Not really, or at least not the way they used to. Many people don’t know it, but the way people watch TV and consume content has slowly morphed over the last decade and now is almost entirely connected to the internet. 

OTT or Over The Top TV are boxes or devices that connect to your TV and the internet. Some examples of OTT are chrome-cast, Roku, amazon fire stick, sling, or any cable box you have in your house. 

CTV or connected TV are the smart TV’s that already have OTT technology built into them. 

87% of US households now contain a connected TV device and this number is probably higher when factoring in internet streaming plugins like roku or chromecast. This gives ad networks, media conglomerates, and web based platforms the ability to serve more ads to the public in creative ways using the same content. 

This is mainly due to how people stream content from connect TV’s & OTT (Over The Top TV). The apps on these devices depend on which kind of TV or plug in device you have. There are lots of big moves on this front as the media and ad companies battle over market dominance.  

The landscape has changed and it has made the TV ad marketplace a twisted maze of confusing networks and has watered down advertising on broadcast TV as well as on streaming devices. 

The problem is twofold, the sheer numbers of networks and available options and audiences is vast and the general consumers attention span is at an all time low as they are bombarded with options and networks vying for their attention on multiple devices. 

Google is well aware of the enormous ad revenue opportunities behind connected tv and OTT advertising and has recently made moves with Google TV, a rebrand of Android TV. Google also has chromecast and other plays in the OTT marketplace. Google’s CEO recently announced that OTT and Connected TV are a top priority for Google and they have made some Youtube ad formats available to serve on OTT devices. 

The image above is just part of a much larger image but it shows the increasing complexity of connected TV devices and the ad networks and media companies that are now involved.

Now they are all making TVS!!! Google makes deals with TV manufactures to be the default technology on that tv device – Comcast and Walmart recently partnered up to start making their own smart TVs. There is a battle brewing and it is being fought by us territories.

Which smart TVs are being shipped and sold and to what locations (mainly major metros) will determine what tech company or media conglomerate owns the market share in that area. These are the numbers that I am interested in finding out to be early on where the people are.

Right now the major players are apple tv, YouTube TV, roku and amazon. Youtube also as a search engine fights for marketshare and is widely used on TV’s with voice connected remotes.