TV Remains Dominant Viewing, Ad Medium

by Wayne Friedman , June 5, 2012

In the midst of a big TV upfront market, two somewhat opposing TV and Internet video studies are pushing their respective messages.

The TVB, the TV-based marketing group for stations, says despite the growth of the Internet, total Internet viewing represents 1.5% of all TV-video viewing, with traditional TV having a virtual near monopoly -- 91% watching TV live, and 7% being time-shifted, per Steve Lanzano, president/CEO of TVB Local Marketing Solutions. He spoke at the SNL Kagan TV and Radio Finance industry event.

In a recently released TVB study with Knowledge Networks, research also notes that TV usage has grown 8% in two years. TV is still dominant when it comes to the advertising medium most influential in making a purchase decision for those 18 + -- at 37.2%. Next comes newspapers at 10.6%, then Internet at 5.6%.

As an acknowledgement of the Internet's growth, the study reveals that 51% of adults say a TV commercial prompted them to head to the Internet to find more information.

Per comScore's new study "Surviving the Upfronts in a Cross-Media World" release on Tuesday, data shows improved online video growth and opportunities for marketers.

Now there are 105 million average daily U.S. online video consumers, up 30% from 81 million a year ago. Total time per month is 21.7 hours, up from 14.8 hours a month a year ago. The average length of all video is now 6.4 minutes, up from 5.2 minutes.

Overall, the study says there is far less advertising clutter with online video -- whereas a share of overall video viewing, 98.5% of viewers watch content and 1.5% watch advertising. This compares to traditional TV, where overall TV viewing is 75% content and 25% TV commercials.

The average viewer could watch about an hour's worth of TV/video and only see one minute of advertising, says comScore. When looking at just long-form video -- such as premium TV shows -- advertising amounts to only 8% of all content.

advertising, online, tv

2 comments about "TV Remains Dominant Viewing, Ad Medium".

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Douglas Ferguson from College of Charleston, June 6, 2012 at 11:58 a.m.
Being way short of the tipping point hardly means it won't be reached. TV's present strength is that it's hardwired in place, but as mobile begins to become more important than place-based entertainment (and as older viewers die off) the needle will swing toward streaming video. Traditional TV sits upon a time bomb with a 5-to-10-year fuse.
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Doug Garnett from Protonik, LLC, June 6, 2012 at 8:55 p.m.

TV also delivers the absolute best programming. There really isn't an internet threat on the programming side - just a threat the the internet will do it's usual thing: undercut the money that was needed to create that programming. And leave us all (meaning all internet and TV viewers) poorer as a result.