Connected TV Takes Center Stage at Cannes Lions 2025

In case you weren't lucky enough to attended Cannes this year, here is are a few of the highlights, specific to the world of CTV.

The spotlight on Connected TV (CTV) at Cannes Lions 2025 was unmistakable, as ad-tech and media giants converged around themes of performance, accessibility, identity, and AI‑driven innovation.

Amazon and Roku Forge a Game-Changing Alliance

Amazon Ads and Roku announced a landmark integration, with Amazon DSP gaining exclusive access to authenticated CTV inventory across Roku and Fire TV, effectively unlocking approximately 80 million US households for targeted campaigns. The joint identifier enables logged‑in user recognition, frequency capping, and advanced measurement. It's entering beta now, with full launch slated for Q4 2025 (read more here).

DSP and Platform Partnerships Expand CTV Reach

At the same time, Amazon’s DSP teamed up with Disney’s Real-Time Ad Exchange (DRAX), joining Google and The Trade Desk, to bridge commerce and content streams. Netflix followed suit, opening its ad-supported tier inventory across 12 countries to demand-side platforms like Yahoo DSP (read more here).

Smaller Advertisers Gain CTV Access

Industry voices at Cannes called for broader inclusion. Experts like those from Mod Op noted a growing push to make CTV “performance TV” accessible to SMB and direct-to-consumer brands through lower-cost, self-serve tools from players like Roku, Comcast, and MNTN.

Measurement, Identity & International Insights

IAB Europe and Nielsen hosted dedicated roundtables around European CTV measurement, underscoring the challenge of attribution across fragmented screens. The emphasis: authenticated, logged‑in households can lead to better addressability and consistent campaign insights.

AI Meets CTV and Creative

AI-powered creative optimization was a recurrent talking point - an area we are both familiar and leading the field in at Origin through our dynamic, code-free creative optimization solutions.

With AI assisting in the advancement of creative capabilities as well as helping drive better targeting and campaign measurement, Connected TV was seen less as a new frontier and more as a tested, measurable channel. especially when backed by data and AI. As one panelist stated, “If you want measurable impact in 2025, CTV is it”.

Summary

Cannes 2025 positioned CTV not just as a premium creative canvas, but as a high-performance, measurable, and inclusive medium. With major platform integrations, AI tools, and expanded access for smaller advertisers, brands are ready to treat CTV as a core pillar of their media mix.

If you find this topic interesting and would like to speak with our team about dynamic creatives for CTV, you can schedule a consultation with one of Origin's CTV specialists by clicking here.

---