MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—A new study has dived into the question of how much attention viewers pay to ads on connected TVs and found that viewers tend to pay more attention to streaming media.
Overall, CTV content has a +13% higher attention index and a +74% higher co-viewing incidence than linear television content, according to a study commissioned by LG Ad Solutions and carried out by TVision.
TVision used a combination of their camera sensor, digital meter, and Measurement Engine panel data to understand how and what households are watching television and the extent they were paying attention. This was paired with an online survey conducted by LG Ad Solutions to obtain more information about consumers’ viewing habits.
In addition to the higher attention, the survey revealed that 88% of respondents co-view streaming television with others and they report being more likely to pay attention to both content and ads when doing so. About two thirds (67%) of respondents said they pay same or more attention to programming when co-viewing while 54% pay same or more attention to the advertising content. In fact, 73% of consumers multi-task the same amount or less when co-viewing TV.
The study also found that an inverse relationship between attention and ad duration, which means the first 15 seconds is critical to communicate brand and message. Further, LG Ad Solutions and TVision found that attention is at its highest on the first exposure to a CTV ad, but gradually declines as exposure frequency increases. These findings suggest that it’s important for CTV advertisers to actively manage frequency to prevent over delivery when ads are no longer driving lift in awareness or brand preference.
"This data indicates that on average, streaming TV viewers are more likely to be watching with other people than linear TV viewers,” said Tony Marlow, chief marketing officer, LG Ad Solutions. “Interestingly, this research also indicates that people tend to pay more attention to the screen when co-viewing. This could mean that streaming may be a much more shared experience than previously realized and that this helps drive a higher level of attention for content and ads.”
In terms of genres that are most co-viewed, Comedy (68%) and Drama (55%) hold the top spots. Of consumers that watch sports, 56% of them are co-viewing while streaming sports.
“This research supports our existing knowledge which indicates that consumers are paying more attention to streaming content than linear content. High-attention content gives advertisers a valuable opportunity to increase engagement and generate outcomes,” said Yan Liu, CEO at TVision. “This research shows how to find that sweet spot with consumers and provides a valuable roadmap for advertisers looking to capitalize on the growing streaming marketplace.”
To download the full study, visit: https://lgads.tv/resource/viewer-attention-study/
