By David Solomon, CEO of Viamedia.ai
Streaming now commands a larger share of viewing time than broadcast and cable combined, according to Nielsen, and advertisers have understandably followed that audience shift.
But that doesn’t tell the whole story. While streaming is the dominant channel, it still accounts for less than half of the overall time spent with TV. That means that streaming alone does not reach the full market. On top of that, the nature of large video-on-demand libraries means that there are massive amounts of content available, yet very shallow viewership across the majority of those titles at any one time.
While streaming is indeed a powerful channel for engaging consumers, the TV landscape remains much larger. Broadcast and cable still account for a substantial share of total TV usage, which means advertisers that rely only on streaming are leaving meaningful reach on the table.
That is why local TV remains an important part of a convergent TV strategy. Local TV’s evolution means that it now combines reach, audience quality, and modern buying capabilities in a way that makes it highly relevant for advertisers seeking both scale and performance.
Here’s a closer look at those three factors, and why advertisers need to include local TV on their convergent TV media plans.
Efficient scale
As the ad industry moves toward “convergent” TV strategies, scale remains essential. Advertisers cannot achieve efficient reach by overexposing the same audience on a single platform, and a strong media plan must be broad enough to extend beyond one streaming environment.
Local TV offers that scale at an efficient price point. When advertisers approach local using the same data-driven techniques they bring to streaming and other digital channels, they’re finding that they can reach new customers and capture more attention than they do through digital video methods.
A performing audience
Local TV’s audience has long been one of its strongest assets. Viewers continue to turn to local programming, especially local news, with high regularity, creating an environment where advertisers can reach a loyal and engaged audience.
That matters because reach is only valuable when the audience is paying attention. Local TV offers not just size, but a viewing environment that supports timely, relevant messages and stronger campaign performance.
Speed and precision
This final factor is important, and it actually makes the first two even more valuable. Local TV has also evolved operationally. Planning, targeting, delivery, and measurement are now far more advanced, allowing advertisers to buy with much greater precision and to measure outcomes in ways that look increasingly like digital media.
It is now possible for advertisers to tap into the loyal, scaled local TV audience with the same level of addressability that they expect from digital channels. In practical terms, advertisers can now target households, control cost, and assess performance quickly. That makes local TV a stronger fit for the convergent TV era, where buyers plan around audiences and outcomes rather than around channel silos.
Bottom line
The future of TV and video is not about choosing between streaming and local. It is about using both in a coordinated way, prioritizing the pursuit of audiences, rather than a preference of platforms.
Advertisers need to reach customers, regardless of how they consume TV content. These buyers will plan more against audiences and outcomes than formats, meaning that sellers will monetize inventory based on who is reached and what results it drives.
Local TV adds the scale, audience quality, and performance tools that help advertisers build more complete and effective media plans across all screens.
