Finding 01p. 7
Transparency breaks down between the budget and the screen.
Agencies, resellers, DSPs and exchanges can all sit between a dealer's budget and the publisher. At each step, fees, data and accountability get harder to see.
New ReleaseReleased September 8, 2026
The Streaming Accountability Gap
Research report · Advertising & MediaHow automotive retailers can capture the power of CTV without paying for opacity.
In collaboration with
Dealer Stream
Dealer StreamIncludesSupply-path questions & red flags
Want the short version?
Read our one-minute summary, or ask your AI what this report means for your dealership.
Ask your AI
Streaming is now a core automotive channel. Accountability hasn't caught up.
Dealers still struggle to verify where their ads ran, how their budgets were spent, and whether reported results reflect real business impact. This research gives dealers a framework for evaluating CTV economics, placement quality, format integrity, pacing, attribution and transparency.
74quality-screened dealership survey responses
98%of dealers answering say display or OLV swapped in for streaming TV is a different product
64%of dealers answering had been frustrated by reports listing unfamiliar channels
12questions in the vendor checklist
Key findings
Four things to know before your next streaming renewal.
From the survey, the interviews and a close look at how CTV is bought and reported.
Finding 02p. 10
"OTT" on a proposal doesn't always mean a TV screen.
A budget labeled OTT can fund OLV and display. A $7 display CPM, $14 OLV CPM and $30-$60 premium CTV CPM are different products, and blending them can flatter results.
Finding 03p. 11
Delivery, response and lift are different questions.
Media delivery, consumer response, match-back attribution and incremental lift need separate answers. Blending them is where accountability slips.
Finding 04p. 19
The Pasch Group Streaming Accountability Standard.
A practical standard for audiences, formats, inventory, fees, pacing, measurement and data access, written so you can hand it straight to a vendor.
In the full report
Inside the report
Eight sections, from the streaming shift to 12 questions for vendors.
- 01
Executive Summary
p. 3Seven findings for dealer leadership and what dealers should demand.
- 02
Marketplace Overview
p. 5Audience and ad spend shifts, the CTV buying chain and the dealer survey.
- 03
Industry Challenges
p. 9Fees, placements, format mixing, pacing, resellers, attribution and data governance.
- 04
Dealer Interviews
p. 13Eight dealer and agency perspectives and the themes they share.
- 05
Dealer Stream Excellence
p. 17A case study in transparent streaming, with a scorecard and where it should improve.
- 06
Dealer Operating Standard
p. 19The accountability standard, a monthly dashboard, a 90-day pilot and dealer tests.
- 07
Final Conclusions
p. 22What dealers should demand before approving the next streaming budget.
- 08
The 12 Questions & Appendices
p. 23A 12-question vendor checklist, a buyer checklist, glossary and sources.
Short on time? Read the executive summary (p. 3) and the dealer operating standard (p. 19). About 7 minutes.
Tools you can use on Monday
- Supply-path questions & red flags
- Attribution evidence ladder
- Pasch Group Streaming Accountability Standard
- Monthly dealer dashboard
- 90-day pilot blueprint
- Recommended dealer tests
- 12 questions every dealer should ask
- Dealer buyer checklist
26 pages · Free PDF
About the research
Who's behind it, and how it was done.
The team, the method, and where the data came from.
- Survey
- 74 usable dealership responses, screened from 102 collected
- Interviews
- Eight dealer and agency interviews
- Market data
- Nielsen, IAB, BIA, ANA and other industry sources through Aug. 19, 2026
- Limits
- Directional sample; vendor and interview results not independently audited
Read the full abstract
Streaming television has transformed how automotive retailers can reach consumers, combining the impact of television with household targeting, first-party audiences, geographic precision and measurable outcomes. But the technology that makes CTV powerful also creates a complex media supply chain where fees, inventory quality, format substitutions, placement details, pacing and attribution can become difficult for dealers to verify.
In The Streaming Accountability Gap, Brian Pasch examines the U.S. automotive OTT and streaming marketplace using current industry research, 74 quality-screened dealership survey responses and eight dealer and agency interviews. The report identifies where accountability can break down and provides dealers with practical standards for evaluating vendors, auditing campaigns, separating CTV from lower-cost formats, interpreting attribution claims and building a more transparent streaming strategy.
For your role
What's in it for you?
Pick your seat to see what this report means for your job.
