Amid the fragmented TV landscape, time spent with content is the best planning data there is
January 13, 2024
Today’s TV landscape offers more than a lifetime’s worth of choice for audiences. In total, TV audiences in the U.S. can now find content on more than 32,200 linear channels and 89 streaming video sources1. Additionally, connected TV (CTV)2 has given audiences access to anything the internet has to offer.
The appeal of content audiences can access through an internet connection is undeniable. Streaming programming, enabled by CTV, has accounted for more than one-third of total TV usage in the U.S. since February 2023 and more than 36% since May3.
All this wealth of choice—and audiences’ gravitation to it—has introduced new considerations for media planning that didn’t exist a decade ago. And marketers in North America are keeping pace by adjusting their spending accordingly, shifting 45% of their ad budgets to CTV in 20234. The downside, however, is that 40% say that CTV measurement remains a challenge.
While the TV screen has evolved into a conduit that can display content from a growing range of sources, the basics of measurement still apply: When you know who’s engaged, you have the insight you need to engage with them.
Importantly, the explosion of choice has not inspired an increase in total TV usage. It’s simply caused audiences to view content across a wider range of sources. The average U.S. adult spends about 32 hours each week with TV during warmer months and an additional two or three when the weather gets colder. As consistent as total TV usage is, however, the portion dedicated to content accessed via CTV continues to grow.
In the last year alone, U.S. audiences 18 and older increased the time they spent with content they access through their connected devices by more than 20% to account for just under 40% of total TV usage. Among younger audiences, CTV usage is far more dominant: 80.2% among 12-17-year-olds; 73.6% among 21-34-year-olds; 56.8% among 25-54-year-olds.
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