• by Wayne Friedman , June 17, 2023

Hard-to-reach audiences -- so called "light" linear TV viewers -- continue to move to streaming platforms.

These “light” TV audiences represent 67% of all TV viewing overall, according to internal data from LG Ad Solutions. 

LG's data now estimates that 51% are streaming-only users, with "light" linear TV viewers now comprising 16% of all hard-to-reach viewers.

For decades, TV advertisers have pursued light TV viewers in order to better optimize their marketing campaigns. Missing these key potential consumers has led to significant reach and frequency issues for marketers.

It is estimated that whereas a large number of traditional TV viewers typically average four hours or more each day of viewing, light TV viewers on average watch only around 30 minutes.

There are an estimated 20 million light TV viewers currently, versus 10 million in 2017.

Looking more broadly at LG's smart TV platform, it says there has been major growth in the past 12 months in terms of more users on its smart TV system, while the amount of time spent has also increased.

Citing data from MRI-Simmons in 2023, male users have over-indexed on its platform, with a 112 index (the average being 100), with female users coming in at 89. 

The overall age breakdown among all major demographic groups shows over-indexing: For 18-24 (159); 25-54 (118); 35-44 (130); and 45-54 (160). Only those 55 and older under-index, at 37.

LG's data comes from over 35 million smart TVs in the U.S. and over 150 million globally, equipped with Automatic Content Recognition (ACR).