A recent report indicates that 59% of connected TV users begin their viewing experience with broadcaster-produced content. This finding, featured in RTL AdAlliance’s fourth annual study, "The New Life of the Living Room," underscores the continued relevance of linear TV. The study shows linear TV remains a primary source for various content despite increased competition from streaming platforms. Viewers prefer linear TV for news (59%), sports (44%), and entertainment (44%), while streaming services (SVOD) dominate movie and series consumption (63%).
The report, encompassing 14 European markets plus the United States, highlights the ease of content discovery on linear TV. A significant 40% of viewers find content within a minute. Consumers demonstrate flexible viewing habits, with 45% watching linear TV and 36% using SVOD daily. Daily usage of YouTube (30%) and BVOD (17%) also increased notably, rising by 6 percentage points each. While US viewers favor digital content more (49% daily SVOD use), Europeans generally prefer linear TV, with Spanish viewers exhibiting the highest loyalty at 61% daily usage.
Stéphane Coruble, CEO at RTL AdAlliance, commented: “The smart TV remains the central hub for television and video entertainment with viewers defining TV by device, quality and long-form content rather than delivery method. Nonetheless, trust in traditional media is growing across Europe, reinforcing the enduring value of broadcast content, particularly as a trustworthy source of information and for locally produced premium programming. This mix of trust and quality sets the standard for selecting optimal TV advertising environments in so many different European markets.”
The study also reveals a shift in how viewers define "watching TV". For 52% of respondents, long-form content on a TV screen, regardless of platform (even YouTube), counts as "watching TV". This contrasts with only 36% considering similar content on mobile or desktop as TV viewing. Interestingly, just 22% view user-generated YouTube content on a TV as "watching TV".
The report emphasizes growing trust in traditional media: radio (67%), linear TV (66%), print media (64%), and BVOD (58%). Social media platforms show significantly lower trust levels, with TikTok registering the lowest at 23%. Linear TV ads are also perceived as less intrusive (55%) than those on video-sharing platforms (61%), and a substantial 32% of respondents regret wasting time on YouTube.