Changing Streaming Habits Are Reshaping Marketing Strategy

Streaming habits are rapidly evolving; insights from GWI reveal that people are using more platforms, watching more ad-supported content and shifting how they spend their attention, reshaping what effective marketing looks like. If your strategy isn’t built for CTV, OTT and cross-platform engagement, you’re missing out. Here’s how to turn new streaming behaviors into a smarter, performance-driven strategy—and reach your audience where it matters most.

Evolving Your Streaming TV Strategy Based on Viewer Habits

As people continue to cut traditional TV in favor of streaming, where and how they watch is shifting. Explore our latest insights on turning evolving streaming behaviors into a smarter, performance-driven strategy that reaches your audience where it matters most.

Users spend an average of 1 hour and 24 minutes per day on streaming platforms, with streaming-only households spending around three hours. Insights from GWI reveal that people are using multiple streaming platforms and watching more ad-supported content. In order to capitalize on these shifts towards ad-supported streaming, inventory, targeting and creative strategy must all work in tandem.

Strategic Inventory Selection

Streaming TV viewership is incredibly fragmented, with YouTube commanding just over a quarter of total viewership, per Nielsen, while the remaining viewership is spread across a number of platforms like Netflix, Disney, Prime Video and Roku, among others.

This creates a challenge for brands trying to find the right mix of inventory to reach key audiences and translate that reach into tangible outcomes for their business. Inventory selection should be focused on where key audiences are engaged and spending time, with an eye towards incremental reach to ensure each new platform is additive, not duplicative.

Align Targeting With Content

While entertainment remains important, GWI research shows a shift towards intent-driven viewing. Using contextual targeting, you can serve creatives based on the content of an episode or even a scene, ensuring that your message is highly relevant and engaging. Along with standard audience segments, contextual targeting can add a valuable layer to boost the impact of streaming TV creative.

Engage Users With Tailored Creative

Streaming TV’s targeting and creative capabilities have expanded significantly, making it viable as a performance channel. Dynamic creative options like interactive ads, store locators, shoppable pause ads and even CTV homescreen takeovers give brands a variety of tools to drive meaningful business outcomes.