For years, conversations about programmatic advertising focused almost entirely on pipes, data, and delivery. Could campaigns be activated faster? Could targeting get more precise? Could the industry deliver more impressions at scale?
These were important questions — but they missed the bigger picture. Because when every platform can deliver impressions instantly and optimize targeting automatically, the true differentiator isn’t how fast or how many. It’s what people actually remember.
That’s why in today’s Connected TV (CTV) ecosystem, the conversation has shifted. Scale is expected. Targeting precision is a given. Now, the battleground is creative quality.
The ads that win aren’t the ones that appear. They’re the ones that stick.
The New Shape of CTV Buying
The transformation of buying cycles illustrates this shift clearly. Roku’s most recent upfronts are a perfect example. What was once a once-a-year event — a set window where billions of dollars of TV ad spend were locked in months in advance — has evolved into something far more fluid.
For 2025–2026, Roku reported that most of its upfront deals were executed programmatically. That means advertisers aren’t just making commitments; they’re activating campaigns dynamically, with the agility to adjust all year round.
This is a structural change. The “upfront” is no longer a single point in the calendar. It’s become a year-round marketplace, where optimization and adjustment are the norm.
And importantly, fears that this shift would deflate CPMs haven’t come true. Roku noted no significant price erosion. Advertisers are paying for value — and increasingly, that value is linked to the creative performance of the ad itself.
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Infographic showing the shift from one-off upfront TV deals to continuous always-on programmatic CTV with data.
From Impressions to Impact
In linear TV, success was measured in reach. If your spot ran during prime time, the assumption was that it worked. But CTV doesn’t play by the same rules.
Audiences are scattered across countless apps, streaming services, and devices. They don’t all watch the same program at the same time. That fragmentation means simply “being there” is no longer enough.
The real measure of success is whether the ad commands attention. A recycled banner or static creative may technically deliver an impression — but does it engage? On a big TV screen, generic ads look flat, unpolished, and forgettable.
Immersive creative changes this. Full-screen CTV video, dynamic native integrations, and visually striking programmatic formats blend into the viewing environment in a way that feels natural. Instead of interrupting, they engage. Instead of being skipped, they are remembered.
And in advertising, memory is the true currency of performance.
Chart comparing old CTR/VCR metrics with attention-based creative metrics for CTV performance.
Why Immersion Wins in Programmatic
The rise of continuous programmatic buying makes immersive creative even more important. Campaigns now run year-round. Without creative variety and impact, fatigue sets in quickly.
Immersive formats solve this problem. They allow brands to tell stories that evolve without losing consistency. A campaign can stay fresh by using dynamic creative variations while maintaining its core message. Every impression becomes another chapter in a story, not just another metric on a report.
At Screencore, we’ve seen how immersive formats — CTV, video, and native — consistently outperform standard approaches. Attention metrics rise. Brand recall strengthens. Campaigns don’t just deliver impressions; they leave impressions.
When your creative looks like part of the content rather than an interruption to it, you don’t just get noticed. You get remembered.
Trust and Privacy Still Matter
Of course, great creative can’t work in isolation. Placement, safety, and privacy are critical. The smartest ad in the world fails if it appears in the wrong environment or compromises trust.
That’s why Screencore pairs creative quality with infrastructure designed for transparency and compliance. Our marketplace is powered by OpenRTB and Prebid Server-Side technologies, ensuring fast, fair, and transparent transactions. We integrate directly with publishers through SDK connections, delivering brand-safe placements without unnecessary intermediaries.
And with cookies fading fast, our cookieless targeting ensures advertisers can reach audiences effectively while respecting privacy. This balance — immersive creative delivered through trusted, privacy-first pipes — is what sets Screencore apart.
Looking for deeper insights? If you’re intrigued by how programmatic buying has reshaped the CTV landscape, be sure to check out our earlier piece on this very shift and how it’s creating continuous programmatic value: Why Upfronts Are Fading — And Continuous CTV Programmatic Wins.
The Screencore Edge
Screencore was built on a simple belief: ads should never feel like clutter. They should feel like part of the screen.
That’s why our marketplace is anchored in immersive formats: CTV, video, and native. These aren’t afterthoughts or recycled display banners. They’re purpose-built experiences designed to thrive on the biggest and most important screens in people’s lives.
But creative alone doesn’t deliver. The way ads are delivered matters too. Screencore ensures that every campaign flows through transparent, direct supply paths. Every impression is measured cleanly. Every signal feeds into continuous optimization.
The result is a platform where creative doesn’t just run — it performs.
Workflow diagram showing Screencore’s advantage: immersive CTV, privacy-first delivery, and continuous optimization.
Looking Ahead: Creative as the New Currency
Roku’s example shows how upfronts have been redefined. But the bigger lesson is about where value in CTV comes from. The pipes and platforms have matured. The real advantage now is in the creative.
Advertisers who lean into immersive formats will win attention, engagement, and recall. Publishers who prioritize premium, transparent inventory will see stronger yields. And audiences, instead of being bombarded with generic ads, will experience campaigns that actually feel worth watching.
The future of CTV won’t be measured in impressions alone. It will be measured in impact.
And that’s the opportunity Screencore is built to deliver.
With immersive CTV, video, and native formats, omnichannel delivery, and a privacy-first infrastructure, Screencore helps you cut the noise, capture attention, and drive measurable performance. Explore the benefits of Screencore today.