• by Wayne Friedman , November 26, 2024

Streaming platforms continue to slow their national TV marketing -- down 29% to $149.2 million in media spend/value for the most recent three-month period versus a year ago, according to estimates from EDO Ad EnGage.

From August 26 through November 26, national TV airings are down as well to 54,030 (from 76,110), and impressions are lower by 23% to 22.2 billion.

This move to somewhat smaller TV campaigns goes in tandem to premium streamers efforts to cut costs including that of production and acquisition of content.

Some major premium streamers have made drastic cutbacks such as Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max, now at estimated $6.3 million in media spend/value, versus $31.8 million. There were some 5,600 airings this year versus 30,620 a year ago.

Legacy media owners like WBD have heavily used their own cable networks' advertising inventory to promote their streaming platforms.

Disney has made cuts for its advertising on Disney Bundle and Hulu+Live TV. At the same time, it added spend for Disney+, $19.5 million (from $16.0 million) and Hulu, $8.0 million (from $5.3 million)

Industry leader Netflix -- which traditionally spends very modestly on national TV advertising -- cut its efforts in half for end-of-the year TV marketing. It spent an estimated $2.2 million for 19 airings. A year before over the same time period, Netflix spent $7.0 million on some 31 airings.

The top five streaming platforms this year are NFL+ ($23.3 million); Disney+ ($19.5 million); Amazon Prime Video ($15.4 million); Hulu+Live TV ($12.5 million); and Disney Bundle ($9.8 million).

The top five brands a year ago were NFL+ ($40.7 million); Max ($31.8 million); Hulu+Live TV ($19.6 million); Disney+ ($16.0 million); and Disney Bundle ($15.7 million).