LinkedIn CTV Ads: B2B Targeting on the Big Screen

LinkedIn CTV ads put your B2B video on streaming TV, targeted with LinkedIn data.

You serve video ads on streaming services (think Roku, Samsung or NBCUniversal), but you target them with the professional first-party data of LinkedIn Ads: job title, industry and company size.

The verdict: LinkedIn Connected TV ads are a strong awareness channel for B2B, but targeting is limited to the US and Canada for now. For Belgian companies, this is something to follow and prepare for, not to pour budget into today.

Below: how it works, when it makes sense, and why early adopters working internationally have an edge.

Tip: check whether your ad budget is paying off with our free ROAS calculator.

What exactly are LinkedIn Connected TV ads?

They’re video ads on internet-connected TVs, aimed at the B2B audience you pick in LinkedIn.

What Connected TV means

Connected TV (CTV) refers to television sets and devices that are connected to the internet and on which people watch streaming content.

Until now, TV advertising was a broad-reach channel. You bought the attention of a large, undifferentiated group of viewers.

For B2B that was rarely interesting. You mostly paid for people who could never become customers.

For example, a payroll software ad on prime-time TV mostly reaches people who’ll never buy payroll software.

Our explainer on Connected TV advertising covers the channel itself in more detail.

What LinkedIn adds

LinkedIn flips that around. The company links its professional profile data to inventory at major streaming partners.

In practice, you can show a video ad on the big screen, but only to viewers who fit your B2B audience:

• Job titles: the right functions and seniority
• Industries: the sectors you actually sell to
• Company sizes: from scale-up to enterprise

Trade site PPC Land reported the launch in April 2024, with Paramount, Roku and Samsung Ads in the publisher network. NBCUniversal content runs through a managed option called LinkedIn Premiere.

How big the reach is

According to LinkedIn, this network reaches roughly 60 million households and 105 million connected devices in the US and Canada.

That scale is substantial. But watch the geographic boundary: these are North American figures for the time being.

The buying routes are growing too. Since 7 May 2026, US advertisers can also buy LinkedIn CTV ads through Amazon DSP, using LinkedIn audiences from more than one billion members.

That announcement names the US only. It says nothing about Europe.

How do you set up LinkedIn CTV ads in Campaign Manager?

Setup runs through the same LinkedIn Campaign Manager you probably already know from your regular campaigns.

The difference comes down to a few choices.

Step 1: Pick brand awareness

You pick a brand awareness objective. CTV is by definition a top-of-funnel format (TOFU), so LinkedIn steers you towards awareness instead of leads or conversions.

Step 2: Switch on Connected TV only

You set the campaign to Connected TV only. Your ad then runs exclusively on the big screen and isn’t mixed in with feed placements.

Here’s where that choice sits:

Step 3: Build your audience

You build your audience with the familiar targeting filters, such as function, industry, company size and seniority.

Already run matched audiences, such as a list of target accounts? Those audience skills carry over.

Step 4: Supply the video

You supply a video creative, for example an existing feed video recut for the big screen. LinkedIn recommends a length of 15 to 30 seconds for optimal performance on CTV.

Watch out: PPC Land notes CTV campaigns only support auto-bidding and English-language audiences. You can’t fine-tune bids the way you might in the feed.

Why video length isn’t a detail

On a TV screen people watch differently than in a feed. They don’t scroll away, but they also don’t expect a long explanation.

A sharp, visually strong message of half a minute works better than an elaborate explainer.

Our guide to B2B video marketing helps you script that half minute.

When does CTV make sense for B2B?

When you need awareness among decision-makers and already have a way to catch it.

CTV isn’t a channel that will fill your pipeline with qualified leads tomorrow. It’s an awareness instrument.

You pay to build recognition among decision-makers, not to get a form filled in.

Three situations where it fits

It can make sense if:

• You have a long B2B sales cycle with multiple decision-makers, and want your brand known before a prospect is in the market.
• You work account-based and want to reach job profiles within target companies with a premium-feeling message.
• You already have a solid foundation: nurturing, retargeting and lead channels that catch the awareness you create.

Working account-based? Our guide to account-based marketing shows how to build that foundation.

When it’s the wrong first move

It’s almost never a smart first move if you don’t yet have a lead channel that holds up.

Without anything to catch the interest you generate, you pay for reach that lands nowhere.

That’s exactly the kind of vanity metric (impressions, reach) we prefer not to steer on.

Only look at CTV once your LinkedIn campaigns further down the funnel are already paying off.

Here’s where CTV sits in that funnel:

CTV builds awareness at the top. Retargeting, lead generation and sales do the converting further down.

