Goldbach Advanced TV study proves: Advertising acceptance in Connected TV on the rise

Zurich, April 12, 2021 - Connected TV has long since conquered its place in the living room. 74% of all households have at least one Internet-enabled device. Particularly interesting: Compared to the previous year, the number of internet-connected second devices in the household has increased by 43%. 70% of 16- to 49-year-olds use Connected TV, half of them even regularly.

For 71% of all respondents, the most common way to use Internet-enabled additional functions today is directly via smart TV devices. 20% use a streaming box, 22% a streaming stick and 30% a games console. These figures are even higher among 30 to 49-year-olds. In this target group, 76% of respondents use a smart TV, 24% use a streaming stick, 27% use a streaming box and 35% use a game console. Only among 16- to 29-year-olds is the use of consoles even higher, at 39%. Unlike online, Connected TV, like traditional linear TV, is a one-to-many medium. On average, 2.3 people sit together in front of the big screen. The average time of use has increased by 30 minutes to 2.5 hours compared to the previous year.

What content is being consumed?

The use of HbbTV/RedButton content is holding steady at a high level (62%). For apps and VOD functions, usage has increased by 8% on average compared to the previous year. 87% of respondents use these, 62% even regularly. The young target group in particular stands out here, with 93% of 16- to 29-year-olds using apps/VOD, 73% regularly. Streaming/VOD apps are used particularly frequently (84%), followed by TV apps (46%), music apps (27%) and sports apps (23%). Easy access to more content and more flexible viewing options are cited by all target groups as explanations for the strong frequency.

Acceptance of advertising on the rise

Connected TV users use an average of 2.5 paid apps and 3 free apps. They spend between EUR 10 and 29 per month on these. Two-thirds of users of paid apps would accept advertising if the content were free. 42% of Connected TV users are aware of advertising in the Connected TV environment. In particular, those under 50 and male users have a higher awareness of advertising. 50% of 30- to 49-year-olds find advertising perfectly acceptable, and 44% of 30- to 69-year-olds even find it helpful.

Michael Baum, Director DACH at Goldbach, on the study results: "Connected TVs continue to be on the road to success. Usage continues to rise and the new generation of TVs are virtually eliminating the barriers to entry into the enhanced TV experience. In no other segment of moving image media will there be more new VoD offerings in the coming years. Those who will benefit are the users, who will be able to consume TV content in an even more individualized and specialized way, as well as advertising customers, who will also be able to take advantage of this development."

Goldbach specializes in the technology-oriented marketing of moving images. Its offering ranges from digital out of home, online video and advanced TV to a versatile linear TV offering.

*The current study was expanded to include Connected TV. This means that comparability with the results of previous years is only possible to a limited extent.