SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 8, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Samba TVa leading provider of omniscreen advertising and analytics, today released its latest Report on the status of audience numbers for the first half of 2024. The report analyzes approximately 45 billion hours of linear and streaming television consumption and uncovers significant trends and opportunities shaping the television and advertising landscape. The report’s findings include a new role for AI in measuring brand sponsorships, strategies for releasing new shows on streaming services, and the importance of optimizing cross-screen advertising campaigns through new AVOD and FAST platforms. As the 2024 election season heats up, political advertisers in particular will need to leverage comprehensive data strategies to efficiently reach different voter segments and increase advertising effectiveness. Non-political advertisers should expect to see a significant increase in CPM rates from now through November for coveted ad inventory and platforms that reach potential voters in swing states.

“The hype cycle around AI is over, but the AI ​​transformation is just beginning. In this evolving landscape and on the brink of a transformative election season, it is now more important than ever to deploy a cross-channel audience targeting and measurement strategy,” said Ashwin Navin, co-founder and CEO of Samba TV. “Streaming video platforms are innovating to retain viewers as they fight tooth and nail for engagement in the battle for attention, while eroding the foundation of linear TV. The advertising market focused on linear and CTV formats is seeing stability, particularly in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, but we are seeing declines in entertainment as some advertisers shift their mix to social and digital.”

Samba TV’s State of Viewership Report provides a detailed analysis of viewership trends across both linear and connected TV (CTV), and includes TV series consumption patterns across linear and OTT TV. The report provides detailed insights into the evolving TV viewership landscape. Highlights several key changes:

Steady decline in linear TV while OTT viewership soars:

• In the first half of 2024, U.S. households watched a record amount of over-the-top (OTT) content, up 40% from 2023. This increase coincides with a 1% decline in linear TV viewing as audiences age and live events move to streaming platforms, continuing the trend of cable cancellation.
• FAST and ad-supported SVOD tiers are becoming important ways for advertisers to reach audiences that are increasingly turning away from traditional cable TV and broadcast. This shift to ad-supported streaming offers numerous opportunities for advertisers to target younger audiences and adapt to the evolving media consumption landscape.
• Streaming TV has become ubiquitous, with 99 million U.S. households watching OTT content in the first half of 2024. However, streamers have their hands full preventing churn, as many viewers cancel their subscription after watching just one piece of content on a platform.

Sports and politics captivate linear viewers, while streaming originals rely on existing IP gloss:

• The 2024 Super Bowl reached its highest viewership since pre-pandemic times and was the most-watched linear event in the first half of 2024, confirming the continued appeal of live sports. However, with many sporting events moving to streaming platforms, linear broadcasts will struggle to maintain viewership.
• The first presidential debate of 2024 between Trump and Biden was the most-watched non-sports program of the six months, underscoring how important news and political events, along with sports, are to audience engagement on linear television.
• From a streaming perspective, drama was the leading genre for the half year, comprising 68% of the top 50 most popular streaming shows. However, the importance of crime and mystery shows within the top 50 shows increased significantly compared to the previous year, and these were two of the genres with the highest binge rates.
• All of the top 10 streaming programs of the half year were based on franchises such as books, video games, etc., led by Netflix’s Fool Me Once S1 and Max’s House of the Dragon S2. The dominance of original content in the streaming landscape shows the power of leveraging existing intellectual property to captivate audiences and drive streaming success.

Entertainment dominates advertising as the pet industry increases its presence:

• Entertainment is the leading industry in ad impressions, accounting for 18% of all impressions on linear and OTT platforms.
• The Pharma & Medical and Health & Beauty sectors have gained traction, each increasing their share of ad impressions by two percentage points year-on-year.
• The pet industry saw a 17% increase in ad impressions in the first half of 2024, driven by 66% of U.S. households owning a pet, underscoring the sector’s growing influence. These trends underscore the dynamic nature of the advertising landscape, with emerging sectors gaining traction alongside traditional market leaders.

“The rise of ad-supported streaming and the decline of linear TV highlight a critical shift in the way audiences consume content,” Navin continued. “Smart marketers are capitalizing on these changes by using advanced targeting capabilities to progressively reach consumers across all screens. This is an exciting time for advertisers to realize the full potential of omniscreen engagement and storytelling and drive both impact and innovation.”

For more information and the full State of Viewership Report, visit Samba TV.

About SambaTV
Samba TV has transformed the TV from a pane of glass on the wall into a window into the audience’s heart. We are the world’s leading provider of television technology that enables real-time insights and audience targeting, enabling unparalleled marketing efficiency and effectiveness. Our proprietary first-party data from tens of millions of TVs signed up to, across 20+ TV brands sold in over a hundred countries, gives advertisers and media companies a unified view of the entire consumer journey. Our independent measurement has future-proofed advertising for the next generation, enabling advertisers to connect with their audiences on any platform, on any screen.

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