Reports of TV's Death Are Greatly Exaggerated

Judy Davey - 12/11/15, Media in Canada (excerpt)

As advertisers we strive to develop the right content that will get delivered at the right time to the right person. Online media has brought us nearer to this promise (though the reality is clouded by the lack of transparency in programmatic transactions). But lost among the fervour for digital is the fact that good ol’ TV is still a powerful and effective medium that, with the long-overdue application of digital technology, can be even more formidable.

No one will argue that TV is being consumed differently, but it is still reaching a wide audience, including millennials. A recent report from Media Technology Monitor shows that millennial TV viewing levels in 2015 are virtually as strong as they were a decade ago. Not surprisingly, they are watching very differently than older Canadians, viewing online at 4.9 hours per week versus one hour per week for Canadians 35+. However, they do spend more weekly hours watching TV on a TV set than online and their Netflix consumption, at 2.8 hours per week, is 155% greater than 35+ Canadians.

 Meanwhile, Numeris’ actual viewing data from September 2014 until August 2015 shows that, at 19 hours per week, millennials are still spending a significant amount of time watching TV.

 And according to eMarketer, TV is hands down the most persuasive medium with millennials and in fact with all demos, save for people older than 65. While the data comes from the U.S., the results are likely similar in Canada.