There’s never a dull moment in the television industry and the second half of 2022 brought its fair share of twists and turns. The insights from our most recent State of Viewership report show a landscape marked by historic new lows in linear TV viewership and record saturation of the linear advertising market, alongside new challenges in content discoverability for streaming platforms. 

How can advertisers and content creators use this data to optimize their campaigns? Read on for some key learnings and download the full State of Viewership report for a closer look.

Nearly all linear advertising impressions reach only half of households.

In the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Australia, over 90% of all linear ad impressions reached only 55% of households during the second half of 2022. Furthermore, those 55% of viewers are inundated with ads over and over again, as the brands they represent fail to reach new audiences and drive ad fatigue among the over-exposed. 

• Pro-Tip: A linear-first (or linear-only) strategy doesn’t fly anymore. Integrate CTV and digital into your buying strategy combined with TV data to reach hard-to-hit viewers that have shifted away from linear, and measure performance at every turn to ensure the value of each dollar spent. 

Reach of linear TV hit a seven-quarter low during the second half of 2022 in the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Australia.

Behavioral shifts away from linear TV highlight steep challenges advertisers face in reaching viewers via traditional platforms, with many viewers cutting the cord (the majority of U.S. households - and almost two-thirds of younger generations - report no longer having a monthly cable subscription) and shifting their attention to streaming platforms. For the first time, less than half of U.S. adults (48%) report they have a monthly cable or satellite TV subscription, and Samba TV data found that less than half of U.S. households watched linear TV daily throughout the second half of 2022.

• Pro-Tip: It’s clear that cord-cutters come in all shapes and sizes with varying TV habits. As they cycle through shows, platforms, and even devices, make sure you’re staying one step ahead of where they’ll be with real-time TV data and omniscreen targeting strategies.

The way audiences are engaging with streaming platforms has fundamentally changed, making audiences even harder to reach and retain.

Most households watch two or fewer streaming services, and over two-thirds of U.S. adults plan to cycle out of their subscriptions in the next six months. It is essential for streamers to shift from a pure acquisition mindset to one that places retention at the forefront. 

• Pro Tip: Streaming platforms must look to drive deeper engagement with their full portfolio of content in order to retain their audiences beyond one tentpole program. Comprehensive, cross-platform data can help with this. For example, viewers of Netflix’s Ozark are three times more likely to watch The Gilded Age on HBO than the average U.S. household. This means that when Netflix has a historical drama on its slate (such as Bridgerton), Samba TV’s insights can advise a streamer like Netflix to provide recommendations and ads to better retain these audiences.

Sports remain the last line of defense for linear television, with women’s sports demonstrating explosive growth in 2022.

In the second half of 2022, Americans showed that football remains king in this country, with the sport dominating all 25 of the 25 most-watched linear programs. However, Samba TV data has found that these viewers skew older and less diverse. To reach younger, diverse audiences, women’s sports are a key area to watch for advertisers. 

• Pro Tip: Advertisers should be thinking creatively about their approach to TV tentpoles. Take advantage of events like big WNBA or NWSL games, which attract a younger, more diverse audience, and target viewers of past events on digital devices during and after the broadcast.

Shows have a shelf life of two weeks to attract viewers.

Across the U.S., U.K., Germany, and Australia, popular shows from the second half of 2022 drove an average of 72%-78% of their total 50-day viewership by the fifteenth day. This indicates that about three out of four viewers interested in watching top shows do so within the first two weeks of their release.

• Pro Tip: Streamers looking to capture audience attention have a relatively limited window to do so, and should ensure they prioritize understanding audience behavior and interests across platforms and aligning targeted promotional and discovery campaigns early. 

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