Hard-To-Reach 'Light' Linear TV Audiences Continue To Move To Streaming Platforms

Hard-to-reach audiences -- so called "light" linear TV viewers -- continue to move to streaming platforms.

These “light” TV audiences represent 67% of all TV viewing overall, according to internal data from LG Ad Solutions. 

LG's data now estimates that 51% are streaming-only users, with "light" linear TV viewers now comprising 16% of all hard-to-reach viewers.

For decades, TV advertisers have pursued light TV viewers in order to better optimize their marketing campaigns. Missing these key potential consumers has led to significant reach and frequency issues for marketers.

It is estimated that whereas a large number of traditional TV viewers typically average four hours or more each day of viewing, light TV viewers on average watch only around 30 minutes.

There are an estimated 20 million light TV viewers currently, versus 10 million in 2017.

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Looking more broadly at LG's smart TV platform, it says there has been major growth in the past 12 months in terms of more users on its smart TV system, while the amount of time spent has also increased.

Citing data from MRI-Simmons in 2023, male users have over-indexed on its platform, with a 112 index (the average being 100), with female users coming in at 89. 

The overall age breakdown among all major demographic groups shows over-indexing: For 18-24 (159); 25-54 (118); 35-44 (130); and 45-54 (160). Only those 55 and older under-index, at 37.

LG's data comes from over 35 million smart TVs in the U.S. and over 150 million globally, equipped with Automatic Content Recognition (ACR).

2 comments about "Hard-To-Reach 'Light' Linear TV Audiences Continue To Move To Streaming Platforms".
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  1. Ed Papazian from Media Dynamics Inc, June 19, 2023 at 6:11 a.m.

    Wayne, if "light TV viewers"average only 30 minutes of "viewing" per day according to a smartset panel, how can this small group----20 million?---account for 67% of all "viewing"? Once again we see strange findings about "viewing" based on set usge---which is not the same thing as "viewing". Also, if there are an estimated 20 million light viewers currently out of a population of more than 320 million--- which we are told is double the number from 2017 ( ? ) how could such a tiny group be of any consequence?

    Actually the real number of light TV viewers---folks who devote only 2-5 hours per week to "TV" ---is probably about 50-60 million, not 20 million and many of them migrated to streming some time ago.

  2. John Grono from GAP Research, June 19, 2023 at 6:59 p.m.

    Thanks Ed, you beat me to it.

    Totally laughable that a claim could be made that in a population of 330m, that the 20m 'light

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