Viant and Tubi's Strategic Alliance: Pioneering Performance-Driven CTV Monetization in 2025

The evolution of over-the-top (OTT) advertising ecosystems in 2025 is being reshaped by partnerships that prioritize performance-driven monetization. At the forefront of this shift is the expanded collaboration between Viant and Tubi, which has unlocked new avenues for Connected TV (CTV) advertisers by combining advanced identity resolution, contextual targeting, and streamlined campaign execution. As CTV ad spending in the U.S. surges toward $33.35 billion in 2025, according to a Viant and Tubi press release, the partnership exemplifies how strategic alliances are redefining the balance between audience reach and measurable outcomes.

A New Era of Precision in CTV Advertising

The cornerstone of Viant and Tubi's collaboration is their ID sync integration, enabling advertisers to target over 100 million monthly active users with unprecedented accuracy. This synchronization, paired with Viant's acquisition of IRIS.TV, introduces contextual and emotional data that aligns brand messaging with premium content moments, as described in the press release. For instance, advertisers can now deploy ads during scenes that evoke specific emotions-such as excitement or nostalgia-thereby increasing engagement and conversion rates.

Viant's Direct Access program further streamlines the ad-buying process by connecting advertisers directly to Tubi's inventory, bypassing intermediaries that often dilute campaign efficiency, a point the announcement emphasizes. This approach not only reduces costs but also enhances measurement capabilities, a critical factor as advertisers demand transparency in a fragmented OTT landscape. According to Viant's Q1 2025 earnings report, CTV accounted for 45% of total platform ad spend, a figure highlighted in Tubi's insights.

Industry-Wide Implications and Emerging Trends

The partnership's success is part of a broader industry trend: the rise of Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV (FAST) platforms. Tubi, alongside competitors like The Roku Channel and Pluto TV, has capitalized on consumer demand for free, ad-supported content amid rising subscription costs, according to 2025 CTV trends. Tubi's recent innovations-such as shoppable ads and scene-level metadata targeting-further differentiate it in this space. For example, shoppable CTV ads have demonstrated 10x higher engagement compared to QR code interactions, offering a compelling ROI for advertisers, as Tubi's insights note.

AI-driven personalization is another catalyst. Viant's Household ID and IRIS_ID solutions allow advertisers to target households rather than individual devices, ensuring consistent messaging across 45 million LG Smart TVs in the U.S., per the press release. This shift is particularly impactful for Gen Z and millennial audiences, who prioritize streaming as a form of escapism over social media, a trend Tubi's insights also highlight. Meanwhile, AI-powered contextual targeting has shown 25% higher engagement than traditional methods, reinforcing the value of data-driven ad strategies described in the announcement.

Financial and Strategic Validation

Viant's financial performance in 2025 validates the strategic importance of CTV. Its Q2 2025 results revealed 18% revenue growth, with CTV driving double-digit gains, as reported in Viant Q2 2025 results. This momentum is fueled by the platform's leadership in AI-powered programmatic advertising, which optimizes ad relevance and minimizes waste, a trend underscored in the Viant and Tubi press release. For Tubi, the partnership aligns with its mission to deliver a premium streaming experience while monetizing its 100M+ user base through non-intrusive, contextually relevant ads, as noted in the announcement.

Looking ahead, the integration of retail media networks into CTV ecosystems-exemplified by Walmart's collaboration with Vizio-signals a new frontier for closed-loop attribution, a direction highlighted in the 2025 CTV trends report. As advertisers seek to connect CTV exposure with in-store or online purchases, platforms like Viant and Tubi are uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between entertainment and commerce.

Conclusion: A Win-Win for Advertisers and Investors

The Viant-Tubi partnership is a testament to the transformative power of performance-driven CTV advertising. By leveraging AI, identity resolution, and direct access models, the duo is addressing key pain points in OTT monetization-namely, inefficiency, measurement gaps, and audience fragmentation. For investors, this collaboration highlights the growing importance of platforms that can deliver scale, precision, and accountability in an increasingly competitive landscape. As CTV ad spending continues to outpace traditional TV, the ability to adapt to performance metrics will separate industry leaders from laggards.