The digital age is growing fast and furiously. Traditional TV is still around but the truth is, this form of entertainment is rapidly falling to the wayside. It’s difficult to say how much longer regular cable TV services and things like satellite dishes will continue to be mainstream providers of entertainment but times are certainly changing. It’s a fact that connected TV is the wave of the present and future and the market is constantly expanding.

How significant is the change? Today, over 95% of people living in Florida have access to a broadband internet connection in their homes. Across the entire US, the pandemic caused even more households to cut the cord of traditional cable TV than before. Over 6 million additional cable/broadcast viewers cut the cord in 2020, resulting in over 31 million American households that have now abandoned cable TV as a thing of the past.

So, are people sitting around reading books and spending the afternoon in their tomato gardens picking the weeds? Maybe some, but most likely aren’t. In most cases, viewership is being funneled away from cable TV and it’s falling straight into digitally based streaming services.

The numbers show it. According to Statista.com, in May 2020, over 60% of people in the US said someone in their household was subscribing to a streaming service. And over half of all US households have multiple streaming subscriptions. Cord cutting has increased dramatically since 2015, and the trend is very likely to continue. The future of TV is here, and you should be advertising in it!

What is a Connected TV Ad?

A connected TV (CTV) ad is an advertisement that plays on smart TVs and OTT (over-the-top) devices. Unlike traditional TVs, smart TVs and OTT devices, like Roku, Apple, Amazon, and others, can connect to the internet via WiFi and run apps like Hulu through their platform. This allows viewers to watch traditional cable TV content as well as streaming services like Hulu, ESPN+, and Discovery+ at home in their own living room. The viewing never stops!

Users can stream OTT TV on any household device connected to the internet, including gaming consoles, desktop PCs, and mobile smartphones. CTV, however, is only played on televisions.

The Difference Between Traditional TV Ads and CTV Ads

So how does it work? The answer is in the details. It’s widely known that Superbowl ads on traditional TV have long been some of the most coveted and expensive ad slots in American broadcast TV history. An enormous audience of millions see these ads live, simultaneously, as they air on game day.

With connected TV advertising, or streaming TV ads, you don’t necessarily reach such an immeasurable audience in one moment. You DO, however, have a greater chance of reaching the right customers at the right time.

Traditionally, marketers purchase ad spots for specific times on designated TV channels, to be shown during the airing of specific, selected programming.

• CTV viewers are a 1:1 ratio, meaning 1 ad seen by 1 household
• CTV uses the power of demographics, viewing habits, and internet behavioral habits from data providers to target viewers
• With Connected TV, you don’t purchase ad spots based on channels and time of day

CTV ads are targeted digitally in the same way Google ads target individual internet users. In this way, you no longer have to guess who might be watching the Superbowl half-time show, or that popular sitcom. You use data that’s already gathered to target specific connected TV viewers, so you have a much higher chance of connecting with the right people the first time around.  With connected TV, you can target your customer audience precisely with information relevant to them, creating a whole new marketing experience.

Connected TV is Here to Stay and Growing Fast

Approximately 82.4 million households in the US streamed an average of 100 hours of OTT content in June 2021. And, Since January 2020, the number of OTT households and total hours spent watching OTT have increased by more than 20%.

And that’s just one example. Over 80% of US households now own a connected TV and viewers are watching 81% more connected TV content year-over-year. Viewership is growing at a tremendous pace.

By not advertising on connected TV, you’re missing out.  CTV is one of the fastest growing and best ways available to reach your audience in the modern digital world.

How to Advertise on Connected TV With FTE

At Follow the Eyes, digital marketing is a channel we excel at. Our team of experts can align you with specific target audiences through connected TV in ways that matter. We value our clients and want to work with you as trusted partners who are treated like family. Our exceptional customer service and knowledge base sets us apart from our competitors as a full-service ad agency. With FTE connected TV, you can:

• Avoid serving the same ad over and over to the same person with frequency capping
• Streamline your CTV approach to be cohesive with your overall marketing strategy
• Target specific behavioral audiences
• And much more!

Your CTV ads can be seen on streaming platforms like Hulu, Sling TV and so much more. Let us help you reach CTV viewers at the right time!

Contact our team of industry professionals in Florida to learn how you can set up connected tv for your business.