Rule of thumb: if you can’t name the channel that catches CTV viewers later, you’re not ready for CTV.

The B2B retargeting layer is usually that channel. It needs the LinkedIn Insight Tag on your site to work.

What does a LinkedIn CTV campaign deliver in practice?

Reach among the right people, not leads. One published case shows the shape of it.

The Freshworks case

Software company Freshworks used LinkedIn CTV to build brand awareness while expanding into the US. LinkedIn’s Freshworks case study lists the results of that US campaign:

• 1.5 million impressions
• 500,000+ targeted reach
• 60% of viewers fit Freshworks’ ideal customer profile

They repurposed existing video ads for big-screen viewing. Testing showed 15 to 30 second ads drove the best view-through rate.

Here’s what that 60% means in a chart:

What the case does and doesn’t prove

It proves LinkedIn’s targeting holds up on the big screen: most viewers matched the profile.

It doesn’t prove pipeline. The case reports reach and profile fit, not leads or revenue.

That’s the right way to read any CTV result. Our guide to measuring brand awareness shows which numbers to add.

Why early adopters are gaining an edge right now

A new channel is by definition not yet crowded.

On LinkedIn feeds, thousands of B2B advertisers now compete for the same attention, with click prices to match. Our breakdown of LinkedIn ads cost shows what that does to your budget.

On CTV that crowding doesn’t exist yet.

Two advantages of moving early

Those who move early benefit from two things:

• Lower competition for the inventory
• A learning effect on what works on the big screen

You’re building experience now, while your competitors will have to start from scratch later.

That’s the logic behind the early-adopter advantage in any new advertising channel.

The size of the base

The link with the more than 1 billion professionals in the LinkedIn community also makes it attractive.

The targeting base is enormous, even though CTV delivery is still geographically limited. As LinkedIn expands that, you’ll be ready to scale along.

What does this mean in practice for Belgian B2B marketers?

For now: it’s a trend to follow, not a channel to put Belgian budget into today.

Targeting currently works in the US and Canada, not in the Benelux.

Pretending you can run CTV campaigns here tomorrow would cost you money without reaching your actual audience.

Two scenarios worth attention

Still, that’s no reason to look away. Two scenarios deserve attention:

1. You work internationally and have prospects in North America. Then a test can already make sense today. Start small, measure whether it moves brand awareness among your target accounts, and expand if it works.
2. You work mainly in Belgium and the Benelux. Then preparation is the right move. Get your video creatives ready, sharpen your audience definitions and put your lead channels in order, so you can step in the moment LinkedIn expands targeting to Europe.

For the second scenario, a clean target account list is the best preparation you can make today.

Decide in one table

Measure what counts

In both cases the same rule applies that we use for every channel: measure what counts.

Not how many people saw your ad, but whether it ultimately contributes to qualified leads and revenue.

A well-built campaign, whether it’s CTV or feed, should ultimately serve your return on ad spend.

Watch out: awareness rarely gets credit in last-click reports. Our piece on attribution in long sales cycles shows how to make its effect visible.

Frequently asked questions about LinkedIn Connected TV ads

Can I already use LinkedIn CTV ads from Belgium?

You can set up a campaign in Campaign Manager, but CTV targeting only works in the US and Canada for now. So for a Belgian audience it makes no sense at this point. It’s worth preparing now, though, so you’re ready when the rollout reaches Europe.

Do Connected TV ads deliver leads?

No, not directly. CTV is an awareness format under the brand awareness objective. It builds recognition among decision-makers, but you have to catch that interest with other channels further down the funnel, such as LinkedIn lead generation or retargeting.

How long should my video be?

LinkedIn recommends 15 to 30 seconds for the best performance on CTV. Keep it visually strong and deliver one clear message; people in front of a TV screen don’t expect a long explanation.

Is this more expensive than regular LinkedIn ads?

CTV works as premium awareness inventory, so don’t count on dirt-cheap placements. See it as an investment in brand awareness among a sharply defined, professional audience, not as a cheap lead channel. Always compare it with your existing LinkedIn ads based on what it contributes, not on isolated impressions or CPM.

Who is CTV really worth it for?

For B2B companies with a long sales cycle, multiple decision-makers and an international (North American) audience, who already have a working lead channel. If you don’t have that foundation yet, invest there first before you look at the big screen.

Ready to future-proof your LinkedIn approach?

Connected TV shows how fast B2B advertising moves.

But a new format is only worth something if it fits a strategy that steers on customers and revenue. Reach for the sake of reach doesn’t count.

We help you decide which LinkedIn advertising channels pay off today, and how to prepare for what’s coming.

Want straight advice on your LinkedIn strategy, including when something simply isn’t worth it for you? Contact us.