Yes—television was still relevant to viewers and advertisers in 2023, but it no longer meant only broadcast and cable. In the U.S., streaming’s share of TV use climbed while broadcast and cable still made up more than half of viewing. For advertisers, connected TV (CTV) and over-the-top (OTT) streaming were growing parts of the video market, not proof that traditional TV had disappeared or that streaming was automatically the better buy.
What “TV” meant for audiences in 2023
Television increasingly described a mix of broadcast, cable, and streaming viewed on connected screens. Nielsen’s U.S. audience figures show a transition, not a clean handoff: streaming reached 38.7% of total TV use in July 2023, its high-water mark at the time of Nielsen’s year-end review. Broadcast and cable still accounted for 53.2% in November and remained above half of U.S. TV use throughout the year. Nielsen’s 2023 year-in-review also reported that U.S. viewers spent about 33 hours a week with TV.
These figures describe viewing, not advertising effectiveness. They do not show that a particular TV campaign generated sales, nor do they compare the return on investment of linear and streaming ads.
Why TV remained commercially relevant
Advertisers still had substantial audiences watching scheduled broadcast and cable programming, while streaming expanded the range of places to buy video ads. In the U.S., internet advertising revenue reached $225 billion in 2023, according to the IAB and PwC full-year report published in 2024. The report said CTV and OTT generated 42% of digital video advertising revenue.
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That finding signals a growing commercial role for ads delivered through connected television and streaming services. It is not the same as saying that 42% of all advertising revenue—or all television advertising—came from CTV and OTT. The report also described CTV/OTT as poised to be the fastest-growing media channel in 2024, especially as ad-supported streaming tiers grew; that was a forward-looking statement made in 2024, not a result for 2023.
What advertisers were anticipating—and what they were still working out
In May 2023, the IAB projected U.S. digital video ad spend of $55.2 billion for that year. This was a forecast, not a finalized 2023 outcome. In the same report, 65% of surveyed TV and video buyers called CTV a must-buy. That describes the respondents in the survey, not a universal consensus among all advertisers.
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The report also exposed a challenge behind the channel’s growth: measurement was not yet fully settled. Among surveyed buyers, 81% wanted at least two unified impression currencies, and respondents disagreed about how to define a viewable impression. IAB CEO David Cohen put the transition this way: “As urgently as buyers want a multi-currency future, there’s no question that changing a market as large as video takes time; however, the clock is ticking.” The figures and quote come from the IAB’s 2023 digital-video report.
How to think about linear TV and CTV in a media plan
There is no evidence here that one format is the right choice for every advertiser. The relevant question is how each channel fits the campaign’s audience, objectives, measurement needs, and existing media mix.
| Decision factor | What to assess |
|---|---|
| Audience and reach | Check viewing patterns in the target market and among the audience you need to reach. U.S. national viewing shares establish that both streaming and broadcast/cable mattered in 2023, but they do not predict the reach of an individual campaign. |
| Targeting and flexibility | CTV may add reach and targeting opportunities. Consider it alongside existing TV or digital-video activity rather than assuming it should replace either one. |
| Measurement | Ask how impressions, viewability, and outcomes will be defined and reported. Audience addressability alone does not establish campaign effectiveness, and measurement definitions may not be directly comparable across channels. |
| Plan integration | Coordinate TV and digital-video planning and execution so that channel choices support the same campaign goals. |
IAB UK makes similar planning recommendations for its market, advising advertisers to consider CTV alongside current TV and digital-video activity and to coordinate planning and execution more closely. Its guidance is a useful planning framework, not proof that the same audience or results apply in every country. IAB UK’s connected-TV guidance also suggests speaking with suppliers to understand available offerings.
The UK figures are a separate market example
IAB UK lists UK CTV advertising spend at £1.62 billion in 2023 and gives a base-case forecast of £2.94 billion by 2028. The latter is a forecast, not recorded spend. These figures apply to the UK and should not be combined with U.S. viewing or advertising statistics. The IAB UK page does not display a publication date for the figures. See IAB UK’s connected-TV page.
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What the evidence can—and cannot—settle
The available figures support a clear conclusion about the channel’s role: TV had not vanished in 2023; it was expanding across linear and streaming environments. But viewing share, advertising revenue, and campaign ROI are different measures. The data cited here establish audience behavior and market activity, not which format would produce better results for a particular advertiser. That decision requires campaign-specific goals and measurement that can be compared meaningfully.
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