Is YouTube on TV considered CTV inventory in India?
Yes. YouTube accessed on a television screen — through Android TV, Google TV, Chromecast, or smart TV YouTube apps — is CTV inventory. The device type field in the ad request (OpenRTB device.devicetype = 3) correctly identifies these as connected TV impressions. YouTube is one of India’s largest CTV inventory pools — significant because it is free to viewers (ad-supported) and available on every Android TV device without a subscription. For advertisers, YouTube CTV inventory in India is accessible through Google DV360 and Google Ads, making it the easiest CTV channel to activate programmatically for buyers already using Google’s ecosystem. YouTube does not sell CTV inventory separately from its wider YouTube placements — CTV-specific targeting is applied by filtering for connected TV device type.
How do I buy YouTube CTV inventory specifically in India?
To buy YouTube CTV (TV screen) inventory in India through DV360: (1) Create a video line item targeting YouTube and Google Video Partners. (2) Apply the “Connected TV” device type filter — this restricts delivery to TV screen impressions only, excluding mobile and desktop YouTube. (3) Apply geographic targeting to India (national or specific states). (4) Set video format to non-skippable 15s or 30s, or TrueView (skippable 5s+) depending on campaign objective — non-skippable delivers higher completion rates on CTV. YouTube CTV CPMs in India via programmatic: ₹80–200 for run-of-network CTV, ₹200–400 for YouTube Select (premium content targeting). These are significantly lower than JioHotstar CPMs, making YouTube CTV efficient for high-reach campaigns.
What are the differences between buying YouTube CTV vs JioHotstar CTV in India?
Key differences: (1) Content type — YouTube is primarily user-generated and creator content; JioHotstar is premium professional content (live sports, OTT originals, Bollywood). Brand adjacency quality is higher on JioHotstar. (2) Inventory access — YouTube CTV is self-serve through Google Ads or DV360 with no minimum spend; JioHotstar requires IO or programmatic guaranteed with minimum commitments. (3) Measurement — YouTube CTV supports full Google measurement stack (Brand Lift, Reach Planner, DV360 reporting); JioHotstar measurement is more limited due to SSAI. (4) Audience — YouTube CTV skews younger and broader content interests; JioHotstar CTV is heavily cricket and Hindi entertainment. For most India CTV campaigns: use JioHotstar for premium reach and brand association; use YouTube CTV for scale and cost efficiency in extending reach.