It’s a performance CTV world, man. We’re just living in it.
To that end, Universal Ads is bringing on new mobile measurement and audience partners to its self-serve CTV platform as it continues to position premium TV as a performance channel.
The biggest (or coolest?) update, in our view, is for mobile marketers. Universal Ads now integrates with top mobile measurement partners, including Adjust, AppsFlyer, Branch, Kochava and Singular. This lets advertisers use the same attribution and app measurement tools they already rely on across other channels for CTV campaigns.
The company also added audience partners Klaviyo, LiveRamp and TransUnion for customer segmentation and audience activation. (This is cool, too, guys, we’re just joking.)
Why This Matters:
More midmarket advertisers are looking beyond search (AI cannibalization) and social (channel diversification) for growth. In response, platforms are racing to meet the moment by making TV easier to buy, measure and optimize using the same tools marketers already expect.
Mobile marketers are a key part of that opportunity. App advertisers have historically relied on search and social because of their mature measurement capabilities. As CTV introduces more interactive ad formats, it’s becoming a more compelling acquisition channel for app marketers. Bringing mobile measurement partners into CTV lowers the barrier to testing TV while making it easier to measure installs and other downstream actions.
That’s exactly the direction Universal Ads is heading: making premium TV feel less like traditional TV and more performance-driven.
Experts React:
The words “search” and “social” appear seven times throughout Universal Ads’ announcement, underscoring how heavily the company is leaning into the performance marketing narrative.
See this quote from the release by Universal Ads’ Greg Lieber, Head of Platform Partnerships:
“The goal all along has been for Universal Ads to make TV advertising feel as easy and familiar as social or search, and that has to include the Audience Management, Mobile Measurement Partners, and optimization signals brands already know, manage, and rely on every day.”
Our Take:
Performance CTV is having a moment, especially post-Vibe.co/Walmart deal.
Universal Ads is making the same bet. The challenge now is execution. Midmarket advertisers will embrace CTV if it delivers the same accountability they’re used to from other channels. If it doesn’t, those budgets won’t stay put.
