NEW MEDIA LANDSCAPE

HOW DO CAMPAIGNS REACH TV HOUSEHOLDS THAT DON’T SUBSCRIBE TO CABLE OR USE BROADCAST TV?

While broadcast, cable and satellite TV reach millions of Americans every day, voters are increasingly accessing video content (movies, scripted shows, as well as live news and sports) via non-traditional media formats. Campaigns need to reach voters where they are consuming content.

Here is a breakdown to help you understand the fragmented TV landscape: Connected TV (CTV) simply refers to a television set that is connected to the Internet. CTV includes smart TV’s, as well as home entertainment devices like Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire, plus gaming consoles like Xbox and PlayStation. Many TV households with CTV have access to traditional media formats, too.

Over the top (OTT) refers to content providers that distribute media via the Internet. This is done via a Connected TV device. The first thing that comes to mind for most people is probably Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. These are subscription on demand (SOD) services. They are popular, but some don’t offer advertising opportunities for campaigns. There are some – including Hulu and Peacock – that do.

Virtual multichannel video programming distributor (vMVPD) refers to a subset of OTT services that provide multiple TV channels through the Internet. They are often marketed as “skinny bundle” products (less channels and less expensive than traditional cable). Examples include AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, SlingTV and YouTube TV. All of these services have advertising opportunities for campaigns.

In addition, most traditional cable providers (as well as non-traditional providers) offer video on demand (VOD) services. Advertising can be sold into VOD.