newsletter: the state of total tv in Canada

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April 30, 2024

Advertising on connected TV is a growing and exciting space – but not all impressions are created equal.

The theme of last week’s CMDC Media Summit was collaboration, innovation, and driving positive change in the Canadian media industry. So what better topic for a thinktv panel than Total TV, which encapsulates all three of those themes.

In a discussion with senior broadcaster leaders, Catherine MacLeod, thinktv President and CEO, kicked off the session with a quick review of the current Canadian landscape, noting that while connected TV is an exciting growth area for the industry and quite rightly a top concern for marketers, Total TV – linear TV + broadcaster streaming services – continues to dominate time spent with video. 

That said, the reality is that most Canadians are accessing both TV and streaming services. Marketers ignore Total TV at their peril: Only 16% of Canadians are “only streamers,” despite what you may have seen in recent headlines.

When it comes to connected TV, the panel focused on a few key points:

  • The big screen captures big attention: Ads on a TV screen achieve 34% higher recall than those seen on a computer; ensure your connected TV buy is on an actual TV screen.
  • TV is digital: Broadcaster connected TV provides all the targeting and benefits of a digital buy, but within a premium context of professionally produced content that is not only brand safe, and built with ad breaks in mind, but that Canadians know, trust, and love.
  • Not all connected TV is equal: To be guaranteed a brand-safe, fraud-free, premium environment for advertising, buy direct from the broadcasters. If using an aggregator, find out where ads will be playing.
  • Support the Canadian ecosystem: In the spirit of the Summit’s focus on Canadian media and the Canadian Media Manifesto, the panel made a compelling case for investing in Canadian television and streaming services. Buying connected TV from the broadcasters means supporting the Canadian media industry, the Canadian economy, and it ensures the continued development and availability of quality content.

Thanks to everyone who attended the Summit and if you missed it, check out the slides below.

download presentation