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State of the Screens

Connected TV Usage Remains Above Pre-COVID-19 Levels as Traditional TV Viewing Normalizes

By June 10, 2020No Comments

Big question #1: How much has streaming grown during the lockdown?

Weekly hours spent watching CTV/OTT (WoW growth) according to Nielsen:
1) 
3/2 – 2.7B 
2) 3/9 – 2.9B (↑ 7%)
3) 3/16 – 3.8B (↑ 31%)
4) 3/23 – 3.9B (↑ 3%)
5) 3/30 – 3.9B (↑ 0%)
6) 4/6 – 3.9B (↑ 0%)
7) 4/13 – 3.8B (↓ 3%)
8) 4/20 – 3.7B (↓ 3%)
9) 4/27 – 3.6B (↓ 3%)
10) 5/4 – 3.5B (↓ 3%)

Share of U.S. homes w/ CTV/OTT device according to Leichtman Research Group:
1) 2010 – 24%
2) 2015 – 57%
3) 2018 – 74%
4) 2020 – 80%

Big question #2: How much has ad-supported streaming grown during the lockdown?

YoY increase in CTV/OTT ad inventory according to The Trade Desk:
1) February – ↑ 35%
2) March – ↑ 57%
3) April – ↑ 54%

Share of CTV viewing time in 2020-Q1 according to Hedgeye:
1) Roku – 44%
2) Fire TV – 19%
3) XBOX – 10%
4) Apple TV – 8%
5) Other – 7%
6) Chromecast – 6%
7) Playstation – 5%
8) Samsung – 1%

Connected TV ad spend (YoY growth) according to eMarketer:
1) 
2019P – $7B (↑ 38%)
2) 2020P – $9B (↑ 28%)
3) 2021P – $11B (↑ 22%)
4) 2022P – $12B (↑ 16%)
5) 2023P – $14B (↑ 13%)

More #1: ‘Hard to figure out the best route’: Ad buyers wrestle with how to buy connected TV ads

More #2: The Trade Desk CEO Jeff Green on Google, Netflix and the death of linear TV

More #3: Connected TV advertisers gravitate to multi-DSP model as Amazon, Roku push their own bidders

Michael Beach

Michael Beach is the Chief Executive Officer of Cross Screen Media, a media analytics and software company that enables marketers to plan, activate, and measure CTV and linear TV at the local level. Michael is also the founder and editor of State of the Screens, a weekly newsletter focused on video advertising that is a must-read for thought leaders in the advertising industry. He has appeared in such publications as PBS Frontline, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Axios, CNBC and Bloomberg, and on NPR’s Planet Money podcast.