Top TV advertisers and the ongoing battle for contested ad space

Eight decades after the first commercial aired on U.S. television, ads have become an integral part of the TV viewing experience. On broadcast networks such as ABC, NBC, or FOX, primetime advertising times range from an average of 12 to 17 minutes per hour, and while audiences are exposed to advertising messages on a daily basis, airtimes during top-rated TV shows, sports events, and awards ceremonies are particularly popular among U.S. marketers. During the 2020/21 TV season, NBC Sunday Night Football was by far the most expensive show for advertisers on broadcast TV, and according to the latest estimates, the average cost of a 30-second TV commercial during the Super Bowl will have reached a record 5.6 million U.S. dollars in 2021. Seeing that these formats score millions of viewers every year, advertisers are ramping up their marketing efforts and investing higher budgets than ever to deliver their brand message. Unsurprisingly, large companies such as Procter & Gamble, T-Mobile, and Amazon are among the biggest spenders on broadcast network TV advertising in the United States.

Targeting TV audiences in an ever-evolving multimedia space

As the (pay) TV landscape faces increased competition from over-the-top (OTT) media and other non-linear streaming alternatives, marketers have started to adapt their advertising strategies to the changes in viewing behavior and preferences. In 2020, U.S. spending on connected TV (CTV) advertising stood at 8.11 billion U.S. dollars, and according to the latest forecasts, this figure will more than double by 2024. CTV advertising allows brands to reach their audience on smart TVs and OTT devices, including Roku players or internet-enabled gaming consoles. Given that an estimated 78 percent of U.S. households could be reached via CTV programmatic advertising in 2020 and that this type of advertising enables more efficient audience targeting, marketers are increasingly focusing on non-linear video content consumption. Considering that SVoD subscribers are also less likely to skip ads that are relevant to them, the benefits of placing ad-supported content in new and dynamic TV and video environments are becoming more visible than ever.

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