Programmatic television advertising has produced one of the densest acronym environments in media. A single campaign brief can reference VAST, SSAI, OpenRTB, SCTE-35, VMAP, HouseholdID, RIDA, AFAI, TIFA, schain, app-ads.txt, PMP, PG, DMP, DSP, SSP, ACR, COPPA, and VCR without repetition — and that is before getting into the content taxonomy, measurement methodology, or deal structure specifics. This glossary defines every term that practitioners encounter in CTV and programmatic linear TV advertising, with enough context to understand not just what each acronym stands for but how it functions in the ad serving workflow. Each definition connects to the deeper coverage available in specific guides on the LtvAdx blog for terms that merit detailed treatment.
A
ACR — Automatic Content Recognition
Technology embedded in smart TV operating systems that identifies what is being displayed on the screen by fingerprinting audio or video frames against a reference database. ACR data creates verified viewing history for household-level audience targeting and linear TV attribution without relying on app-level tracking. Samsung, LG, and Vizio operating systems are the primary ACR data sources in US CTV advertising. See the CTV audience segments guide for how ACR-based targeting is activated in campaigns.
AFAI — Amazon Fire Advertising ID
The platform advertising identifier issued by Amazon to Fire TV devices, equivalent to Roku's RIDA. Used for device-level frequency management and household identity resolution. Resettable by the user through device settings; when reset, creates a new identifier that the household identity graph must re-resolve to the persistent household key.
App-ads.txt
IAB standard that allows CTV and mobile app publishers to declare which supply-side platforms and exchanges are authorized to sell their inventory. Publishers host an app-ads.txt file at their developer domain linked from their app store listing; DSPs enforce app-ads.txt compliance by rejecting bid requests from apps that do not declare the selling SSP as authorized. The CTV equivalent of the web ads.txt standard. See the supply path optimization guide for implementation details.
ATSC A/85
The broadcast standard for television audio loudness in the United States, requiring integrated loudness of -24 LKFS and true peak levels not exceeding -2 dBTP. CTV creative must comply with ATSC A/85 to avoid jarring volume discontinuities between content and advertising. Enforced in publisher creative acceptance policies.
AVOD — Ad-Supported Video on Demand
A streaming service business model where content is free to viewers and monetized through advertising. Tubi, Peacock (ad-supported tier), and Amazon Freevee are examples. AVOD is a monetization model, not a device category — AVOD content can be watched on CTV, mobile, tablet, or desktop. See the OTT/CTV/AVOD terminology guide for how AVOD relates to FAST, SVOD, and CTV.
B
Bid Floor
The minimum CPM at which a publisher will sell an impression. Bid requests below the floor price are rejected. Publishers set floors in the LtvAdx publisher portal at the channel, daypart, content genre, and deal tier levels. Correct floor pricing is the primary yield management lever for CTV publishers.
Brand Lift
A measurement methodology that quantifies the effect of advertising on consumer perception metrics — awareness, consideration, intent, and brand favorability — by comparing survey responses from exposed and control (unexposed) households. Requires minimum campaign scale (typically 500,000+ impressions) and a defined control group for statistical validity.
C
COPPA — Children's Online Privacy Protection Act
US federal law prohibiting the collection, use, or disclosure of personal information — including persistent identifiers used for behavioral advertising — from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. Applies to CTV apps directed to children or that have actual knowledge of child users. Behavioral advertising including HouseholdID activation is prohibited on COPPA-covered inventory. See the kids advertising and COPPA guide for publisher and advertiser compliance requirements.
CPCV — Cost Per Completed View
Total campaign spend divided by the number of impressions where the VAST complete beacon fired. The correct efficiency metric for cross-format video advertising comparison because it normalizes for completion rate differences between skippable and non-skippable formats. At 93% CTV completion, a $30 CPM produces a CPCV of $0.032. See the CTV advertising costs guide for the full CPM-to-CPCV comparison framework.
CPM — Cost Per Mille
Advertising pricing unit representing the cost per 1,000 impressions. CTV programmatic CPMs typically range from $10–$55 depending on inventory tier, audience enrichment, content genre, deal type, and seasonality. CPM is the standard transaction unit in CTV programmatic buying.
CSAI — Client-Side Ad Insertion
Ad delivery method where the video player loads VAST ad creative as a separate asset at break time, distinct from the content stream. Contrasted with SSAI (server-side ad insertion) where ads are stitched into the manifest before player delivery. CSAI supports interactive overlays but is vulnerable to ad blockers and can cause buffering on CTV devices. See the SSAI vs CSAI comparison.
CTV — Connected TV
Internet-connected television devices — smart TVs, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, gaming consoles — that receive video content over IP. CTV is the television-screen subset of OTT (over-the-top) delivery. The defining characteristic is the television screen, not the content type or business model. See the CTV advertising overview.
D
DASH — Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP
An ISO-standard adaptive bitrate streaming protocol used by many CTV platforms alongside HLS. LtvAdx SSAI supports both HLS and DASH manifest stitching. DASH uses .mpd manifest files; HLS uses .m3u8 manifests.
