How a Holiday Sweepstakes Reignited CTV App Downloads

The Idea

The team at KELO-TV was looking for a creative way to promote their CTV channel during the holidays. After seeing a decline in CTV app downloads, they needed a fresh approach to reenergize their strategy. Their solution: a sweepstakes designed to incentivize viewers to download the KELOLAND+ app while tapping into holiday excitement.

The Execution

The 12 Days of KELOLAND+ sweepstakes was created specifically to increase awareness of KELO-TV’s CTV channel and drive app downloads. Knowing that relevance and strong prizing are key to engagement, the team gave away one Roku streaming stick each day for 12 days in mid-December.

To support the promotion, KELO-TV clearly communicated the value of their CTV channel within the contest’s CTA text, highlighting what KELOLAND+ had to offer: live news, original programming, and on-demand stories. They also provided clear instructions — and direct links — for downloading the app, directing participants to an article on KELO-TV’s website that walked through more details on KELOLAND+ and how to access it.

The sweepstakes was promoted across multiple channels, including online, on-air, and email, to maximize reach. One of the station’s show hosts announced daily winners on air, which not only boosted excitement and participation but also helped increase viewership alongside app downloads.

The Results

The 12 Days of KELOLAND+ sweepstakes helped the KELO-TV team engage with over 900 people, of which over 500 were new to their database. While the primary goal was app downloads, the team also leveraged the promotion to grow their audience long-term, resulting in over 600 newsletter opt-ins.

Most importantly, the campaign delivered a 15% increase in app downloads, clearly demonstrating that a thoughtfully planned sweepstakes can be a powerful driver of both immediate results and sustained audience growth.