Linear TV vs. Connected TV: The Frequency Problem Marketers Can’t Ignore
After running Linear TV vs. Digital measurement studies for the past decade, one pattern remains consistent:
Dolllar for dollar, more times than not, Linear TV campaigns have 3x higher frequency than CTV. And here’s the issue, without frequency capping, that’s a lot of wasted impressions.
Why This Happens:
✅ Linear can’t control frequency. If someone watches the same channel daily, they’ll likely see the same ad over and over due to the upfront nature of Linear TV.
✅ CTV is transacted programmatically, and therefore lets you set caps, allowing the marketer to control how often someone sees your ad
✅ Heavy TV viewers skew the data. A portion of the audience gets bombarded, while others barely see the ad at all.
What This Means for Marketers:
🔹 Wasted Spend: Those extra impressions aren’t incremental reach, they’re just oversaturation for the same people.
🔹 Diminishing Returns: Seeing an ad 5+ times in a week doesn’t necessarily make someone more likely to convert.
🔹 Smarter Budgeting: CTV gives brands more control, meaning less waste and more efficient reach.
How to Fix It?
📌 Use digital measurement to quantify true reach & frequency.
📌 Balance TV & digital to optimize reach without overexposure.
📌 Consider CTV as a bridge, more control than linear, but the big-screen impact remains.
Linear TV still has its place, but without frequency controls, a huge chunk of ad dollars get wasted on the same eyeballs. Smart marketers are shifting spend to platforms where they can actually control the user experience. 🚀
#AdTech #MarketingMeasurement #TVAdvertising #DigitalMarketing #CTV #Programmatic #MediaBuying #GrowthMarketing #Advertising
