New York: DoubleVerify, the software platform for media quality verification and ad performance optimization, has released its 2026 Global Insights report — Must-CTV: Streaming’s Shift From Promise to Performance — revealing a dramatic surge in AI-driven connected TV (CTV) fraud schemes worldwide.
The report, based on proprietary measurement data spanning billions of impressions and surveys of more than 2,000 marketers and 22,000 consumers across over 20 global markets, highlights how artificial intelligence is enabling fraudsters to scale operations at unprecedented speed and complexity.
Fraud Escalating at Alarming Speed
Among the report’s most striking findings, DV detected 140% more CTV fraud schemes and variants in Q1 2026 compared to Q1 2025. The company also uncovered more than 50 distinct CTV bot attacks and variants in 2025 alone, alongside a tenfold increase in fraudulent CTV apps year-over-year. The financial toll is equally significant — in unprotected campaigns, fraud can cost advertisers approximately $1.8 million per billion CTV impressions served.
“CTV is attracting premium spend and bad actors right along with it,” said Gilit Saporta, VP, Fraud Lab at DoubleVerify. “Our research shows fraudsters are quick to exploit inefficiencies in the ecosystem, using AI and limited transparency to siphon value from advertisers, with tactics that vary by market. Brands need to get ahead of it by eliminating low-quality impressions and focusing investment on inventory with a real chance to perform.”
Regional Variations Reveal Targeted Tactics
The report also highlights that CTV fraud is far from uniform across regions. In North America, bot fraud — where software imitates real users — accounted for 82% of violations. Meanwhile, data center fraud dominated in the Asia-Pacific region at 98%, EMEA at 66%, and Latin America at 91%, signalling that fraudsters are actively adapting their methods by market.
Direct Deals Are Not Immune
A key finding challenges the widely held belief that purchasing CTV inventory through direct deals or private marketplaces inherently safeguards against fraud. DV found bot activity in multiple direct CTV buys from major global advertisers — including a consumer healthcare campaign where 34% of impressions went to bots, and a major CPG campaign where the figure stood at 25%.
“There’s a perception that direct deals in CTV are fraud-free, but that’s not the case as fraud always finds a way,” Saporta noted. “It can exist anywhere inventory is bought and sold. Without independent verification and proactive protections, advertisers risk paying premium prices for impressions that deliver no real value.”
Protection Proves Critical
DV’s analysis draws a sharp contrast between protected and unprotected environments. In DV-protected CTV campaigns, fraud rates were below 1%, compared to nearly 9% in unprotected campaigns. Despite this, fewer than one in four advertisers — just 21% — currently measure CTV performance using invalid traffic or fraud detection as a key performance indicator.
In response to the growing threat, DV launched DV Authentic Streaming TV™ in January 2026, combining verification and optimization with AI-powered activation and unified measurement across streaming TV and CTV environments.
