UK CTV audiences use a diverse mix of platforms, says study

According to AudienceXpress, UK CTV audiences regularly watch content via a diverse mix of platforms and channels with SVOD being the first choice for 55% of Brits,

FreeWheel’s premium video media sales house released findings from the third iteration of its Streaming Video: CTV Uncovered 2023 consumer study, conducted in collaboration with independent research specialist, Happydemics.

The research was carried out in the UK, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and the Netherlands, exploring viewers’ uptake of CTV and their views on the TV advertising experience, alongside their preferences and perceptions of different channels and platforms.

AudienceXpress findings pointed to Broadcast TV overall being the most favoured, but UK CTV audiences were accessing TV-like content through a diverse mix of channels and platforms. It was revealed 55% of the UK CTV viewers surveyed claimed to use CTV to access SVOD, followed by 37% who tune in to broadcasters’ live TV, and 35% who watch broadcaster video-on-demand (BVOD) channels on CTV.

Furthermore, almost a third of UK CTV viewers have a preference for contextual ads that are informed by the content they are watching which increases to 42% among the 25-34 age group. While 57% of UK CTV respondents favour one longer ad break before the content and no ads afterwards. The study also highlighted 71% of UK survey respondents who access content through social video aggregators on CTV feel there are too many ads on these platforms.

“Evolving viewing habits are continuing to drive the convergence of digital and linear TV, with premium video content from online video aggregators now being watched on the TV screen,” said Stefanie Briec, director, head of demand sales UK & International for AudienceXpress. “Alongside this, the increase of hybrid streaming services on the market, which include both AVOD (ad-supported video-on-demand) and SVOD in their business models, underscores the reality that high quality, TV-like content retains the power to capture audience attention regardless of channel or platform. Moving forward, marketers require a holistic approach to TV to identify the channels that complement each other and boost the performance of their campaigns.”