Volume 3 No. 3: Are cord-cutters becoming cord-revivers?

Options are good, right? 

But how many options is too many? When does the complexity of sorting through all those options outweigh the benefits? 

Whatever the exact number, we can confidently say we’ve reached that amount when it comes to content viewing options. Which means extremely fragmented audiences. And consumers report it's now actually harder to find something to watch despite (or because of) the many choices they now have. 

So, where are people watching? Let's find out. 

 

   Marketing Myths   

Streaming viewers don't watch linear TV.

Each week, we break down a common misconception around TV advertising.

Cord-cutter—it’s a title for anyone who cancels a pay TV service in favor of streaming platforms. And it’s a term that’s shown up frequently in industry news over the last couple of years. 

 

Yes, the number of pay TV subscriptions are declining as cord-cutters grow. But that decline isn’t nearly as steep as some seem to believe.

 

The perception that streaming provides greater value than traditional TV offerings has begun to lose its glow. Compared to last year, 10% fewer consumers are reporting meaningful savings when switching from cable to streaming, in part due to SVOD price hikes. 

 

Some former cord-cutters are even returning to cable and satellite. This group is becoming known as cord-revivers, and their impact is undeniable. The percentage of viewers who subscribe to at least one SVOD service dropped 12% this year, with many in that group now splitting their time between traditional TV and free AVOD services. 

 

It’s those free AVOD platforms that represent a future bright spot for streaming advertisers and consumers alike. But for now, linear TV is holding its own when it comes to its ability to reach viewers across an extremely complicated media marketplace. 

 

What's the takeaway? Today, the average US adult still spends more time watching linear than streaming and CTV content. But regardless of how they’re splitting their viewing time between streaming and linear, many TV viewers are in fact watching both. 

 

  Advertising Answers  

Question: What makes TV a strong storytelling medium?

We take the web’s most searched questions about TV advertising to a range of marketing experts who can’t help but love TV.

 

Answer: “With TV, we can use both audio and visual to connect brands with their consumers. So we can pull different emotional levers. It might be humor. It might be something more sentimental. But TV allows us to find the right levers to pull and really make the brand sticky for the consumer. For most brands, there's already a conversation happening out there about who they are, so television allows us to engage in those conversations and emotionally connect the brand to the consumer.” 

 

— Deb Hagan, VP Group Creative Director 

 

Deb’s known for exploring new ideas and telling compelling stories. Outside of her creative work, she often spends time on the water, kayaking or boating.

 

  Channel Changers  

Follow: TVREV

Here we celebrate books, podcasts, videos, and influencers that are actively pushing marketing into the future.

TVREV is a group of leading journalists and executives that bring together marketers and established companies to discuss the TV industry. TVREV provides marketers with key insights and best practices for making the most of their campaigns. They also offer learning opportunities based on the latest trends. 

 

Our favorite insight? LightShed analysts report the SVOD world is struggling to provide a “constant supply of fresh content” to attract and retain subscribers. Which has some media companies rethinking the value of cable and broadcast. 

 

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