audio retailer plans the living room in Missouri and Kansas
A fictional home audio retailer with stores in Kansas City, St. Louis and Wichita wants YouTube video around soundbars and home theater speakers, in English. The client's brief says the ad should play where people actually listen: on the television.
The planner builds a TV screens campaign apart from the mobile campaign. The TV channel list favors long form film breakdowns, live concert channels, home theater setup guides and sports highlight shows, and three of the larger creators are asked for their device type split. Channels that are mostly Shorts stay in the mobile campaign.
The creative team cuts a horizontal 15 second spot with the store name and web address on screen throughout. The client deck labels TV reach as co-viewed, shows the forecast as a range, and names the device report as the first check after launch.
How does PlacementGraph build the channel list for a YouTube plan?
Frequently asked questions
Can a Google Ads Video campaign run only on TV screens?
Yes. Google's Video targeting setup page lets a buyer change the default all devices setting to Set specific targeting for devices and select only TV screens. Because device targeting is a campaign setting, a TV only layer needs its own campaign.
Are YouTube Pause ads available in Canada?
Yes. Google's Pause ads page lists both Canada and the United States among the supported countries. Pause ads are bought through reservation Premier reach and are only available in YouTube Select lineups, so they cannot be attached to a planner's own channel list in an auction campaign.
Does co-viewing change what an advertiser pays?
Google's co-viewing page describes co-viewing as a measurement of everyone watching an ad together, used in reach forecasts and campaign reports. It does not describe co-viewing as a billing basis. Read billing from invoices and label co-viewed counts as modeled audience figures.
Do conversion pixels work on TV screens?
Not in the usual way. Google's Display & Video 360 Connected TV page says Floodlight conversion measurement is not available for connected TV devices and recommends the YouTube Conversions metric for judging CTV performance. Plan TV flights around reach and brand measures.
Sources
- About device targeting (opens in a new tab)Google Ads Help
- Add targeting to your Video campaigns (opens in a new tab)Google Ads Help
- Co-viewing: Definition (opens in a new tab)Google Ads Help
- About YouTube Pause ads in Google Ads reservation campaigns (opens in a new tab)Google Ads Help
- About video ad formats (opens in a new tab)Google Ads Help
- Good to know about recommendations for YouTube's recommendation system (opens in a new tab)YouTube Help
- Dimensions, YouTube Analytics and Reporting APIs (opens in a new tab)Google for Developers
- Create YouTube & partners on Connected TV line items (opens in a new tab)Display & Video 360 Help
- About Reach Planner (opens in a new tab)Google Ads Help
Researched and written by PlacementGraph Research. Read how we research, source and update these pages. Corrections: diana@placementgraph.com.