Deal ID
A unique alphanumeric string representing a negotiated agreement between a publisher (or SSP) and a buyer (or DSP seat) that carries deal terms including floor price, eligible inventory, and deal type. Deal IDs appear in OpenRTB bid requests in theimp[].pmp.deals array and in bid responses in seatbid[].bid[].dealid. See the deal ID mechanics guide for the full OpenRTB specification and troubleshooting framework.
DMA — Designated Market Area
The 210 geographic television advertising markets defined by Nielsen that structure local TV buying. DMA-level targeting is the standard geographic unit in CTV campaigns and is supported with 95%+ accuracy for residential fixed broadband connections. See the CTV geotargeting guide.
DMP — Data Management Platform
A system for collecting, organizing, and activating audience data from multiple sources. In CTV, DMPs are less central than in web display advertising because CTV identity operates through household graphs rather than cookie-based segments. First-party CDPs (Customer Data Platforms) have largely replaced traditional DMPs in DTC and performance advertising workflows.
DSP — Demand-Side Platform
Software that executes programmatic advertising buying on behalf of advertisers and agencies. DSPs receive OpenRTB bid requests from SSPs, evaluate them against campaign targeting criteria, submit bids, manage creative delivery, and report on campaign performance. CTV DSPs require VAST 4.2 support, household-level frequency capping, and deal ID handling for effective programmatic TV buying. See the CTV DSP buying guide.
E
eCPM — Effective CPM
Total revenue divided by total impressions, expressed per 1,000 impressions. The primary publisher yield metric that captures the combined effect of fill rate and clearing CPM. eCPM is more useful than average CPM alone because it accounts for unfilled inventory that earns $0 but is included in the impression denominator.
F
FAST — Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV
Linear-style streaming television delivered over the internet, free to viewers and monetized through advertising. FAST channels have scheduled programming like traditional cable channels rather than on-demand title selection. Pluto TV, Samsung TV Plus, Roku Channel, and Amazon Freevee FAST channels are examples. See the FAST channel monetization guide.
Fill Rate
The percentage of ad requests that result in a filled ad impression. A fill rate of 85% means 15% of available ad slots aired slate or house promos rather than paid advertising. Fill rate is the primary operational efficiency metric for CTV publishers and is segmented by deal tier, daypart, and content genre in publisher yield analysis.
G
GRP — Gross Rating Point
The traditional TV advertising reach and frequency metric: reach percentage times average frequency. One GRP represents 1% of the target audience reached once. GRPs are the currency of linear TV upfront buying; CTV replaces GRP-based audience estimates with deterministic household impression counts and verified reach metrics.
H
HLS — HTTP Live Streaming
Apple's adaptive bitrate streaming protocol, the dominant standard for CTV delivery in North America. HLS uses .m3u8 playlist files with segmented .ts or .fmp4 media files. LtvAdx SSAI stitches ads into HLS manifests for CTV app delivery.
HouseholdID
LtvAdx's persistent household-level identity key that resolves multiple device identifiers — Roku RIDA, Amazon AFAI, Samsung TIFA, IP address, authenticated email — to a single household key used for cross-device frequency capping, audience targeting, and attribution. See the HouseholdID guide and the CTV identity without cookies guide.
I
IAB — Interactive Advertising Bureau
Industry trade organization that publishes technical standards for digital and CTV advertising including VAST, VMAP, OpenRTB, app-ads.txt, sellers.json, the schain specification, and the Content Taxonomy used for content category targeting and brand safety configuration.
Incrementality
The measurement of advertising's actual causal effect on consumer behavior, determined through randomized controlled experiments comparing exposed and holdout groups. Incrementality testing answers whether advertising caused conversions rather than whether conversions occurred near advertising exposure. The gold standard for CTV performance measurement. See the CTV attribution guide.
L – M
LAT — Limit Ad Tracking
User-controlled device setting that signals the advertiser's preference not to have their device identifier used for behavioral targeting. LtvAdx respects LAT flags by suppressing HouseholdID activation and behavioral targeting for LAT-enabled devices. Equivalent to the browser Do Not Track signal in the CTV context.
LKFS — Loudness Units Full Scale
The international loudness measurement unit for broadcast audio. CTV ad creative must comply with -24 LKFS integrated loudness per ATSC A/85 standards. Creative that is significantly louder than the -24 LKFS reference level fails publisher creative acceptance review.
MVPD — Multichannel Video Programming Distributor
Traditional cable, satellite, or fiber TV operator (Comcast, Charter, DirecTV) that distributes linear channel bundles to subscribers. MVPDs control addressable advertising inventory on linear channels through set-top box insertion infrastructure. See the addressable linear TV guide.
O
OpenRTB
IAB standard protocol for real-time programmatic advertising auctions. OpenRTB 2.6 is the current version with CTV-specific extensions for pod structure, content metadata, SSAI path indicators, and household identity. See the OpenRTB CTV best practices guide.
OTT — Over-the-Top
Video content delivered over the public internet rather than through cable, satellite, or broadcast infrastructure. OTT encompasses all internet-delivered video regardless of device — including mobile, tablet, desktop, and television screens. CTV is the television-screen subset of OTT.
