Eight out of ten Performance Max advertisers get connected TV (CTV) impressions through YouTube, as reported by Mike Ryan of Smarter Ecommerce. Google has increased the channel’s reach over the past year – and the trend is growing rapidly.
A timeline of how we got here:
- Q2 2025: Google began serving CTV ads using standard stock images, meaning advertisers without video assets simply generated TV impressions from their existing catalog images.
- January 2026: Google has announced shoppable CTV ads – allowing viewers to browse products and scan QR codes to make purchases directly from their TV screen, pulling directly from the Google Merchant Center product feed.
Why do we care. CTV is no longer a professional purchase. If you’re using PMax, you’re probably already on the big screen – and Google has been slowly improving what that means for commerce. Google automatically turns your product feed images into TV ads and allocates budget to CTV views, with no action required from you.
Without carefully evaluating the performance of your channel, you can’t see where your money is going or whether the art you’re creating is really suitable for a 65-inch screen.
What advertisers need to do right now:
- Download your channel’s performance report — Google’s native channel breakdown will show you how much your PMax spend and impressions go to CTV. If you haven’t looked, you might be surprised.
- Check your feed photos — starting in Q2 2025, those product images are used to automatically generate CTV ads. Low-quality images that worked well in Shopping are now appearing on 65-inch TV screens. Clean them up.
- Check if an affordable CTV works for you — if you use PMax with a Merchant Center feed, your campaigns may already qualify for affordable CTV formats. Google reports that Demand Gen campaigns that include TV screens drive 7% more conversions for the same ROI. Understand whether that asset is working for you – or going to waste.
- Think creatively — put images like CTV commercials on the floor, not the ceiling. Advertisers investing in video assets that are purpose-built for the TV screen will outperform those that rely on auto-generated formats.
Main image: YouTube CEO Neal Mohan confirmed that TV has overtaken mobile as the primary device for YouTube viewing in the US during viewing time, and YouTube has been the #1 streaming platform in the US for two years in a row. PMax advertisers are already there — the question is whether they’re targeting you or just going along for the ride.
Dig Deeper. YouTube Views on TV Now Outpace Mobile, Desktop in US
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