LINEAR STILL LEADS CTV IN AD REACH…
Even as Connected TV inches up on Linear in share of TV time (Digital Video overall has already surpassed Linear), traditional TV dwarfs CTV when it comes to advertising reach. Per eMarketer, nearly 87% of advertising viewed on TV is via Linear, despite accounting for only 67.5% of TV ad spending. There may come a time when CTV reaches true parity with traditional TV, but it’s not now. Note: You may have seen reports that show CTV has already overtaken Linear in time spent; many of those studies count vMVPDs like YouTube TV as CTV, whereas eMarketer classifies them as Linear in their study. (Marketing Charts: Jan 21, 2025)
…BUT CTV HAS ITS OWN ADVANTAGES
Linear’s higher ad frequency risks commercial clutter and viewer fatigue. A recent study by iSpot (commissioned by LG) shows that CTV ad brand frequency averages 7.3 versus 26.5 for Linear. CTV can also target audiences in ways that aren’t possible or are more difficult for Linear. The key is for campaigns to include both: Linear provides reach, broad exposure, and more reliable reporting, and CTV targets specific groups with shorter, less frequent ad breaks. (MediaPost: Jan 21, 2025)
THE SUPER BOWL WILL STREAM FOR FREE
Just as CBS simulcast the 2024 Super Bowl on its Paramount+ paid service, Fox will be streaming this year’s game on its FAST channel, Tubi. Not only will it be free for viewers (a first in the streaming space), it will also be of the same 4K quality as the mothership Fox broadcast. In addition to The Big Game, Tubi will begin its coverage that afternoon with a Tubi Red Carpet show. (“The referees are going with stripes again this year!”) This is a boon not only for viewers but also for Tubi as it seeks to grow its viewership and awareness. (Variety: Jan 15, 2025)
MRC BACKS NEW NIELSEN MEASUREMENT
It seems like every few months we revisit this story and track Nielsen’s incremental moves toward acceptance of their advanced metrics. They cleared a big hurdle this week with the Media Rating Council’s approval of their Big Data + Panel measurement. It’s the first hybrid panel/big data product with persons-level reporting to be accredited by the MRC, and could end up becoming a readily accepted currency. What does this mean for the industry? For one thing, there will be way fewer ratings of “zero” for programming that is too niche to register in panel data. For another, it opens the traditional TV market to more nuanced targeting. We’re getting there, folks! (AdAge: Jan 22, 2025)
THIS WEEK IN VIDEO HISTORY
January 22, 1984 – Apple’s Super Bowl Ad Introducing the Macintosh, which would debut in just two days, Apple began its long run of instantly iconic advertising with 1984. Directed by Ridley Scott, the 60-second ad promises that the Mac will bring color and life to the grey, Orwellian world of PCs. People say it aired only once, but that’s not entirely true. Prior to the Super Bowl, the spot ran in ten local markets just before midnight on December 31, 1983, in order to qualify for the Clio award consideration. Click here to see “Why 1984 won’t be like 1984.”
