• by Daisy Whitney , Op-Ed Contributor, September 19, 2012

Something is afoot with connected TVs. 

They may not be as popular as tablets or as sexy as new smartphones, but there’s a reason that consumer electronics makers have been betting on these devices. A handful of recent research studies reveals several promising data points about ad opportunities in connected TVs.

For starters, connected TVs scored high as a medium for ad recall, according to a just-released study conducted by media agency IPG in partnership with digital video ad technology firm YuMe. The study found that unaided recall for ads on connected TV ads was 38%, with only PCs higher at 43%. Meanwhile, mobile phones garnered unaided recall of 35% and linear TV 27%.

Add in the fact that connected TV viewers watch video for longer periods of time, and the medium becomes even more appealing for advertisers. In its second-quarter report analyzing nearly 200 million unique viewers, online video technology firm Ooyala found that the average time per play for videos watched on gaming consoles or connected TVs was about 14 minutes, compared to four minutes for tablets, three for PCs and two for mobile phones. Connected TV viewers also usually watch long-form content on those devices -- about 93% of the time they are watching movies or TV shows, Ooyala said.

And finally, for the piece de resistance, let’s layer in this finding from a Magid study from August of connected TV users that found that nearly 90% said they noticed the ads on the platform and that 66% were likely to interact with them.

Taken together, these research bits begin to reveal a picture of the advertising opportunities and the value in targeting connected TV viewers.

Magid has said that about 21% of U.S. consumers connect their TVs to the Internet, up from 16% a year ago.