What is linear TV advertising? In the digital age, it’s become harder and harder to get your message across. Linear television has not become obsolete as a result of newer non-linear television technology.
The traditional television industry is undergoing changes as the market is disrupted by the growing popularity of alternative ways to consume content. Non-linear viewing, on the other hand, is growing in popularity.
So that, does linear TV still have a future? This article lets you know more about its transformation.
What is linear TV advertising?
Linear TV advertising is the most traditional type of advertisement.
Linear TV ads are always shown on TV in a specific time slot. They are not interactive and they do not change depending on the viewer’s preferences or location.
Linear TV advertising is not only used by big companies, but also by small businesses. It is one of the most popular methods for advertisers to communicate with their target audience because it reaches numerous people in an easy-to-access manner.
While linear TV advertising has many benefits, it isn’t without its drawbacks. It can be expensive to buy airtime and there are limited opportunities for live commercial breaks.
What’s the difference between linear TV and on-demand TV?
Television is a medium that can be accessed either by watching live linear broadcasts or through on-demand streaming and video-on-demand services. TV viewers have their choice of how they want to watch, and what they can watch.
Linear television refers to watching scheduled broadcasts on TV at the time they are programmed. The majority of TV programming is available on linear TV schedules, which can have long periods of “scheduling gridlock”, where multiple TV networks schedule programming back-to-back. Scheduling is often arranged by the network to maximize the reach of the content.
On-demand television refers to watching or streaming video on demand whenever desired. This type of TV requires a subscription, either through monthly fees or pay-per-view purchases. Programming options are typically limited to seasons of TV shows, movies, and sporting events.
Why is linear TV not obsolete yet?
Linear TV, or “traditional” TV, has been the gold standard for years. It’s how we watch live sports and awards shows, and the only way to catch great events like the Super Bowl or an episode of “Survivor” as it airs.
But we’ve seen a few cracks in the linear TV model over the years — Netflix and Amazon Prime, for example, allow you to watch any one of thousands of TV shows and movies at any time for a flat monthly rate.
Linear TV still wins out when it comes to sports, live events, and appointment television. You can’t watch the Super Bowl on Amazon Prime.
But linear TV is evolving too — take your cable company’s on-demand service, for example. It offers a ton of content in addition to live TV, but you can only watch it when you’re at home.
We’ve also seen an explosion of alternative sources for watching TV, including online services like Hulu and Sling TV, plus online video sites like YouTube and Netflix.
What does the future of linear TV look like?
Linear TV is still around, and it’s not going anywhere soon. It’ll likely continue to evolve, though. And it’s not just cable anymore — streaming services are starting to take off too.
Postgate says the next 10 years will see an end to linear TV services – when content is channel-based and broadcast at pre-ordained times. There is a common assumption that linear television is fading, but this is far from the case. That is, of course, unless linear TV is re-invented for the digital age.
The digital revolution has already started to take hold and the business adapt new techniques to optimize their ads, save money and reach more target audience
Do people still watch linear TV?
Despite the competition from streaming on-demand video, people of all ages continue to watch linear television.
Linear TV is scheduled programming on television that airs on a designated channel at a specific time. It can be accessed through digital video recorders.
This means that linear television channels can still be beneficial to your business. Traditional television allows viewers to relax and focus on content that is broadcast without requiring them to make any further judgments.
The pros of linear TV advertising
As the competition for digital attention grows, many marketers are turning to linear TV advertising. They want to reach an audience in a medium that is not only huge, but also measurable.
In some parts of Western Europe too, linear TV advertising hasn’t been given up on altogether. Some marketers also believe that TV still has an edge because of its power to impress audiences. And there’s definitely some truth to this claim.
The cons of linear TV advertising
But, as the saying goes, with every silver lining, there is a cloud. The danger is that marketers are caught in this logic trap. Statistics show that TV advertising is still a sound investment for many categories.
But the conundrum is that it’s not clear whether linear TV will continue being worth it. People don’t watch TV the way they used to anymore. The way we access linear TV content is through so-called catch-up services.
Here, people just watch TV the way they’d watch any online video, which means that they are likely to have many other stimuli at their disposal. This also means that they are less likely to sit through ads.
It’s common knowledge by now that people fast-forward through ads. This has prompted advertisers to shift to longer ad breaks in an attempt to grab the audience’s attention for a longer period of time.
People are also seemingly less patient, which makes it harder for marketers to “hook” the audience. They expect all content around their ad break to be relevant. Only 15% of people are interested in watching ads that offer no added value to them, according to a recent study.
The truth is that most people don’t watch live TV anymore. When it comes to the future of television broadcasting, we anticipate seeing more programmatic inventory incorporated with a linear inventory.
More agencies will seek cross-platform solutions as they seek new methods to reach their target audiences. It’s an exciting moment to be alive, especially if you’re ready to launch your own brand’s channel!
