CTV in B2B Marketing: Essential for 2026 or a Budget Drain?

As B2B marketing teams begin planning their 2026 budgets, a significant question is emerging: does Connected TV (CTV) represent a vital strategic investment or a potential drain on resources? The channel is gaining serious consideration, moving beyond its traditional home in D2C and B2C campaigns. The decision hinges not on whether CTV is universally effective, but on identifying the specific conditions under which it can drive meaningful results for a business-to-business brand.

One of the most compelling arguments for CTV investment is its role as a hedge against inflated customer acquisition costs. While premium impressions come at a price, building brand awareness on this immersive platform can help offset the ever-rising cost-per-click and cost-per-acquisition on saturated bottom-funnel channels like Google and Meta. Furthermore, early-adoption advantages are still very much in play. CPMs on CTV have remained relatively stable even as spending increases, suggesting that getting in now offers more affordable access before competition potentially drives prices higher.

The current landscape presents a unique opening. CTV’s power users tend to be D2C and B2C brands, not B2B, which leaves substantial room for aggressive B2B marketers to stand out. This allows brands to shape the purchase journey for high-value prospects from the very beginning, especially when considering that a vast majority of a B2B audience is not in active buying mode at any given time. Additionally, with 2026 potentially bringing economic turbulence, shaky economies present a chance to grab market share. Cautious spending across the board could suppress CTV costs, creating a strategic window for disciplined advertisers.

From a technical standpoint, CTV is relatively privacy-safe, as it has never relied on cookies. It can thrive using contextual targeting and first-party data, making it a more future-proof option in a landscape of increasing regulation. The platform itself is also growing in influence; engagement and audience volume are both climbing steadily, with CTV viewers now surpassing linear TV users in the U.S. For high-stakes launches or complex messaging, CTV’s unskippable, big-screen format offers an engaging environment that often outperforms sound-off social video.

However, CTV is decidedly more complex than lower-funnel performance channels. Brands should hesitate to invest if their foundational marketing elements are not firmly established. A major red flag is not being clear on how to measure CTV. If a team is accustomed to direct lead generation metrics, they may struggle with the channel’s best practices, which often involve geo-lift tests and measuring impact on other marketing activities. Without this understanding and clear executive expectations, CTV efforts are likely to be short-lived.

The need for immediate conversions and pipeline is another key reason to pause. If a team is under pressure to drive short-term leads and is close to target CPAs on Google or LinkedIn, optimizing those channels should take precedence over diverting budget to CTV’s longer-term play. Success also depends heavily on data infrastructure. If you haven’t optimized your CRM instance or first-party data segments, you are not ready. First-party data is central for segmentation, precise targeting via DSPs, and working with CTV-specific platforms.

Furthermore, a vague ideal customer profile (ICP) is a recipe for wasted spend. The powerful combination of CTV’s storytelling impact and precision targeting gets completely diluted without a crystal-clear understanding of your audience’s core challenges. Finally, failing to communicate campaign expectations to the C-suite will almost guarantee budget reallocation. Few financial leaders will approve significant spend without a clear view of expected returns, especially if CTV’s influence on the broader customer journey is not properly framed and measured.

For B2B brands with strong fundamentals, CTV offers a compelling mix of big-screen storytelling and digitally precise targeting in 2026. Its relatively low adoption within the vertical leaves meaningful room for differentiation. The costly mistake is rushing in without the ability to measure, optimize, and communicate impact. Many programmatic efforts stall not because the channel underperforms, but because supporting infrastructure and expectations are misaligned. In the complex world of B2B, with its long buying cycles and multiple stakeholders, this challenge is amplified, but with the right preparation, it remains an opportunity well worth pursuing.

(Source: MarTech)