Research: UK CTV viewing nears off-air
October 25, 2021
Research carried out across the EU5 (UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy) by omnichannel sell-side advertising platform Magnite reveals that 78 per cent of European audiences watch Connected TV (CTV), making it an essential element of TV planning for advertisers.
The report, CTV Is for Everyone: 2021, shows that CTV adoption across households in the region has increased by 30 per cent from 2020 meaning four in five households can now be reached by CTV.
“European audiences now move seamlessly between traditional TV and CTV viewing. With a change in audience composition and viewing habits, now is a critical time for brands to better understand how to reach these addressable audiences and the ways they consume content,” said Edward Wale, Managing Director CTV, EMEA at Magnite.
Hybrid viewing is the new norm
According to Samsung Ad’s data included in the research, between January 2020 and May 2021, traditional TV viewing in the UK rose by 19 per cent, while CTV consumption increased by 59 per cent. CTV is watched by all age groups across the UK and its audience more accurately mirrors the age breakdown of the British population, whilst traditional TV is mostly preferred by Boomers and under-delivers among under-40s.
“A wealth of premium content, the high penetration of smart TVs in households, and widespread adoption of free ad-supported streaming TV services (FASTs) mean that British audiences are enjoying the best of hybrid viewing in record numbers. This provides an enormous opportunity for advertisers looking to extend their audience reach beyond the barriers of traditional TV services,“ comments Julie Selman, Managing Director UK & Nordics at Magnite.
Advertising on CTV drives higher ROI for advertisers in the UK
The report finds that CTV yields greater results than social media or traditional TV when it comes to engagement with 65 per cent of British CTV viewers paying more attention to an ad on CTV than when an ad is seen on social media (22 per cent). British CTV viewers are 54 per cent more likely to share personal information to receive relevant advertising and 57 per cent think it is important that brands align with their values and opinions, CTV allows brands to engage with their British audiences more effectively.
Additional key takeaways:
- CTV reaches diverse audiences including purchase decision-makers (68 per cent), gamers (89 per cent of which 28 per cent watch CTV only), light TV viewers (65 per cent) and those born outside of the UK (69 per cent).
- British parents are easier to reach with CTV, especially households with teens: 45 per cent of households with teens watch mostly streamed content.
- 42 per cent of CTV households have two or more smart TVs.
- 75 per cent of the British viewers subscribe to one or more FASTs while 27 per cent use three or more FAST services, the highest in the EU5.