Why Brands Are Streamlining Their Approach to Streaming

Editor’s note: This piece is part of our Columnist Network series, which explores the tactical thoughts and actions from Adweek’s community of high-level experts. Today, Roku's Kristina Shepard describes the present-day challenges to recapturing the success of traditional live broadcasting. Below, in her own words, she explains how following tentpole streaming trends ripples out into new opportunities for programming. In 1940, NBC experimented with a telecast of TV’s first baseball game—and not long after, the world was served the very first broadcast TV ad: a 60-second commercial for a Bulova watch. And just like that, the golden era of broadcast advertising began! Looking back at the industry’s start lends perspective around the allure that traditional TV once had. It reminds us that what took over 70 years to build is not simple to recreate. This is especially true for live, linear tentpoles. In 1970, there were three major networks. If a brand wanted quick and mass reach, they knew exactly where to go. Fast forward to 2021, and TV viewing has become heavily fragmented—firstly, from the rise of cable television and, secondly, from the shift toward streaming platforms. Marketers are left trying to determine how—where—to reach their viewers in the most effective manner. Streaming provides viewers a multitude of benefits, including choice, value and ease of use. In fact, when surveyed, streamers have said the No. 2 reason they plan to stick with streaming is simply because they prefer the overall viewing experience. Streaming operating systems have been laser-focused on building best-in-class user interfaces, negotiating deals with top channels—ensuring a variety of quality content—and investing in customized search and recommendation tools that present viewers with the best options for their personal preferences. With these enhanced options and increased access to historically linear content, it’s no surprise why viewers are opting to watch many live tentpoles via streaming devices. In 2021, we saw viewership for the Super Bowl decline by 15% on linear; subsequently, streaming devices like Roku saw audiences increase by 44%. Similarly, the ABC telecast of the Oscars saw ratings sliced nearly in half. Streaming devices are now the No. 1 destination for viewers to watch premium content. For example, on Roku, we saw searches for Oscar-nominated titles increase by 264% in the week leading up to the big show. This trend has marketers hyper-focused on how they can amplify their current linear sponsorships with streaming extensions, and how they can create net-new content experiences with streaming partners. By amplifying live, linear tentpole sponsorships across streaming, brands can reach audiences that no longer have a cable subscription as well as create more immersive versions of their sponsorships via augmented reality or interactive ads. This is made all the more possible through the linear viewership data available from streaming platforms. With the ability to target based on deterministic data, brands can more easily distribute—and scale—content partnerships through their owned and operated channels and homescreen units. As viewers continue to choose streaming devices as their preferred TV viewership platforms, most specifically as it pertains to live tentpoles, brands are taking notice—shifting focus to amplify existing sponsorships and creating new content experiences built for streaming.

Columnist Network

Why Brands Are Streamlining Their Approach to Streaming

Roku data shows a change in viewership trends for linear tentpole events

Kristina Shepard

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Kristina Shepard