Samsung Ads has published new analysis of Smart TV users, revealing how the growing fragmentation of TV is shaping the new reality for TV advertisers.

Behind the Screens: TV Phone Home takes app usage insights from the largest deterministic data set in Europe, combining nearly 70 million Samsung TV devices across EU5 with 20 million Samsung mobile devices, to guide advertisers through the new, splintered reality of Europe’s viewing habits. As consumers increasingly embrace streaming the new study highlights tactics to overcome fragmentation, leverage appetites for discovery, and layer data to improve ad outcomes.

App growth means scattered consumption

The report shows that streaming continues to expand, through increased app use. App ‘launches’ – in which an app is opened on TV – are growing by 12 per cent each year in the UK, reaching 2.2 billion in the second half of 2024. British viewers now spend 4 hours and 23 minutes using their TVs daily, rising to 4 hours and 31 minutes across Europe. Linear viewing accounts for 35 per cent of Brits’ viewing time, with the remaining 65 per cent is divided across SVoD, AVoD and user-generated content (UGC) apps, including 11 per cent gaming.

But while Samsung data finds viewers use four apps in their regular viewing habits, this latest whitepaper outlines the sheer number of possible app combinations shaping households’ diverse viewing experiences. Across the top 20 apps, viewers can curate a total 2,112 possible streaming combinations, creating a fragmented landscape for advertisers. As gaming’s slice of the pie continues to grow, knowing how and where to reach TV audiences will become even more complex.

The point of discovery

But while app-led fragmentation presents advertisers with a challenge, the report also reveals TV audiences’ growing appetite for curation and discovery. Among Samsung users, 72 per cent describe themselves as “open-minded” or interested in “trying new things”. And the benefits of this extend beyond content: some 45 per cent say that TV advertising is the primary way they find new products and brands.

And the scattered nature of content now makes discovery more central to viewing experiences than ever before. Nielsen data shows that viewers spend more than 10 minutes searching for content, with Samsung users visiting the TV home screen an average of 5 times per day – more frequently than they visit any individual apps. This opens the door for brands to tap into the moment of discovery via prominent home screen placements, reaching viewers exactly when they are most curious and open to suggestion.

The search experience also brings opportunity for content providers and publishers: 43 per cent of Samsung users prioritise relevancy in search experiences, while 30 per cent value being up-to-date. By leveraging the home screen as a marketplace for the newest content, tailored to each household, content providers can simplify the viewing experience and engage prospective audiences.

Alex Hole, SVP and General Manager, Samsung Europe and MENA, added: “Modern audiences are looking for new content and new brands on their television. As viewers shape their own diverse viewing experiences, the TV screen has become the focal point of discovery in the home, making it the ideal channel for new brands to improve awareness and drive conversions when they are most open-minded.”

Smaller screen, bigger picture

The proliferation of app-centric streaming on TVs has led user behaviour to converge across their devices – including mobiles. By aggregating app usage, genres and peak times across Samsung mobile devices and Samsung televisions, the new report finds a complementary landscape of user behaviour that shows cross-device insights will be critical to navigating the new fragmented CTV landscape.

When 37 per cent of Samsung television users want to see ads curated to their interests or content, understanding app use and categories across the Samsung ecosystem is critical to helping advertisers reach the right audience at the point of discovery.

Cross-device data also highlights when adverts are likely to be most effective. ‘Second screening’, in which viewers use their mobile device and television simultaneously, hits its peak across European Samsung devices between 9 and 10pm, when a TV is 50 per cent more likely to be used and mobile usage is 31 per cent higher than average. At this time, attention may be lower, but more engaging ads and those with a QR code are more likely to break through.

Discussing the findings, Matt Bryan, Director of Analytics & Insights, Europe at Samsung Ads said: “Apps are the powerhouse of the modern TV experience, but this means there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all ad buying approach. The secret to ad buying now lies in layering data sources to enrich targeting and reach the right viewers wherever they stream, when they’re most engaged with advertising, through cross-device insights. When 60% of Europeans own a Samsung device, we are uniquely placed to shape the future of this approach.”

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Categories: Advertising, App, Broadcast, Connected TV, Content, Headline, Markets, Research, VOD

Tags: advertising, CTV, samsung