Advertisers hone in on marketing opportunities as TV viewing evolves

The data: More and more people in the US are saying goodbye to cable and hello to streaming, and next year, non-pay TV viewers will outnumber pay TV viewers.

• These changes are opening up different ways for advertisers to target and reach TV watchers.

Trading places: This year, 137.9 million people are viewing pay TV, versus 125.2 million who have cut the cord, instead streaming content on platforms such as Netflix and watching live TV on distributors like Hulu + Live TV and YouTube TV. By 2024, there will be 143.6 million US non-pay TV viewers and 123.8 million pay TV watchers.

Advertisers are watching the shift toward digital TV watching and decline of linear TV, and many are zeroing in on marketing opportunities with both sets of audiences.

Connected TV (CTV) ad spending has almost tripled since the pandemic began. The share of media ad spending CTV accounts for will continue to rise.

Even as linear watchers decline, opportunities to reach them with targeted ads are growing. Of the 66.4 million US households still subscribing to pay TV this year, 55.9 million (81.7%) are addressable-enabled.

Go further: For more on changes in the TV landscape and the promises and pitfalls that accompany them, read our report, Advanced TV 2022.