• by Wayne Friedman , October 4, 2024

In the third quarter, to promote and market the start of the new TV-streaming season, premium streamers increased national TV marketing efforts by 10% to a collective $151.5 million in estimated advertising spending/ media value, according to EDO Ad EnGage.

While ad spend and value were up, airings were 18% lower to 59,370 airings (72,690 airings a year ago), with impressions down 7% to 22.9 billion (24.6 billion in 2023).

Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max was almost entirely responsible for much of the decline in airings and impressions -- mostly which come from WBD’s owned networks. It ran 11,430 airings this year, versus 28,190 a year ago. Impressions were down by more than half -- 3.05 billion versus 7.08 billion a year ago.

This year’s third quarter has seen Disney+ rising to the top spot in terms of national TV advertising -- with an ad spend/media value of $25.7 million from 5,050 airings generating a leading 3.4 billion impressions.

The next-highest advertiser was the NFL+, $19.8 million (at 1.2 billion impressions and 2,050 airings).

The NFL traditionally preps its season, which starts in September,  with a major TV advertising campaign. It also gains advertising inventory access on  TV networks airing the NFL games.

The next three streamers were legacy TV network-owned streamers: Paramount Global’s Paramount+ with $13.2 million (3 billion impressions, 8,580 airings); NBCUniversal’s Peacock at $12.9 million (573 million impressions, 413 airings) and Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max with $11.4 million (3.05 billion impressions, 11,430 airings).

These streamers -- especially Paramount+ and Max -- continued to use heavy amounts of advertising inventory from their sister linear TV networks versus other streaming marketers.

Walt Disney also spent heavily on the “Disney Bundle” (Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+) and through placement of advertising on Disney TV networks. This came to a total media value of $10.7 million (1.8 billion impressions, 4,510 airings). 

Disney’s Hulu Live TV and Hulu placed $8.3 million in advertising value and $6 million, respectively.

Among digital-first streamers, Amazon Prime Video spent $9.8 million, with Fubo TV at $4.6 million and Apple TV+ at $275,540.