Streaming TV viewing as thrived since the pandemic began last March. According to the Conviva Q1 State of Streaming report, streaming TV viewing time in North America increased by 18% year-​over-​year in just the first quarter of 2021.

Streaming TV 2021 Data

How was it Watched?

Worldwide, consumers are watching streamed TV using a number of devices:

• Smart TVs: 115% growth in viewing time between the first quarter of 2021 and the first quarter of 2020
• Tablets: 43% growth
• Desktop Computers: 38% growth
• Mobile Phones: 29% growth
• Connected TV Devices: 27% growth
• Gaming Consoles: 14% growth

This data implies that, while most streaming TV programming is being consumed within the comfort of consumers’ homes, many may also be watching this programming on the go via their mobile devices.

Streaming TV Ads

Advertisers have been paying attention to the uptick in streaming TV viewership and hours, as well. As a result, marketers have been increasing the number of streaming ads they have been creating for their clients. Within the first quarter of 2021, streaming ad attempts were up by 4%. Streaming ad impressions were also up by 13%, while missed-​ad opportunities were falling by 16% quarter-over-quarter.

According to AudienceSCAN on AdMall by SalesFuel, 37.5% of U.S. adults have seen streaming TV advertising within the last 30 days that led them to take action. Additionally, before the pandemic set in last year, 66.9% of OTT Streaming Service Advertising Responders spent a minimum of three hours watching TV every single day.

43.4% of OTT Streaming Service Advertising Responders also feel that TV is the medium with the most creative ads, according to AudienceSCAN. That fact, paired with the increasing amount of viewership and time spent watching streaming TV could be why Conviva also found that streaming ad quality has also improved within the last year. “Ad start times were down to half a second — a 50% improvement — and bitrates rose 57% compared to fourth-​quarter 2020.”

How to Target These Viewers

The content available on streaming TV is increasing every day. Your clients need to know where to place their ads in order to get them seen by their target audience. Overall, according to AudienceSCAN, OTT Streaming Service Advertising Responders’ favorite types of programming include:

• Movies: 59.6%
• Comedies: 49.4%
• Dramas: 40.5%
• Sports: 34.7%
• Food/​Cooking Shows: 34%

Their favorite types of sports to watch in person or on TV include NFL footballs, NBA basketball, college football and Major League Baseball. These consumers are also 51% more likely than others to say that celebrity news/​talk shows are among their favorite types of programming to watch on TV. If you want to know exactly which types of programming your client’s target audiences watch the most often, you can check out their audience profiles on AudienceSCAN.

Once your client reaches OTT Streaming Service Advertising Responders with their ads, they can also influence the consumers’ friends, even if they don’t watch streaming TV themselves. These consumers are 64% more likely than others to post on Facebook about TV content and commercials that they see.