Understanding Connected TV’s Impact on Higher Education Marketing

Connected TV did not arrive overnight. It did not suddenly replace traditional television, and its impact on higher education marketing did not happen all at once. Instead, it started slowly, gained momentum, and eventually became impossible to ignore.

Streaming habits changed first. Viewers moved their attention to connected screens years ago. Marketing followed, but unevenly. Many industries adjusted quickly. Higher education, by nature more cautious and more complex, took longer.

Now, things look very different.

Connected TV is no longer a trend to watch. It is a proven channel shaping how audiences discover, evaluate, and trust brands. For colleges and universities, the impact is especially significant. This is where strong storytelling finally meets accountability, and where enrollment marketing begins to align with how people actually consume media.

Connected TV has already changed how higher education markets itself. What matters now is where it goes next.

The Rise of Streaming and the Birth of Connected TV

Before connected TV advertising became part of marketing conversations, streaming was simply a consumer convenience. People wanted control. They wanted fewer interruptions. They wanted to watch on their own schedules.

Platforms like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime changed expectations long before they changed ad strategies. Viewers got used to choosing content, pausing when they wanted, and watching across devices. And once those habits set in, there was no going back.

In the early days, advertising adoption lagged behind viewing behavior. Marketers outside higher education began experimenting with streaming placements while colleges and universities largely stayed focused on traditional TV, search, and social. The gap was not due to lack of interest. It was due to uncertainty. Measurement was limited. Attribution was unclear. The channel felt new and untested, even as audiences were already there.

That early hesitation matters because it explains where we are now. Higher education did not miss the shift. It simply arrived later to a space that had already matured.

Streaming Has Surpassed Traditional TV

Today, the data leaves little room for debate.

According to Nielsen, streaming reached a historic milestone in 2025 when it eclipsed the combined total of broadcast and cable TV viewing for the first time ever. This moment marked more than a change in preference. It signaled a fundamental shift in how audiences consume television content in the home.

This milestone confirms what viewing behavior has been showing for years. Streaming is no longer an alternative to traditional TV. It is now the dominant way audiences engage with long-form video. The television screen still matters, but the way content reaches that screen has permanently changed.

For higher ed marketers, this distinction matters more than ever. Audiences are no longer tied to channels, schedules, or fixed programming blocks. They are choosing platforms, content libraries, and on-demand experiences that fit their lives.

Connected TV sits at the center of that reality. It combines the immersive impact of television with the flexibility, targeting, and measurement of digital media. That combination is what makes CTV marketing for higher education so powerful right now.

How Connected TV Advertising Works Today

Modern connected TV advertising operates very differently from traditional TV buys.

Ads are delivered programmatically through streaming platforms and apps. Instead of purchasing broad time slots, marketers reach households based on geography, demographics, viewing behavior, and other privacy-compliant signals. Campaigns can be adjusted while they are live. Performance can be analyzed in near real time.

This flexibility changes how higher education teams think about television. CTV is no longer just an awareness channel. It becomes part of a larger ecosystem that supports inquiry generation, campus visits, and enrollment goals.

In other words, CTV is not replacing everything else. It is making everything else work harder.

AmbioEdu’s approach to CTV is built specifically for this reality. Our Performance TV solutions help institutions plan, activate, and measure campaigns that align with how students and families actually move across screens today.

The result is not just reach. It’s relevance.

The Benefits of Connected TV for Higher Education Marketers

When you look at Connected TV through a higher education lens, the benefits go well beyond impressions.

Key advantages include:

• Audience attention: Streaming environments are lean-back experiences. Viewers are engaged, not scrolling past content in seconds.
• Household-level reach: Colleges and universities can reach students and parents together in shared viewing moments.
• Storytelling at scale: Full-screen video allows institutions to communicate value, outcomes, and campus culture in ways static formats simply cannot.
• Measurable impact: Digital delivery enables clearer insight into how exposure supports downstream actions.

These benefits explain why more and more institutions are exploring CTV advertising as a complement to search, social, and traditional media. When executed thoughtfully, CTV strengthens the entire enrollment journey.

It delivers the brand lift traditional TV has always provided, while also functioning like a digital channel that supports inquiries, visits, and other conversions.

We explore this intersection of storytelling and performance in more detail in our breakdown of how universities are using CTV to boost visibility.

Higher Ed Has Only Scratched the Surface

One of the most exciting aspects of Connected TV is how quickly creative possibilities are evolving.

Streaming platforms are experimenting with ad formats that respond to context and viewer behavior. Pause-state placements, interactive overlays, and environment-aware messaging are becoming more common. These are not gimmicks. They show just how intentional streaming experiences have become.

For higher education, this opens the door to more thoughtful engagement. Imagine messaging that appears when viewers are relaxed, curious, and open to discovery. Imagine ads that feel aligned with the moment instead of interrupting it.

CTV allows institutions to move beyond static messaging and toward experiences that feel considered and human. That shift is still early for higher education, which creates real opportunity for institutions willing to lead instead of follow.

For additional perspective on how streaming formats differ and where these opportunities live, our comparison of OTT and CTV provides helpful context.

The Future of Connected TV in Higher Ed Marketing

Looking ahead, Connected TV is moving toward deeper interaction and stronger integration across the viewing experience.

Consumer expectations are evolving alongside the technology. According to Deloitte’s Digital Media Trends 2025 report, audiences increasingly expect more control, more personalization, and more relevance from the content and advertising they engage with. Streaming is no longer just about convenience. It is about experiences that feel intuitive, interactive, and aligned with how people choose to spend their time.

For higher education, this shift opens the door to new forms of engagement that shorten the distance between interest and action. Interactive ad experiences, richer storytelling formats, and deeper platform integrations make it possible for prospective students to explore programs, campuses, and outcomes without ever leaving the screen.

Virtual tours, program previews, and immersive storytelling are natural extensions of where Connected TV is headed. These tools will not replace human connection. They support it by removing friction and helping students and families feel more confident earlier in the decision process.

As attribution and measurement continue to improve, institutions will gain clearer insight into how Connected TV supports enrollment outcomes over time. That visibility is what will move CTV from an experimental channel to a foundational part of higher education media planning.

Higher Education Can’t Ignore Connected TV

The most important thing to understand about Connected TV is timing.

The audience shift has already happened. Streaming has surpassed traditional television. Viewers have changed their habits. The real question for higher education is not whether CTV works. It is whether waiting creates risk.

Institutions that explore connected TV advertising now gain an advantage that compounds. They learn faster. They refine messaging earlier. They build familiarity in moments that matter.

For higher education marketing, this is not about abandoning what already works. It is about aligning strategy with reality. When institutions meet audiences where they already are, marketing becomes more effective, more accountable, and more human.

We partner with schools ready to take that step thoughtfully. If you are exploring what Connected TV could look like for your institution, start the conversation today.