Attention On CTV: Why 2026 Is the Year Marketers Fuse High Attention with High Reach

“70% of ads deemed viewable are entirely IGNORED.”

This single attention statistic by Lumen Research should stop every brand marketer in their tracks. Your ad appeared on screen. It technically qualified as "viewable." But no one actually looked at it. Billions in ad spends vanish into this attention black hole every year.

Welcome to 2026, where attention — not impressions — is the true currency that matters. And Connected TV has emerged as the most efficient vehicle to capture it in 2026.

Attention metrics have become non-negotiable

For years, we’ve been saying: “not all views are equal.” But as Lumen research reveals, viewability is device-driven; attention is human-driven. Traditional metrics like impressions and VTR tell you what happened. Attention metrics tell you what registered in the human brain. And that drives brand recall, favorability, and purchase intent. This validates what brand marketers have always known:  

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It's time to move beyond vanity metrics and focus on what truly influences consumer decisions:  

‍ATTENTION - the next big performance metric for 2026.

The attention-action connection

Can attention actually lead to action? The data says ‘Yes.’

Attention Per Mille (APM), that measures attentive seconds per 1,000 impressions, has emerged as the gold standard by Lumen. Research states APM is a strong predictor of CTR, and invariably, interaction and action.  

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Attention is the new performance currency! And the future belongs to brands that earn focus. Our study quantifies that difference, proving how:

• Interactivity is key to earning attention -  mCanvas’ ad formats drive nearly 3X - 4X higher Attention Per Mille (APM). This further established that experiences designed for user engagement outperform passive formats.

• Attention drives bottom-funnel results - When audiences truly pay attention, they are far more likely to act. mCanvas’ campaigns garnered +106% lift in APM, which translates to a 9% higher purchase intent, as validated by Kantar.

Explore more insights in our attention study with Lumen Research.

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Well then, what about elevating attention on CTV in 2026?

The CTV advantage: where reach meets precision

Connected TV has shifted from a "nice-to-have" complement to linear - the foundation of video strategy. And the numbers explain why.

streaming has become primary

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CTV earned an average Attention Unit rating of 58.9 in Q2 2025, higher than linear TV (52.5 AUs), online video (39.7 AUs), and display advertising (23.2 AUs), according to Mediasmart.

CTV delivers efficiency at scale

As per MediaOcean, 58% of marketers increased their CTV spend in H2 2025, outpacing other media. Why?

Research by LG Ad Solutions shows that after 23 days, CTV surpasses linear TV in efficiency and grows steadily. Linear TV quickly achieves mass reach but efficiency peaks within 10 days. Meanwhile, CTV reach continues to increase without drastically inflating frequency levels that plague linear campaigns.

How mCanvas fuses science of attention with the CTV creative

At mCanvas, we've built our approach around a simple science: attention alone won't drive business outcomes. Our creatives build associations to make your brand not only seen and felt... but remembered.

the science: a global attention study

A global attention study by Lumen Research and mCanvas analysed campaigns across multiple continents and verticals, leveraging 750K+ opt-in eye-tracking sessions and machine learning models trained on 1B+ impressions.  

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the creative: mCanvas’ CTV Success Stories

1) LIC: Building Trust Through Immersive CTV

Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) cultivated awareness among household audiences about their diverse insurance plans. The product-focused CTV campaigns outperformed generic branding messaging with specific value propositions driving higher completion rates and engagement.

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explore LIC’s - CTV campaign video here

2. Cathey Pacific: Flying High on CTV/ Real-Time Engagement

Cathay Pacific amplified its positioning as the "World’s Best Economy" airline across seven SEA regions, using animated CTV formats with integrated QR codes. The campaign used contextual targeting - aligning content with audience insights by market, and aspirational travel interests. The brand bridged the gap between passive viewing and active interest — transforming 15-second brand moments into deeper user engagement on CTV.  

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watch campaign video for Cathay Pacific

‍The challenge: closing the gap between creative and data

Here's the uncomfortable truth: 63% of CTV buyers agree that the industry prioritizes either creative or data, rather than balancing both.

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Yet, 70% of CTV buyers say insights drive meaningful ideas. 84% of advertisers value frequency control, real-time optimization, and incremental reach V/s linear. The opportunity is clear:  ‍

brands that fuse attention-rich creative with precision targeting will dominate the CTV ad space in 2026.

What this means for your CTV strategy in 2026

With attention spans fragmented across devices and platforms, brands will need to:

1. Begin with CTV, not linear -

            use CTV as your foundation for incremental reach for brand building, not just as a linear TV extension

2. Optimize for APM, not just impressions -

             measure attentive seconds per 1,000 impressions, not just viewability

3. Deploy dynamic formats -

             move beyond standard 15/30-second spots to ad experiences that demand engagement

4. Leverage CTV audience data -

             use ACR signals and household device graphs for precision targeting and frequency management

5. Prove performance with robust measurement partners -

             which includes Brand lift, web traffic, store visits, and sales attribution

6. Adopt omnichannel thinking -

             extend CTV campaigns across mobile for retargeting and conversion.

The future of CTV advertising isn't just about being seen. It's about being remembered, recognized, and chosen.

Ready to elevate your CTV campaigns with attention-rich, data-driven strategies?
Contact mCanvas at sales@mcanvas.com to learn more about our attention-first CTV solutions.