Streaming and Broadcast: Melting together

The lines between streaming and broadcast TV are blurring. In recent years, we have seen a rise in streaming services alongside a decline in traditional broadcasting, creating a more complex media landscape for advertisers to navigate.

Growth and Decline

Average daily streaming minutes in Denmark have increased significantly, reaching 80 minutes across broadcaster platforms, international services, and TV distributor streaming.

The other way around, broadcast viewing has declined from 128 minutes per day in Q1-Q3 2022 to 103 minutes in Q1-Q3 2024. It’s important to consider though the impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns, which really affected viewing habits. Despite this decrease, broadcast consumption remains high, averaging nearly 1 hour and 43 minutes daily for adults aged 18 and over.

The Evidence of Convergence

Consumers are less concerned with how they watch content (streaming vs. traditional broadcast) and more focused on what they watch and when. The primary difference now lies in how households receive the signal.

Average daily broadcast viewing minutes in Denmark are decreasing, dropping by 25 minutes over the past three years. Simultaneously, 32% of all streaming is consumed live, mirroring traditional broadcast viewing. For broadcaster streaming services, this figure rises to almost 50%.

Live viewing is driven by sports and certain shows, with an average of 27 minutes of live streaming daily. The concept of scheduled programming, like “Vild med Dans” on Friday evenings or “Badehotellet” on Mondays, remains relevant. So, people are still following TV-shows or sport events through streaming live at the scheduled broadcasting time.

More and more, Danes are becoming “cord-cutters,” choosing streaming solutions, either directly from providers or through TV distributors. TV distributors account for approximately 27% of total daily streaming minutes (excluding social video), with much of this viewing occurring on broadcaster platforms.

Reaching Audiences in a Converged Market

Adults in Denmark (A18+) spend an average of 3 hours and 3 minutes daily consuming broadcast TV and streaming content, with 65% live and 35% on demand. Broadcasters’ streaming services (TV2, ViaPlay, & WBD) show even higher live viewing figures. So, live viewing remains popular, whether through streaming or traditional broadcast.

This creates key elements for advertisers that would like to tap into this development, like:

• Fragmented Audience: Reaching target audiences requires a multi-platform strategy including both streaming and broadcast channels.
• Evolving Ad Formats: Advertisers must adapt to the different ad formats available on streaming platforms, including pre-roll, mid-roll, and sponsored content.
• Measurement Challenges: Accurately measuring reach and frequency across fragmented platforms requires sophisticated analytics and attribution models.
• New Opportunities: The rise of streaming opens new opportunities for targeted advertising, interactive ads, and personalized messaging. Live streaming offers the potential for engaging viewers in real-time.
• Strategic Partnerships: Collaborations with broadcasters, streaming platforms, and TV distributors are crucial for effective campaign execution.

Navigating this evolving landscape can be challenging, so if you want further insights on effective advertising strategies, you can contact Nicolai Højriis Pedersen, Audio and Video Director, at [email protected].