P
PG — Programmatic Guaranteed
A deal structure where buyer and publisher commit to a fixed CPM and minimum impression volume, executed through automated delivery rather than manual trafficking. PG deals execute through deal IDs with reserved inventory and delivery tracking against the committed volume. See the programmatic guaranteed CTV guide.
PMP — Private Marketplace
A deal structure that gives a buyer priority access to specific publisher inventory at a negotiated floor CPM without committed volume. PMP buyers receive first-look at eligible inventory before open auction competition. Configured through deal IDs shared between publisher and buyer.
Pod
A sequential group of video ads served during a single commercial break. A pod containing three 30-second ads delivers 90 seconds of advertising before content resumes. Pod structure — slot count, duration, competitive separation rules, and fallback slate — is configured at the publisher level in the LtvAdx ad server. See the CTV ad pod strategy guide.
R
RIDA — Roku ID for Advertising
Platform advertising identifier issued by Roku to Roku OS devices. Used for frequency management and household identity resolution in CTV programmatic. Resettable by the user through Roku device settings.
S
schain — SupplyChain Object
IAB specification that adds a machine-readable transaction history to OpenRTB bid requests, declaring every system through which inventory passed before reaching the DSP. Enables buyers to verify the supply path against authorized seller declarations and is a core requirement in programmatic TV supply path optimization programs.
SCTE-35
Broadcast standard for embedding commercial break opportunity signals in live video transport streams. SCTE-35 markers trigger SSAI stitchers to initiate ad decisions for live CTV and FAST channel breaks. Carries break duration metadata used to determine pod slot capacity. See the SSAI guide.
Sellers.json
IAB specification maintained by SSPs and exchanges declaring every publisher and intermediary authorized to sell inventory through that platform. Enables DSPs to validate the supply chain against declared seller entities as part of supply path optimization.
SPO — Supply Path Optimization
Buyer-side practice of auditing and reducing supply chain complexity to concentrate spend with the shortest, most transparent paths to publisher inventory. In CTV, SPO involves validating app-ads.txt declarations, sellers.json entries, schain objects, and latency profiles. See the SPO guide.
SSAI — Server-Side Ad Insertion
Ad delivery method where the ad server stitches commercials directly into the HLS or DASH video manifest before it reaches the player. Ads are indistinguishable from content at the manifest level, preventing ad blocking and delivering seamless playback. The default delivery method for premium CTV and FAST channel advertising. See the SSAI guide.
SVOD — Subscription Video on Demand
Streaming service business model where viewers pay a subscription fee for access, with no advertising on the pure SVOD tier. Most major SVOD platforms now also offer AVOD tiers (ad-supported subscriptions at lower price), creating hybrid SVOD/AVOD products.
T
TIFA — Tizen ID for Advertising
Platform advertising identifier issued by Samsung to Tizen OS smart TV devices. Samsung Tizen is the most widely deployed smart TV operating system globally, making TIFA a significant CTV identity signal alongside Roku RIDA and Amazon AFAI.
U – V
UID2 — Unified ID 2.0
The Trade Desk's open-source universal ID standard based on hashed and encrypted email addresses. CTV publishers that collect authenticated email sign-ins can generate UID2 tokens and pass them in OpenRTB bid requests, enabling DSPs to apply audience targeting for authenticated impressions. Increasingly adopted in CTV as a post-cookie identity standard.
VAST — Video Ad Serving Template
IAB XML standard for delivering video ad creative and tracking instructions from an ad server to a video player. VAST 4.2 is the current version, adding verification node support for third-party measurement, improved error codes, and mezzanine file references for adaptive bitrate delivery. All LtvAdx inventory requires VAST 4.2 compliance. See the VAST 4.2 guide.
VCR — Video Completion Rate
The percentage of delivered impressions where the VAST complete beacon fired, indicating the ad played to its full duration. CTV VCR typically exceeds 90% due to non-skippable ad formats. VCR measures beacon firing in SSAI environments, not necessarily viewer attention. See the VCR vs completion rate analysis.
VMAP — Video Multiple Ad Playlist
IAB standard that defines commercial break positions, slot counts, and ad call URLs for VOD video assets. VMAP documents are read by SSAI stitchers to determine where and how many ads to insert in a video. For live content, SCTE-35 markers replace VMAP break positioning. See the VMAP guide.
vMVPD — Virtual Multichannel Video Programming Distributor
An internet-delivered version of a traditional cable TV bundle — YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV, FuboTV, Sling TV. vMVPDs carry the same linear channel programming as cable but with OTT delivery, enabling digital-grade impression tracking and programmatic advertising capabilities that traditional cable infrastructure cannot match.
W
VAST Wrapper
A VAST response that contains a redirect URL to another VAST document rather than an inline media file. Wrappers are used by third-party ad servers to inject tracking before forwarding to the publisher's VAST. Excessive wrapper depth (more than three levels) adds latency and increases failure risk in CTV SSAI delivery paths.
This glossary covers the primary terms in CTV and programmatic TV advertising. For deeper coverage of any term, the corresponding guide linked in each definition provides the full operational context. To explore the platform that implements all of these concepts, review the LtvAdx product pages or request a demonstration.
