July 22, 2025
The Complete Guide to TV Advertising for Mobile Apps
Escape crowded app stores and acquire users through streaming TV
Table of Contents
App store advertising costs have doubled in the past three years. Social media CPIs keep climbing. Privacy changes have made targeting harder and attribution murkier. If you're acquiring mobile app users, you know the pain.
Here's what's driving savvy app marketers to explore a channel their competitors haven't saturated yet: connected TV advertising. CTV offers a way to reach high-intent users outside the crowded digital ecosystem, and the results are compelling.
Why Apps Are Turning to CTV
The numbers tell the story. CTV advertising has grown 40%+ year over year while traditional app install channels have become increasingly competitive and expensive.
The second-screen advantage:
Most streaming viewers have their phone within arm's reach. When they see an interesting app on TV, they can download it immediately. This second-screen behavior creates a direct path from awareness to installation.
Why CTV works for app marketing:
Undivided attention: TV ads aren't scrolled past like social feeds
Premium context: Your app appears alongside content people chose to watch
Action-oriented viewers: People actively engage with content (and their phones)
Less competition: Most app marketers haven't discovered CTV yet
Brand building + performance: TV drives both installs and long-term recognition
App categories seeing strong CTV results include fitness, finance, gaming, food delivery, and streaming services. The common thread: apps that benefit from broad awareness and immediate action.
Targeting App Users on TV
CTV targeting has evolved well beyond basic demographics. You can reach potential users based on behaviors that signal app interest.
Behavioral targeting:
Users who've downloaded similar apps
People who shop in your app's category
Content viewers aligned with your app's purpose (fitness shows for fitness apps, cooking content for recipe apps)
Demographic targeting:
Age, income, and household composition
Device ownership (iOS vs. Android heavy households)
Geographic targeting for location-based apps
Technographic targeting:
Smart TV owners
Multi-device households
Early tech adopters
The combination of TV's reach with digital-like targeting precision makes CTV uniquely powerful for app user acquisition. You can run targeted campaigns that reach exactly the users most likely to download.
Creative That Drives Downloads
App TV ads need to do one thing above all else: give viewers a clear path to download. Here's what works.
QR codes: On-screen QR codes let viewers scan and download instantly. Place them prominently and keep them on screen long enough to scan (5+ seconds).
Short, memorable URLs: If not using QR codes, make the URL simple. "Download at [AppName].com" beats a complex app store link.
Show the app in action: Don't just talk about features. Show the interface, demonstrate the value, make viewers visualize using it.
Clear call-to-action: End with explicit instructions. "Download free on the App Store" leaves no ambiguity about what to do next.
30-second sweet spot: Adwave's 30-second format gives you enough time to demonstrate value and include a strong CTA without losing attention.
For more on creating effective TV ad creative, see our complete guide.
Attribution for App Installs from TV
App marketers live and die by attribution. Here's how to track CTV-driven installs.
Mobile Measurement Partners (MMPs): Platforms like AppsFlyer, Adjust, and Branch can attribute installs to TV campaigns through probabilistic matching. They compare the timing and location of ad exposure to installs, identifying lifts attributable to your campaigns.
Holdout testing: Run campaigns in some markets but not others. Compare install rates between exposed and unexposed regions. The difference represents TV-driven lift.
QR code tracking: QR codes provide direct attribution. Every scan from your TV ad is trackable to the specific campaign, creative, and daypart.
Promotional code attribution: Offer a code exclusive to TV viewers ("Use code TV25 for 25% off premium"). Redemptions directly attribute to TV.
Post-install surveys: Ask new users where they heard about your app. "TV commercial" selections quantify TV's contribution.
The reality: TV attribution won't be as clean as your Meta dashboard. But the users you acquire often have higher lifetime value and lower churn than users from saturated channels.
Budget Considerations for App UA on TV
CTV can fit various UA budgets. Here's how to think about it.
Testing phase ($500-2,000): Run a focused geographic or demographic test. Measure lift against baseline metrics. Determine if CTV works for your app before scaling.
Scaling phase ($5,000-20,000/month): Expand successful tests to more markets. Optimize creative based on performance data. Build CTV into your ongoing UA mix.
CPIs vary widely based on app category, targeting, and creative effectiveness. Gaming apps might see $5-15 CPIs. Fintech apps with higher LTV can justify $30-50+ CPIs. The key metric is always LTV:CAC ratio, not CPI alone.
Adwave lets you start testing for as little as $50, making it accessible to validate the channel before significant investment.
Combining CTV with Other Channels
CTV works best as part of a diversified UA strategy, not a replacement for your existing channels.
CTV + Social: TV drives awareness that makes social ads more effective. Users who've seen your TV ad are more likely to stop scrolling when they see your social ad.
CTV + App Store Optimization: Increased brand awareness from TV drives more branded searches in app stores, improving organic rankings.
CTV + Search: TV viewers who don't install immediately often search later. Ensure you're capturing that branded search traffic.
CTV + Retargeting: Serve digital retargeting ads to users who've been exposed to your TV campaigns (requires probabilistic matching through DSPs or MMPs).
The multi-touch approach recognizes that users rarely convert from a single touchpoint. TV builds the awareness that makes your other channels work harder.
Ready to Acquire App Users Through TV?
The app marketers winning in 2025 are diversifying beyond saturated channels. CTV offers reach, attention, and performance in a channel most competitors haven't discovered.
With Adwave, you can create professional TV commercials from your app's app store listing, target the users most likely to download, and track results through your existing MMP.
Start your CTV user acquisition test and discover what TV can do for your app's growth.
Common questions answered
Can TV advertising actually drive mobile app installs?
Yes, and it often does so more cost-effectively than many app marketers expect. TV creates awareness and intent that drives users to search for and download your app. While there's no direct click-to-install path like with mobile ads, attribution partners can track install lift during TV campaigns. Many app developers find that TV drives high-quality users who discovered the app through genuine interest rather than performance marketing that may attract less engaged users.
How do I attribute app installs to my TV campaign?
Use mobile measurement partners that offer TV attribution, such as AppsFlyer or Adjust, which can correlate install spikes with TV airings. Include a unique promo code or mention in your TV creative that users enter during signup. Track branded app store search volume during campaign periods. Compare install rates and cohort quality during TV flights versus non-campaign periods. Most attribution won't be 100% precise, but directional signals are usually clear.
What type of apps benefit most from TV advertising?
Apps with broad consumer appeal and strong retention tend to see the best TV results. Gaming apps, streaming services, fintech products, and marketplace apps have historically performed well. Apps that solve a clear consumer need that can be communicated in 30 seconds are ideal. Highly niche B2B apps or tools requiring extensive explanation may find TV less efficient than targeted digital channels.
Should I show the app interface in my TV commercial?
Yes, but don't make the ad feel like a product demo. Show enough of the interface to communicate what the app does and why it's valuable, but focus primarily on the benefit to the user. Feature real use cases and outcomes rather than walking through features. A glimpse of clean, appealing UI can signal quality, but the emotional hook matters more than functional demonstration.
What budget do I need to test TV for my mobile app?
For meaningful testing, budget $5,000 to $15,000 over two to four weeks. This provides enough impressions to measure install lift against baseline performance. Smaller budgets can work for very tight geographic targeting or testing creative concepts, but won't generate statistically significant install data. App marketers accustomed to precise digital attribution should approach TV as a brand channel with longer measurement windows than performance campaigns.