April 13, 2020

COVID-19 Drives Connected TV Advertising Demand


Work from Home
Since the onset of COVID-19, increased digitalisation has been an undeniable trend. The time spent on TV viewing has almost tripled. What’s more, linear TV viewers are clearly shifting to CTV.
High CTV access and usage is not unique to the current health crisis. Trends have been headed upward for some time. As of March 2020, Nielsen data showed that 76% of U.S. homes had at least one connected device. But because access doesn’t always equate to usage.
The increase in viewing in the living room speaks to the growth of co-viewing as consumers choose to watch content together—especially during a global pandemic, which has likely provoked consumers to lean into their families and loved ones during the health crisis.
While co-viewing levels have come down from their peaks during the week of March 23, they remain higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic for most demographics.
The changes in consumer behavior are leading to a shift in advertisers’ and publishers’ behavior as well. Publishers and ad tech companies offer brands the ability to switch creatives quickly and provide data-driven insights into how different messaging is resonating with consumers. As a result, advertisers shift to CTV ads and pour more ad budgets into the ecosystem.