• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, January 19, 2021

Looking for your favorite TV show -- or new programs from your linear TV network? This may be hard to come by.

TV networks are increasingly shifting much of their on-air promotion time to streaming services from linear TV networks and programming.

Among the 25 general entertainment networks, CMOintelligence says the amount of promo time dedicated to cross-promotion more than doubled last year.

The company, which analyzes on-air marketing for TV networks, says 46% of cross-promotion avails in 2020 for Walt Disney’s ABC, Freeform, FX and Nat Geo combined went to streamers Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, while 24% of cross promotion on WarnerMedia’s TBS and TNT combined went to WarnerMedia’s HBO Max.

And here’s the big one: A massive 86% of cross-promotion on AMC Networks went to AcornTV, AMC+, Shudder and SundanceNow.

Where does this all land? New launch efforts around streaming efforts is a key trend.

At the same time, non-programming content -- commercials and promo messages -- continue to rise, which is a major glut issue for major brand marketers that buy TV networks. This comes even as major media companies pledged to cut back on the rise of commercial/non-program messaging.

Non-programming content on cable TV networks can vary from 16-to-20 minutes per program hour. Broadcast networks are in the 13- to-15-minute range. All of this escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic, as lower TV viewership hit various networks.

Add in cord-cutting, which remains a big factor. In turn, media companies have started more direct-to-consumer streaming businesses -- such as Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Peacock, Paramount+ and others -- to take more control over distribution.

Those platform are squeezing out some traditional linear TV promotion of shows, and CMO Intelligence says this is growing exponentially.

No doubt consumers are heading more to streaming platforms to find content -- new programs and previously aired content on linear TV networks. For at least a decade now, TV networks have shifted to alternative promotional -- especially with social media -- to help viewers.

But "discovery" efforts are not always easy for viewers to navigate.

Is all this enough to keep business interests -- TV show producers, talent and senior TV network streaming executives -- happy?