Connected TV (CTV) and premium streaming continue to grow -- and continue to be bought the same way as linear TV national advertising time via an “upfront” TV advertising
marketplace.One-third of the projected $18.9 billion in CTV and streaming advertising revenue this year will be bought before the TV season starts -- to total around $6.41 billion,
according to estimates from eMarketer.CTV upfront spending is 35% higher than a year ago -- at $4.76 billion. Next year, it is projected to grow another 27% to $8.14
billion.
eMarketer says CTV spending will be nearly 70% (68.3%) of all upfront digital video spending -- up from 66.1% a year ago.
Roughly $20 billion in
national TV advertising spending goes into linear TV networks per year -- with deals secured in the summer to be spent on the TV season running from September to August.
Upfront linear
TV advertising deals represent anywhere from 50% to 70% of a broadcast or a cable TV network’s yearly national advertising revenue.
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Last year’s upfront ad market totaled
$19.04 billion for broadcast and cable TV networks for the 2021-2022 TV season, according to Media Dynamics.
This was up 2.2% versus the previous year -- a disruptive,
pandemic-impacted TV ad-selling season -- but still down 13% from the 2019 market, according to the media consulting company.
With the continued declines in linear TV viewership
witnessed by TV networks, marketers could shift as much as 20% to 40% of their linear TV budgets into streaming deals, on the premium streaming and other digital platforms.