Connected TV gaining ground

In its latest report is on connected TV (CTV) – ‘Changing the Channel’ – looking at the growing CTV market. In 2018, it accounted for £391m of ad spend and is forecast to increase almost 30% year-on-year for 2019.

The report includes research from Differentology which showed that 85% of the UK have access to broadcaster VOD (BVOD) services such as ITV Hub and 68% to subscription VOD services (SVOD) such as Netflix.

So while live TV is still the first port of call for 41%, it is followed by SVOD services ( 16%) and online streaming services ( 8%).

One fifth of respondents ( 21%) claim to never go to live TV first, rising to 35% among 16- 34-year-olds and 53% among 16- to 19-year-olds.

The guide includes in-depth ethnographies, workshop findings and independent research, conducted by Differentology, to understand current CTV trends. There are also 12 contributors including MediaCom, Samsung Ads, Xandr and PubMatic advising on subjects ranging from how to plan a CTV campaign to GDPR considerations.

IAB UK’s research manager Steph Clarke said: “Connected TV presents a massive opportunity for advertisers to reach an engaged audience and shape strategies to suit changing behaviour. Many of the principles we apply across advertising remain relevant here but, rather than simply lifting a linear TV strategy, advertisers also need to be considering unique CTV behaviours.”

Melissa Gonsalves, director of strategic insights at Differentology, said: “We know from our own research that the connected TV market is booming and viewers’ behaviour is changing; one in six of us now go to an SVOD service first when deciding what to watch. For advertisers looking to capitalise on this growth, understanding how best to harness new creative formats and future-proof strategies is key. That’s where this work comes in.”