NEW YORK-More than seven in 10 Americans are watching video on a connected TV (CTV) device as the COVID-19 pandemic limits their opportunities for social engagement and summertime activities, according to data presented in an infographic released in June by data-driven marketing tech firm Zeta.
The growing popularity of CTV isn't new. Since 2016, linear TV consumption has dropped 8.5% while that of CTV has grown 55%, according to the Zeta infographic.
However, the linear-vs.-CTV-viewing trend isn't quite as cut and dried as the findings seem at first blush. Some of the most popular CTV services, such as Hulu, offer as many linear television channels in their premium subscription packages as traditional MVPDs.
The difference between linear TV and CTV offerings-at least when it comes to how Zeta tallies findings for its infographic-is in what the marketing tech firm chooses to emphasize in its definition of connected TV, says Christopher Hansen, senior vice president of product strategy.
If you think about connected TV, at least in the way our industry as marketers are talking about connected TV, [it] is the channel [i.e. service] you are consuming on, he says. It's less about the content .
In other words, Zeta's distinction between linear and connected TV makes no provision to count in its linear category a linear channel, such as a call letter TV station delivered via an OTT service, but rather lumps it into the CTV category because of the way viewers consume it.
It's sort of like not giving a linear TV channel credit for the audience it reaches in its DMA via MVPD services because those viewers don't watch the station's over-the-air signal.
What the distinction boils down to is how Zeta's primary audience-marketers and advertisers-regard linear and CTV advertising opportunities, he says.
If through Hulu, you are able to consume linear content and there's an advertising or marketing opportunity at Hulu and you can address one [of the linear channels on Hulu] with an advertisement, that will take care of what's needed from a marketer's perspective, he said.
Other Zeta findings presented on the infographic, include:
From January to April, Zeta's targetable CTV households climbed more than 23%-nearly 40 million in January vs. nearly 50 million in April;
Since January, CTV impressions grew 7,621% on game consoles, 1,182% on CTV set-top boxes and 9% on TVs;
CTV ad spending since January on game consoles and STBs grew 667% and 645%, respectively, and fell nearly 29% for connected television sets.
The meteoric rise in CTV viewing impressions via game consoles during the COVID-19 pandemic is the direct result of the hours people are using those devices to pass the time, says Hansen.
The Xbox and the PlayStation have connected TV apps on them, he says. As millennials and Gen-Zers are connected and spending more time with those devices, you are starting to see them use those game consoles to watch TV.
The infographic also identifies Roku as the No. 1 CTV set-top box with 72% of the market, followed by Amazon Fire Stick at 26%, Apple TV at 2% and Google Chromecast at 1%.
Hansen attributes Roku's STB market-leading position to several factors. If you are going to cord cut, and you are looking for a good price point, good usability and good adaptability to the ecosystem out there, Roku is the choice, he says.
Among competitive connected TV brands, Samsung CTVs lead the pack with 72% using the sets to access connected TV services, followed by Sony at 20% and LG at 7%, according to the infographic.
I would definitely say the connected TV experience of the Samsung is better-the accessibility of the app and its usability, says Hansen. People are more apt to use the connected TV apps on the Samsung.
The Zeta Connected TV infographic is available on the company's website.
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
01/12/2025
L3Harris and PentenAmio formalise their teaming agreement at MilCIS 2025, streng...
01/12/2025
Artemis II is NASA's first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. The crew, from left: Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Vic...
01/12/2025
IRVINE, Calif. Wooden Camera has introduced its new Accessory Collection for the Canon EOS C50. The new lineup includes a low-profile, gimbal-ready cage, expand...
01/12/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for its Dec. 18 Open Commission Meeting that will include a vote on a report an...
01/12/2025
In most years, a graph of annual local TV ad spending is about as predictable as an electrocardiogram of a reasonably healthy patient in a doctor's office. ...
01/12/2025
Many industries have seen big-ticket hardware turn into software. Switchers, though, demand a combination of real-time performance and sheer bandwidth that has ...
01/12/2025
GENEVA Shanghai will host the next quadrennial Radiocommunication Assembly (RA-27) and World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-27), Oct. 11-Nov. 12, 2027. This...
01/12/2025
NEW YORK Just in time for Giving Tuesday tomorrow (Dec. 2), the Broadcasters Foundation of America is seeking out donations to help television and radio industr...
01/12/2025
STOCKHOLM, Sweden Net Insight CEO Crister Fritzson has informed the company's board that he will retire from the video transport and media cloud technology ...
01/12/2025
01 Dec 2025
Kyivstar and Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation Select Go...
01/12/2025
The prequel to the global hit Sky Original mob crime saga, Gomorrah' is a s...
01/12/2025
Featuring Florence Welch, Red Hot Chilli Peppers' Flea, designer Bella Freud...
01/12/2025
Back to All News
A Down to Earth, All Too Relatable Hero: Cashero' Teaser ...
01/12/2025
In the rush to deliver content to every screen, many broadcasters overlook one of the most crucial steps in the workflow: format and frame rate conversion. Get ...
01/12/2025
Fox Corporation Chief Financial Officer Steve Tomsic to Participate in Upcoming ...
01/12/2025
Arvato Systems' Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) Receives BSI C5 Certification (T...
01/12/2025
Summary This short video gives you an summary of the changes in under two minutes.
--...
01/12/2025
As the festive season approaches, RT Supporting the Arts is proud to showcase a...
01/12/2025
Researchers worldwide rely on open-source technologies as the foundation of their work. To equip the community with the latest advancements in digital and physi...
01/12/2025
Festive specials of Christmas in Kilmainham presented by Marty Whelan, High Road Low Road, Callan Kicks the Year and Keys to My Life
Ring in the New Year with ...
01/12/2025
Architect and television presenter Hugh Wallace, best known to RT audiences as a long-serving judge on Home of the Year, has died at the age of 68.
In a state...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
NEW YORK-More than seven in 10 Americans are watching video on a connected TV (CTV) device as the COVID-19 pandemic limits their opportunities for social engagement and summertime activities, according to data presented in an infographic released in June by data-driven marketing tech firm Zeta.
