Anyone who spends time around streaming advertising quickly runs into a jumble of letters: OTT, CTV, OLV. The terms are often used interchangeably, but they describe different things. This article briefly explains what OTT means and how it differs from CTV and OLV.
What is OTT?
OTT stands for Over-the-Top and describes the way content is delivered: over the internet, bypassing classic cable or satellite infrastructure, so "over the top" of the traditional setup. Netflix, Disney+, Joyn, and Prime Video are OTT services. What matters: OTT describes the delivery method, not the device. You can watch the same content on a television, a laptop, a tablet, or a smartphone, it's still OTT.
In short: OTT is the how. It's the umbrella term for everything that streams over the internet.
OTT vs. CTV: the delivery method and the device
This is where the most common confusion happens. CTV stands for Connected TV and refers to the internet-connected television, meaning a smart TV or a regular television with a streaming device like Fire TV, Apple TV, or a game console. While OTT describes the delivery method, CTV describes the device, specifically the big screen.
The two are connected: CTV is the part of OTT that happens on the television. If you watch Netflix on your smartphone, that's OTT, but not CTV. If you watch the same thing on a smart TV, it's OTT and CTV at once. A useful way to remember it: OTT is the how, CTV is the screen.
OLV vs. CTV: the big screen and the small screen
OLV stands for Online Video and refers to video advertising on the smaller screens: in a browser, in apps, on social networks, meaning on laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Think of the video ads before a YouTube clip or in the middle of a feed.
The difference from CTV lies in the screen. OLV runs on the small screens, meaning laptops, tablets, and smartphones, usually between other content and while viewers are occupied with something else at the same time. CTV runs on the big television, full screen, with sound, and viewers lean back. For advertising impact, this difference between the small and the big screen is decisive.
What this means for advertising
For advertisers, this distinction is more than splitting hairs. It determines the impact. The big screen, meaning CTV, is the premium end: full attention, high completion rates, a high-quality environment. That's exactly what onescreen builds on, your advertising runs on the big television, not as a small clip on the side on a phone. Why this screen makes such a difference is shown in the overview of the premium quality of streaming advertising.
If you want to go deeper into streaming terminology from here: the various revenue models behind it, meaning AVOD, SVOD, FAST, and BVOD, are explained in a dedicated article.
FAQ
What is the difference between OTT and CTV? OTT (Over-the-Top) describes the delivery method, meaning content delivered over the internet instead of cable or satellite, regardless of device. CTV (Connected TV) describes the device, meaning the internet-connected television. CTV is the part of OTT that happens on the big screen.
What does OLV mean? OLV stands for Online Video and refers to video advertising on smaller screens like laptops, tablets, and smartphones, for example in a browser, in apps, or on social networks. The key difference to CTV is the screen: OLV runs on small devices, CTV on the big television.
Is CTV a part of OTT? Yes. CTV is the part of OTT that happens on the television. Anything you stream on a television through a smart TV or a streaming device is both OTT and CTV. On a smartphone, it's OTT, but not CTV.