Questions
Before you download.
Quick answers about the report and who it's for.
What is the streaming accountability gap?
It's the gap between what dealers spend on streaming TV and what they can verify: where their ads ran, how budgets were spent and whether reported results reflect real business impact. The Streaming Accountability Gap, a Pasch Group report, maps where accountability breaks down and gives dealers practical standards for vendors and campaigns.
Why is CTV advertising hard for car dealers to verify?
Agencies, resellers, DSPs and exchanges can all sit between a dealer's budget and the publisher, and at each step fees, data and accountability get harder to see. The Streaming Accountability Gap also covers placements, format mixing, pacing, attribution and data governance.
Does an OTT budget always buy TV-screen ads?
No. A budget labeled OTT can fund OLV and display. The Streaming Accountability Gap contrasts a $7 display CPM and $14 OLV CPM with a $30-$60 premium CTV CPM, and 98% of dealers answering its survey said display or OLV swapped in for streaming TV is a different product. Blending them can flatter results.
How should dealers measure streaming TV advertising results?
Report media delivery, consumer response, match-back attribution and incremental lift separately. Each answers a different question, and blending them is where accountability slips. The Streaming Accountability Gap includes an attribution evidence ladder and a monthly dealer dashboard, and recommends rebuilding monthly reports so delivery, response and lift sit in separate lines.
What should dealers ask a streaming TV or CTV vendor?
Start with the 12 questions every dealer should ask, from The Streaming Accountability Gap. The report also includes a dealer buyer checklist and supply-path questions with red flags. Before your next renewal, audit last quarter's CTV delivery: placement, format, screen and supply path.
What is the Pasch Group Streaming Accountability Standard?
It's a practical standard for audiences, formats, inventory, fees, pacing, measurement and data access, written so dealers can hand it straight to a streaming vendor. It sits in The Streaming Accountability Gap with a 90-day pilot blueprint for testing CTV before adding budget, plus recommended dealer tests.
How do dealers feel about their streaming advertising reports?
Many are frustrated. 64% of dealers answering the survey in The Streaming Accountability Gap had been frustrated by reports listing unfamiliar channels. The survey drew 74 quality-screened dealership responses.
Was The Streaming Accountability Gap produced in collaboration with Dealer Stream?
Yes. Pasch Group produced The Streaming Accountability Gap in collaboration with Dealer Stream, a streaming advertising company focused on automotive retail. Brian Pasch wrote the report, which includes a Dealer Stream case study with a scorecard and areas where it should improve.
How was The Streaming Accountability Gap researched?
It draws on 74 usable dealership survey responses, screened from 102 collected, eight dealer and agency interviews, and market data from Nielsen, IAB, BIA, ANA and other industry sources through August 19, 2026. The sample is directional, and vendor and interview results were not independently audited.
Is The Streaming Accountability Gap free?
Yes. It's a free 26-page PDF from Pasch Group, written for dealer principals, GMs, marketing leaders and media vendors. Download it on this page. Short on time? Read the executive summary and the dealer operating standard, about 7 minutes.
Free download
Get the report.
The Streaming Accountability Gap. Free, and yours in under a minute.
- 01Instant download, no waiting
- 02A copy in your inbox for later
- 0326 pages, including the supply-path questions & red flags
- 04Share it with your team, no extra sign-ups
Get your free copy
The Streaming Accountability Gap · 26 pages
Keep reading
All researchMore from Pasch Group Research.
Coming Soon
AI and Dealership Staff: Finding the Right Balance
Based on interviews with dealership leaders using AI in sales and service, this report shows how the strongest stores split work between AI and people, manage the handoff, bring staff along and measure what AI actually adds.
In collaboration with ImpelWaitlist Open · Releases Oct 14
Coming Soon
2027 Automotive CRM Research Report
The 2027 Automotive CRM Research Report examines how AI, CDPs, cloud data warehouses and evolving CRM platforms are reshaping who controls dealership data and customer communications, and the new standards dealers should demand as CRMs expand into service, F&I, lifecycle marketing, compliance and AI-agent governance.
Waitlist Open · Writing & review
How Many Vendors Are Accessing Your 1st Party Data?
This investigative report reveals how many third-party scripts collect customer data on dealer websites, often without the dealer's knowledge, and gives you an inspection checklist to audit, optimize and secure your digital properties.
Released Dec 2025