Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
There is no evidence-based percentage split that works for every funnel stage. Choose linear TV, streaming video, or both according to the audience you need to reach, the incremental reach each adds, your creative, and how reliably you can measure the outcome. Awareness, consideration, and action are campaign objectives—not automatic instructions to put a fixed share of the budget into a particular channel.
Define what you mean by “TV” and “streaming”
These labels can describe different aspects of video delivery, so establish which inventory you are comparing before assessing reach, cost, or results. Nielsen defines streaming as content delivered over the internet to a user’s device. OTT describes the internet-delivery method; CTV describes internet-delivered video watched on a television-connected device. CTV therefore overlaps with streaming and OTT rather than naming a separate content category. See Nielsen’s explanation of OTT, CTV, and streaming.
| Term | What it describes | Why it matters when planning |
|---|---|---|
| Linear TV | Scheduled broadcast or cable television. | Compare it with specific video inventory, not with “streaming” as though that meant one uniform service or audience. |
| Streaming video | Video content delivered over the internet to a device. | Specify where it runs and how it is bought; viewing on a TV screen and viewing on another device may involve different inventory and contexts. |
| CTV | Internet-delivered video viewed on a television-connected device. | It is a screen and delivery context that overlaps with streaming/OTT, not a synonym for all online video. |
| Ad-supported streaming inventory | Ad placements available within streaming content. | Availability, ad formats, audience, and measurement can vary by publisher or platform. |
Do not treat linear broadcast or cable, streaming viewed on a TV, online video on other devices, and ad-supported streaming placements as interchangeable. A comparison is useful only when the buy and the audience definitions are clear.
Choose the mix by funnel objective
Google describes its own full-funnel YouTube planning framework as a combination of “awareness or reach-based campaigns, brand and purchase consideration or view-based campaigns, and action or click and conversion-based campaigns.” That is a framework for organizing objectives, not proof that a particular channel or budget split will perform best. Google also cautions that Reach Planner forecasts do not guarantee actual results. Read Google Ads Help’s guidance on full-funnel planning.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute#1 Best Overall
- 720p resolution - View your favorite movies, shows and games in high definition.
- Alexa voice control - The Alexa Voice Remote lets you easily control your entertainment, search across apps, switch inputs, and more using just your voice. Press and hold the voice button and ask Alexa to easily find, launch, and control content, and even switch to cable.
- Access thousands of shows with Fire TV - Watch over 1.5 million streaming movies and TV episodes with access to thousands of channels, apps and Alexa skills, including Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, YouTube, Apple TV+, Disney+, ESPN+, Sling TV, Paramount+, and other services right from this TV.*
- DTS Virtual-X Sound - An immersive sound format creates a three-dimensional sound experience with your TV’s speakers.
- Supports HDMI ARC - Sends audio directly from the HDMI jack to a compatible soundbar or AV receiver, removing the need for an extra cable.
Awareness: buy the reach your audience still needs
Start by defining the people you need to reach and estimating what each channel adds after overlap is accounted for. Linear TV and national CTV can both serve awareness planning; the IAB lists both among tactics for building broad awareness with key audiences. That is planning guidance, not a finding that either channel wins in every market. See the IAB’s 2024 media-planning and creative-strategy guidance.
Ask for deduplicated reach across the planned buys: how many distinct people or households will be reached, and how many are incremental to what the other channel already reaches? A large reported audience or a high number of impressions does not, by itself, answer that question.
Rank #2
- Bright, clear picture: Bring entertainment to life on our 40" flat screen TV with bright 1080p Full HD—perfect for bedrooms, kitchens, and beyond. Roku Smart Picture cleans up incoming TV signals, optimizes them, and chooses the right picture mode.
- Seamless streaming: With fast Wi-Fi and apps that launch in a snap, Roku Select Series TVs get you to your entertainment quickly. You get excellent picture quality, clear sound, automatic updates, and more. It’s simple to use. Hard to outgrow.
- TV, simplified: With setup that only takes minutes, a simple-to-navigate Home Screen, and an uncluttered remote control that does all you need—Roku makes it easier to watch the TV you love.
- A world of free entertainment: Enjoy a huge selection of free live TV, news, sports, movies, shows, and much more—all just a click away.
- More streaming, less searching: With personalized picks right on your Home Screen, quick access to the sports and entertainment you watch most, and fast and easy search in one place—the days of endless scrolling are over.
Consideration: match the video and measure meaningful engagement
Use creative that explains the brand, product, or offer well enough to support evaluation. Consider spot length, viewing context, ad load, and available formats. Streaming may offer placements beyond a conventional TV spot—CTV formats listed by IAB Tech Lab include pause and menu ads—but availability varies by publisher and platform. Consult IAB Tech Lab’s CTV ad portfolio guidance.
Assess attention or engagement alongside reach, and ask what each platform counts as a view or other engagement signal. Digital-video environments do not necessarily use identical signals or methodologies, so platform-reported views should not be compared as though they were measured the same way. The IAB’s guide to how video is measured in digital advertising explains why definitions matter.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Rank #3
- 1080p resolution - View your favorite movies, shows and games in full high definition.
- Alexa voice control - The Alexa Voice Remote lets you easily control your entertainment, search across apps, switch inputs, and more using just your voice. Press and hold the voice button and ask Alexa to easily find, launch, and control content, and even switch to cable.
- Access thousands of shows with Fire TV - Watch over 1.5 million streaming movies and TV episodes with access to thousands of channels, apps and Alexa skills, including Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, YouTube, Apple TV+, Disney+, ESPN+, Sling TV, Paramount+, and other services right from this TV.*
- DTS Virtual-X Sound - An immersive sound format creates a three-dimensional sound experience with your TV’s speakers.
