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and varied revenue streams for content producers .”
“ OTA will persist , but DTG insights suggest that these will gradually integrate with IP-based solutions as digital infrastructure improves ,” advises Lindsay- Davies . “ Connectivity ultimately has the power to change society for good , such as mobile banking , which is bridging the digital divide , empowering women , and supporting education and healthcare in developing nations .” LEGACY . “ Universal access regulation has traditionally favoured legacy technology ,” notes Dubs . “ However , OTT delivery has created a level playing field across the video value chain — from creation and distribution to aggregation and consumption . A concept of ‘ universal OTT ’, supported by widespread broadband access , could further democratise the entire video ecosystem ,” she adds .
“ OTA remains relevant in markets where broadband penetration is low , serving as a cost-effective way to distribute content ,” observes Hinard . “ However , even in these regions , the shift to IP-based solutions is inevitable as connectivity improves . In the US , for instance , even high-end TVs are being sold without ATSC 3.0 tuners , indicating a declining emphasis on over-the-air broadcasting .”
“ While the industry is undeniably moving towards all-IP and cloud-based solutions , legacy technologies like OTA and satellite won ’ t disappear overnight . The transition will be uneven , influenced by factors such as infrastructure , regulation , and consumer behaviour . The key challenge for service providers will be balancing innovation with accessibility , ensuring a seamless viewing experience regardless of the distribution method ,” he concludes .
Streaming up 56 % YoY
Samba TV has released its
State of Viewership Report
for the second half of 2024 ,
with AI analysis of 51 billion
hours of linear and streaming
TV consumption to uncover
key trends and emerging
opportunities shaping the future
of television and advertising . The
report highlights a surge in total
television viewership driven by
major live events , ad-supported
streaming gaining widespread
adoption , and the growing
impact of AI-powered contextual
targeting in transforming
advertising effectiveness .
“ Live events are the new
battleground of audience
engagement — transforming
passive viewers into active
participants while rewriting the
rules of media consumption ,”
said Samba TV Co-founder
and CEO Ashwin Navin . “ As
streaming and linear audiences
converge around live sports ,
we ’ re witnessing a seismic shift
where AI-driven insights turn
fragmented viewership into
strategic opportunity , turning
every screen into a precisiontargeted
canvas of brand
connection .”
Key findings include :
Ad-Supported Streaming
Surges , Unlocking Premium
Inventory
• TV consumption soared in
late 2024 — streaming hours
up 56 % YoY , linear TV at a
two-year high (+ 8 %)— driven
by the Presidential election ,
Olympics , crime shows and
docudramas .
• Netflix drives the broadest media consumption , with 72 % watching multiple shows . Rivals struggle with single-title stickiness — spotlighting the need for better content discovery .
• Ads drive viewership : Audiences exposed to promos for top streaming shows are as much as 7x more likely to watch . A halo effect fuels deeper content discovery , boosting retention and cutting churn .
• Of all the streamers , Prime Video led the way with promotional advertising during the second half ( impressions up 72 %), as it capitalised on the new ad-tier launch and continued focus on live sporting events such as Thursday Night Football .
• Overall , ad-supported streaming continues to surge , with 56 % of new streaming subscriptions opting for an ad-supported option . Live Sports & Politics Dominate , Redefining Audience Engagement
• Viewership of the presidential debates beat the NFL by more than 10M households , proving politics can pull Super Bowl-sized audiences . The Paris Olympics drew massive crowds , up 11 % from both Tokyo and 25 % from Beijing , with women ’ s sports leading double-digit growth . NBCU leveraged the Olympics to drive significant subscription growth for Peacock through
extensive live and on-demand programming .
• Streamers bet big on live sports — Thursday Night Football ( TNF ) and the Jake Paul vs . Mike Tyson fight drove record sign-ups for Prime Video and Netflix respectively . TNF ’ s average viewership increased by 51 % year-over-year , validating the strategy to expand the NFL ’ s digital distribution footprint .
• Ad Spend Isn ’ t Enough — Winning Brands Crack the Code on Targeting and Engagement
• Half of TV households see 150 ads daily , yet high-income households get 15 fewer per day than lower income households , exposing a major inefficiency in reaching affluent , streaming-first consumers .
• Entertainment ( 18 %), Pharma ( 12 %), Health & Beauty ( 11 %), and Food & Beverage ( 9 %) drive nearly half of TV ad volume . Insurance lags at 4 %, but Progressive continues to have the most ad impressions of any brand on TV ..
• Macy ’ s , Kohl ’ s , and Walmart flooded holiday ad rankings , concentrating budgets during peak shopping months , while some retailers and restaurants pulled back — leaving room for challengers .
• Capital One dominated MLB World Series Game 5 logo exposure ( 2.6B
impressions ), while Mastercard ( 34 intervals ) reached similar households with fewer touchpoints — highlighting high-frequency vs . broad-placement strategies .
• Contextual targeting connects Attention to Intention for top holiday retailers , with Macy ’ s driving the most media impressions , WalMart receiving the most positive online conversations , and Amazon receiving the lowest positive and lowest negative sentiment . Navin continued , “ While on a multi-year downward trend , even linear TV has seen a bump in popularity from news and current events that started during the election season in Q4 . Brands are now wrestling with how to present themselves in a chaotic news cycle that touches on emotionally charged topics such as immigration , tariffs , and geopolitical events that will undoubtedly impact every industry and our way of life . What ’ s the safe bet ? Live sports and streaming TV . While the industry is grappling with how to interpret the influence of AI on brand building and marketing , and trying to sift between hype and true innovation , one thing that is not up for debate is this : Live events are drawing massive audiences across all platforms . And these platforms ( Amazon and YouTube TV with NFL , Apple TV + with MLS , Netflix with WWE ) are investing heavily to capitalise .”
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