Connected (Smart) TVs

Given their ability to aggregate lots of content sources in one place, Smart TVs are moving into position to own the home entertainment space with easy access to various types of digital media entertainment.

• In 2024, the average consumer uses 7 different sources of TV, not to mention 13 sources of digital entertainment (across TV, gaming, music, social video and more). (Hub “Evolution of the TV Set” Study, 2024)
• With an average of about 3 TV sets per household, most TV sets are now smart TVs (more than half – 1.7), which continues to grow each year. (Hub “Evolution of the TV Set” Study, 2024)

• In addition, two-thirds (67%) of Internet households own a smart TV. (Parks Associates, 2024)
• Almost half (46%) of Internet households own a streaming media player, using Roku (43%) and Amazon Fire TV stick/player most often (35%).

• CTV viewing levels are approaching the record levels seen during the pandemic and that the average viewing sessions are growing.

• Connected TVs account for over one-third of total TV usage. (StackAdapt, 2024)
• The average U.S. adult is expected to watch 123.4 minutes of CTV per day this year. (Nielsen, 2024).
• The number of CTV viewers in the U.S. will reach 233.9 million in 2024, with roughly 115.1 million households watching CTV. (eMarketer, 2024)
• CTV usage among younger generations is increasing with forecasts of 62.6 million Millennials and 56.1 Gen Zers in the U.S. to watch CTV in 2025. (Statista, 2024)

• More than half (56%) consider their smart TV their primary device for consuming video (56%) compared to just over one-third (34%) primarily using external streaming devices. (Parks Associates, 2024)
• More smart TV owners are using nearly all the non-TV features from their TVs, with half (49%) of using their TV to stream music followed by using it to “mirror” / “cast” to the TV screen (38%) or check news, weather or traffic (24%). (Hub “Evolution of the TV Set” Study, 2024)

• Two-thirds (65%) start their viewing from the home screen of a smart TV via apps (38%) or media player (27%) vs a pay-TV home screen (19%). (Hub “Evolution of the TV Set” Study, 2024)

• More than half (51%) of smart TV owners said they added suggested apps during the setup process. (Hub “Evolution of the TV Set” Study, 2024)
• When searching for shows on a smart TV, starting on a smart TV home screen or search function, bypassing individual apps (50%) is just as common as opening a specific app like Disney+ or Netflix (50%). (Hub “Evolution of the TV Set” Study, 2024)

• CTV has become the fastest-growing ad channel in the U.S. accounting for 1 in 10 US dollars spent on digital advertising (90% of which is transacted programmatically). (StackAdapt)
• CTV is experiencing significant growth, with ad spending expected to increase by 18.8% this year, driven by the Olympics and elections. (Wurl, 2024)
• CTV advertising has increased by nearly 400% since 2019 and is projected to see double-digital ad spend growth in the U.S. through the end of 2027 and forecasted to surpass $42 billion by 2028. (eMarketer, 2024).

• CTV ad spending will account for 42% of total CTV and linear ad spend in 2027. (e-Marketer)
• One-third of U.S. viewers have used their CTV devices to complete a purchase after viewing an ad. (IAB, 2024)
• CTV ad attention increased to 51.5% in Q1’2024 (IAB, 2024)
• About seven-out-of-ten consumers (69%) say they won’t skip an ad if it’s for a product or service they’re already interested in. (Nielsen, 2024)
• CTV Measurement & Metrics (StackAdapt):

Evolution of the TV Set

Hub Entertainment Research, 2024
Streaming media players still have a strong presence in living rooms, but the ease of “all-in-one” Smart TVs positions them to gain dominance Discover how the strength of improved operating systems (OS) built into those TV sets are shaping viewing behavior around what and how people are watching.

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