- Supports HDMI ARC - Sends audio directly from the HDMI jack to a compatible soundbar or AV receiver, removing the need for an extra cable.
Action: use conversion-oriented activity only when measurement is credible
If the objective is a purchase, sign-up, or other defined action, check that the buying platform and measurement setup can connect exposure to that action using transparent definitions. A platform’s conversion report or forecast can help monitor a campaign, but attribution is not by itself causal proof that the ads produced the outcome. Where feasible, use an incrementality test or broader modeling, and document the limits of the method. Google’s action-campaign framework is platform guidance; its forecast is not a guarantee of actual results.
Compare the options on the same basis
Before moving budget between channels, evaluate the same target audience and outcome definition. A CPM, view, or conversion figure is not a fair comparison if the underlying audience, eligible impression, measurement window, or attribution method differs.
Rank #4
- Bright, clear picture: Bring entertainment to life on our 24" flat screen TV with bright 720p HD—perfect for bedrooms, kitchens, and beyond. Roku Smart Picture cleans up incoming TV signals, optimizes them, and chooses the right picture mode.
- Seamless streaming: With fast Wi-Fi and apps that launch in a snap, Roku Select Series TVs get you to your entertainment quickly. You get excellent picture quality, clear sound, automatic updates, and more. It’s simple to use. Hard to outgrow.
- TV, simplified: With setup that only takes minutes, a simple-to-navigate Home Screen, and an uncluttered remote control that does all you need—Roku makes it easier to watch the TV you love.
- A world of free entertainment: Enjoy a huge selection of free live TV, news, sports, movies, shows, and much more—all just a click away.
- More streaming, less searching: With personalized picks right on your Home Screen, quick access to the sports and entertainment you watch most, and fast and easy search in one place—the days of endless scrolling are over.
- Audience and incremental reach: Who was actually exposed, and how many additional people does each channel add after deduplication?
- Frequency and waste: How often is the same person or household exposed across linear and streaming buys? Look for excessive repetition as well as under-reach.
- Cost and scale: Compare cost against the same audience and outcome definition. The evidence here establishes no universal price or CPM advantage for either channel.
- Creative and context: Confirm the spot length, viewing context, ad load, and eligible formats for the inventory being considered.
- Measurement quality: Request the metric definitions, eligible impression or view signals, identity and deduplication method, reporting window, and attribution methodology. IAB materials identify variation across digital-video methods and fragmentation or inconsistent signal quality in CTV as measurement obstacles.
- Privacy and data use: Confirm consent, data provenance, and permitted use for targeting and outcome matching. Nielsen identifies evolving privacy regulation as a consideration for CTV and OTT.
Turn the comparison into a budget decision
- Write down the objective and audience. State whether the campaign is meant to build awareness, support consideration, or drive a defined action, and specify the people or households it needs to reach.
- Specify the inventory. Separate linear broadcast or cable from CTV, other online video, and ad-supported streaming placements. Do not combine unlike buys under a single “TV” label.
- Estimate unduplicated reach and frequency. Ask each seller or measurement partner what is incremental across the planned channels, how overlap is handled, and what frequency the audience is likely to receive.
- Align creative to placement and objective. Verify that the message and format suit the viewing context, and decide what meaningful exposure or engagement signal would count for the campaign.
- Agree on measurement before launch. Record metric definitions, data sources, deduplication approach, reporting window, and attribution limits. For action campaigns, identify whether an incrementality test or broader modeling is feasible.
- Reallocate based on observed evidence. Review results against the stated objective and comparable definitions. Adjust the mix when evidence shows a channel adds useful reach or outcomes at acceptable cost—not because a generic funnel chart assigns it a preset percentage.
Use audience behavior as context, not as an ad-budget formula
Nielsen’s 2024 OTT/CTV explainer, citing its 2024 Upfronts/NewFronts Planning Guide, reports that 60% of time spent with TV among audiences aged 18–34 was on streaming. This describes time spent by that age group; it is not a share of all audiences, advertising spend, or evidence that streaming ads are more effective. It can inform questions about where a target audience watches, but it does not establish a budget split. The figure and definitions appear in Nielsen’s OTT/CTV explainer.
What the evidence can—and cannot—settle
The cited official guidance provides definitions, planning frameworks, and measurement cautions; it does not establish a controlled head-to-head winner or a causal return by funnel stage. Outcomes depend on audience, sales cycle, available inventory, creative, reach and frequency, and measurement design. Exact prices, inventory availability by geography, and platform terms vary over time and are not established here. A sound plan therefore uses the objective to guide the campaign, then selects and tests delivery choices against the audience and evidence available.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Quick Recap
Best Value
- 4k Ultra HD (2160p resolution): Enjoy breathtaking HDR10 4K movies and TV shows at 4 times the resolution of Full HD, and upscale your current content to Ultra HD-level picture quality.
- High Dynamic Range: Provides a wide range of color details and sharper contrast, from the brightest whites to the deepest blacks.
- All-in-one: Get right to your good stuff. With Fire TV, you can enjoy a world of entertainment from apps like Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max. Plus, stream for free with Fire TV Channels, Pluto TV, Tubi, and more. Access over 1.8 million movies and TV episodes. Subscriptions may be required. Feature and content availability may vary.
- Smart Home: Your smart home hub. Pair Fire TV with compatible smart home devices to see live camera feeds, use AirPlay, control your lighting and thermostat, and more.
- Free Content: Stream for free. Access over 1 million free movies and TV episodes from popular ad-supported streaming apps like Fire TV Channels, Tubi, and Pluto TV. Subscriptions may be required. Feature and content availability may vary.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
