Linear vs. Advanced TV: Which is better for TV advertising?

November 16, 2021

0 2 minutes read

When it comes to watching TV in the modern day and age, we are simply spoiled for choice with so many ways of consuming content.

These modes can be divided into the two main forms of viewing content: linear and advanced television. Linear is the traditional broadcast method, while advanced covers many of the modern and more popular on-demand services.

With all that said, which of the two forms of TV distribution are best for advertising? Let us dig a little deeper.

What is Linear TV?

Linear TV is traditional television which provides content to consumers through subscriptions to cable, satellite services, or over-the-air broadcasting. Consumers can only view shows that are scheduled at a specific time by the broadcaster. They must tune in to a specific TV channel at a given moment if they want to watch their preferred programming.

What is Advanced TV?

All non-traditional TV is primarily considered Advanced TV. It covers the likes of OTT (over-the-top), addressable TV and connected TV. These are all a lot more advanced forms of viewing content than traditional linear television as they can be viewed through the internet, without the need for cable and satellite services.

Advanced TV for Advertising

Advanced television allows users to access programming over the internet, allowing media companies to deliver dynamic, one-to-one advertising and access to massive amounts of first-party data. Advanced TV has made way for a digital environment that is scalable, top-quality and brand-safe.

According to research, data has found that over 17 million people use at least one broadcaster VOD player to consume their video content every week in the US. This therefore makes advanced TV a huge market to tap into.

As TV viewing is gradually shifting from linear to advanced TV/VOD, businesses looking to advertise should make the most of all available VOD platforms in order to achieve the maximum levels of cost-effective reach.

What’s most impressive about advanced TV is that the distribution method works for companies and businesses of any size, making TV marketing seem more appealing to more brands. Small scale businesses with precise geographic footprints may have originally been put off of TV advertising.

Linear TV for Advertising

With linear TV, programs are scheduled for certain times. And although binge-viewing has become more popular than scheduled programming, there is still an element of excitement in waiting up to a week just to view the next episode of a particular show. Linear TV still reaches large audiences for certain shows, such as live events and reality shows. If you choose to advertise your brand during the interval of a huge event such as the Superbowl or a season finale that is broadcast on linear TV, then you are reaching out to a guaranteed large audience.

Linear TV advertisements can be specifically targeted to certain demographics, allowing you to reach your target demographic and the audience you want to target specifically. Sources have also shown that linear ads have the highest viewer retention rates of any other advertising format, allowing for enhanced conversion rates.

Overall, the method that works best for TV advertising depends on your business’ needs, requirements, budget, and target audience. With this information in mind, you will now be able to make a more informed decision between linear and advanced TV advertising.