While no product has been formally announced \u2014 and several sources cautioned that plans remain fluid \u2014 the nature of those conversations has led many to believe that Meta is likely probing a way to extend its advertising demand into third-party CTV inventory, in a model similar to Meta Audience Network<\/a>, or \u201cFAN\u201d as many still call it.<\/p>\n \u2018FAN\u00a0for the living room\u2018<\/p>\n Several sources described the likely end-state as a form of \u201caudience extension\u201d for CTV \u2014 effectively allowing advertisers to use Meta\u2019s targeting and optimization tools to reach users on streaming inventory beyond its owned-and-operated apps.<\/p>\n That interpretation stems from the type of partners Meta has engaged. Conversations with SSPs and ad servers suggest Meta is less interested in building its own CTV supply from scratch, and more focused on plugging into existing infrastructure.<\/p>\n \u201cThey need the pipes,\u201d said one source, adding that while Meta has the demand and data, it still requires access to premium video inventory aggregated by SSPs or controlled by TV manufacturers. \u00a0<\/p>\n Those familiar with early-stage discussions said Meta had progressed beyond purely theoretical conversations in some cases, requesting inventory availability \u2014 a sign that at least some commercial scenarios were being modeled. \u00a0<\/p>\n Still, there is no consensus on how far along those plans are, with some suggesting Meta\u2019s momentum fluctuated at different points over the past year, while separate Digiday sources claimed such meetings have been taking place since early 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n A spokesperson for Meta, which announced\u00a0plans to cut 10% of its global workforce on April 23,<\/a> said it had nothing to share when contacted by Digiday for comment. <\/p>\n Similarly, a spokesperson for FreeWheel was unable to provide comment on the record, while Magnite did not respond to Digiday\u2019s outreach.\u00a0<\/p>\n SMB budgets<\/p>\n Meta\u2019s core strength lies in performance advertising, particularly among small and mid-sized businesses, with the vast majority of its 2025 revenue ($201 billion) expected to have come from mobile ads. Extending that capability into CTV \u2014 historically dominated by brand advertising \u2014 would unlock a new pool of spend.<\/p>\n Industry players point to the growing intersection between mobile performance and CTV inventory as a key driver. As one source described it, the \u201cCTV-to-mobile\u201d loop \u2014 where ads viewed on TV drive measurable actions on mobile devices \u2014 is becoming an increasingly attractive proposition for advertisers who measure the success of their ad campaigns with direct-response metrics. This would align with Meta\u2019s existing strengths: deterministic user data, cross-device identity, and AI-driven optimization. In theory, those capabilities could help solve one of CTV\u2019s longstanding challenges \u2014 attribution.<\/p>\n Jordi de Los Pinos, CEO of Smadex \u2014 an ad tech company that initially specialized in mobile but is expanding to the CTV space \u2014\u00a0told Digiday that the $100 billion app install\/retention market has historically been channeled into mobile display.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThese advertisers commanding 12-figures of demand are able to grow their businesses that much faster with fresh access to the CTV ecosystem\u2019s massive supply of attention,\u201d he added. \u201cIt would make a lot of sense for Meta to press its advantage in the budding CTV-to-mobile wave.\u201d<\/p>\n Mike Brooks, an ad industry consultant with extensive experience in the CTV and mobile app space, explained to Digiday that migrating from serving ads on mobile screens to larger devices in users\u2019 homes makes sense. He forecast that all major companies with strong mobile \u201cown and operated\u201d media businesses will expand into CTV to better compete with Amazon Prime Video\u00a0and Google-owned YouTube.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s real power in large owned-and-operated media and ads businesses extending their tendrils between CTV and mobile.\u00a0There are advantages in creative, where interactive ads supercharge performance, like we\u2019re seeing in the early days of Amazon\u2019s click-to-cart dominance,\u201d added Brooks. \u201cThen there\u2019s an advantage in measurement: you can create proprietary links between phones and TVs without being subject to the woes of IP-based measurement.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n SMBs are central to the opportunity. Several sources noted that if Meta could effectively productize CTV buying in the same way it did with social, simplifying access and lowering barriers to entry for smaller advertisers that have historically struggled with the complexity and cost of TV. It would also give it a \u201ccross-screen story,\u201d bringing it in direct competition with Amazon and Google \u2014\u00a0these three companies command more than half of all ad spend combined.<\/p>\n No confirmed launch<\/p>\n There are early signs of product experimentation. Meta quietly introduced \u201cReels TV<\/a>\u201d in late 2025, which some sources described as a stepping stone toward broader CTV ambitions.<\/p>\n There is no indication of an imminent launch, and sources stressed that Meta has not publicly committed to a specific roadmap. Instead, the pattern of meetings \u2014 with SSPs, OEMs, and other intermediaries \u2014 suggests the company is still in planning mode.\u00a0<\/p>\n That caution is notable given Meta\u2019s mixed track record in this area. Its acquisition of video SSP LiveRail in 2014 was ultimately written down<\/a> after issues, including fraud and supply quality, undermined the business \u2014 a history that may inform its current, more partnership-led approach.<\/p>\n CTV competition<\/p>\n Meta\u2019s push into CTV comes as competitors converge on the same opportunity from different directions.<\/p>\n YouTube is investing further into performance advertising<\/a>, while Amazon continues to integrate commerce and CTV<\/a> through Prime Video. Meanwhile, newer entrants such as tvScientific and Vibe are building businesses around performance CTV for SMBs \u2014 effectively targeting the same advertiser base that Meta dominates.<\/p>\n That competitive pressure may be as much a driver as growth ambitions. Several sources framed Meta\u2019s interest in CTV as a way to \u201crecapture\u201d budgets that have begun to shift toward emerging performance channels and platforms. \u00a0<\/p>\n Bottom line <\/p>\n While the extent of Meta\u2019s CTV ambitions is unclear, there is consistent, sustained outreach to supply partners and a clear focus on extending its demand into new environments.<\/p>\n If it follows through, with a familiar playbook also in place. As with FAN, the goal would not be to own the media but to own the demand, then use its data, tooling, and scale to facilitate ad buys across the open internet.<\/p>\n However, one source cautioned that Meta should better curate any third-party source of ad inventory it offers, as poor governance was seen as the main reason it\u00a0had to shutter earlier elements of FAN<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n And if Meta can make CTV behave like social \u2014 measurable, self-serve, and performance-driven \u2014 it could reshape not just its own growth trajectory, but the economics of TV advertising itself.<\/p>\n Commenting on his outfit\u2019s recent forecast, Max Willens, principal analyst, eMarketer, noted that Meta\u2019s projected usurping of Google as the world\u2019s top advertising operation concerned its net revenue, rather than its gross figure.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you do the gross figures, Google is still ahead, largely because of YouTube, which is such a huge part of our Google number,\u201d he said, noting that much of Meta\u2019s ad automation efforts are contributing significantly to its results. \u201cThe simple reality is that they have gotten a massive amount of buy-in from their huge base of advertisers.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Amazon-Google-and-Meta-Net-Ad-Revenues.jpg\")
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