As media consumption habits continue to evolve, one shift has become impossible to ignore: the rise of Connected TV (CTV). With viewers moving toward streaming-first behavior, CTV has emerged as a dynamic space for advertisers, blending the broad appeal of traditional television with the targeting precision of digital. However, it’s critical to recognize that despite CTV’s emerging role, Linear TV remains prestigious and foundational in response-based marketing.
Linear TV continues to hold a prestigious position in both client perception and consumer experience, capable of delivering unmatched reach and the lowest CPM rates in video advertising. Its extensive audience penetration and established viewing habits make it indispensable for large-scale brand campaigns. Even as viewing shifts, Linear TV maintains robust access to the broadest demographics, including cord-cutters who often still engage with broadcast or cable programming via connected platforms.
CTV, by contrast, complements this foundational approach by providing incremental reach among highly targeted audiences. Specifically, CTV excels at addressing younger viewers, cord-cutters, and streaming-first households who prefer on-demand and personalized viewing experiences. Rather than replacing Linear TV, CTV serves as an ancillary channel, enriching traditional campaigns by enhancing frequency management, reducing waste, and adding incremental household penetration.
CTV refers to content streamed through internet-connected devices such as smart TVs, streaming boxes, and gaming consoles, often via platforms like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and FAST channels. This environment empowers viewers with premium, on-demand content, characterized by greater flexibility, personalization, and viewer control.
Today’s viewers are consuming more content than ever, but increasingly on their terms. Media strategies must therefore adapt, balancing the established power of Linear TV with the complementary advantages of CTV, which include:
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Audience addressability at the household or device level
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Reduced ad clutter, increasing share of voice per placement
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Incremental reach to specifically target cord-cutters and younger audiences
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Measurable outcomes, providing detailed performance tracking and optimization
How We Navigate Linear and CTV at Media Manager
At Media Manager, we strategically balance Linear TV and CTV within media plans. Linear TV remains the core driver for achieving immediate reach, response, and the most cost-effective CPMs. We leverage its established strength to build brand recognition and efficiently deliver messaging to a mass audience.
CTV is then thoughtfully layered onto this foundation as an incremental, highly targeted addition. We focus CTV’s capabilities on expanding reach to cord-cutters, enhancing frequency management, and driving measurable performance at specific points in the consumer journey. By evaluating both Linear and CTV not just in terms of impressions but also in terms of incremental reach, audience overlap, and measurable lift across channels, we ensure each medium fulfills a distinct and complementary role.
