Advertising on Streaming TV: Reach Today’s Viewers with OTT

Remember when watching television meant sitting down at a certain time to catch your favorite show? Today, viewers are just as likely to open a streaming app, choose what they want to watch, and settle in on a smart TV, tablet, or smartphone.

That shift has changed more than television. It has also changed how businesses can reach customers through video advertising.

Over-the-top, or OTT, advertising delivers video ads through internet-based streaming content rather than traditional cable or satellite television. Connected TV, commonly called CTV, refers to the television or streaming device used to watch that content.

For advertisers, the distinction matters less than the opportunity: your commercial can reach viewers while they are watching the programming they enjoy, with far greater targeting capabilities than traditional television alone.

Streaming Is Now Part of Everyday TV Viewing

Streaming is no longer a niche alternative to television. It has become a major part of how Americans watch.

In May 2025, streaming accounted for 44.8% of all television viewing, according to Nielsen Ratings. For the first time, streaming surpassed broadcast and cable television combined.

Advertising dollars are following viewers. The Interactive Advertising Bureau reported that digital video was expected to capture nearly 60% of total TV and video advertising spending in 2025, twice its share from only five years earlier. Connected TV advertising is expected to continue growing in 2026, with IAB forecasting a 13.8% increase in U.S. CTV ad spending.

For local businesses, that means streaming TV is increasingly an important piece of the media mix rather than an optional extra.

The Impact of Television with Digital Precision

One of OTT advertising’s biggest advantages is its ability to combine two powerful marketing approaches.

You still receive the sight, sound and motion of television advertising. A well-produced video can tell a story, demonstrate a product, introduce your team or simply make your business memorable.

But instead of purchasing exposure based primarily on a television program or channel, OTT allows advertisers to focus more closely on the audience they want to reach.

Campaigns can be built around factors such as location, demographics, interests, and consumer characteristics. Rather than hoping your ideal customer happens to be watching a particular program, advertisers can focus their message on the households or viewers most relevant to their business.

That can be especially valuable for businesses serving a defined geographic market.

A home services company may want to reach homeowners within its service area. A healthcare provider may want to build awareness among certain age groups. A retailer or restaurant may want to reach consumers close enough to visit.

OTT helps reduce wasted impressions by putting more emphasis on the customer rather than simply on the channel.

Better Measurement Means Better Decisions

Traditional television remains an effective awareness tool, but streaming advertising adds another advantage businesses have come to expect from digital marketing: measurement.

OTT campaigns can provide information such as impressions, reach, frequency, and video completion rates. Depending on the campaign, advertisers may also be able to measure actions such as website visits or foot traffic following exposure to an advertisement.

That information helps businesses understand whether their advertising is reaching the intended audience and gives marketers data they can use when planning future campaigns.

You Don’t Need to Be a National Brand

Perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions about streaming television advertising is that it is only for large companies with national advertising budgets.

That is no longer the case.

OTT gives local and regional businesses an opportunity to appear alongside professionally produced streaming content while controlling who they are trying to reach and where those viewers are located.

And businesses do not necessarily need an existing television commercial to get started. Professional video production can turn a concept, message, or existing marketing materials into a polished 15- or 30-second advertisement designed for streaming audiences.

Make Streaming Part of Your Marketing Mix

Consumer viewing habits will continue to evolve, but one thing is already clear: television has moved well beyond cable and broadcast.

The opportunity for advertisers is to move with it.

By combining the storytelling power of television, the targeting capabilities of digital advertising and measurable campaign performance, OTT advertising can help businesses reach customers where they are already spending their time.

Shaw Media Marketing can help businesses develop a streaming TV strategy, identify the right audiences, and create professional video advertising designed to make an impact.

Ready to reach more of the customers who matter to your business?Contact Shaw Media Marketing to learn how OTT advertising can become part of your marketing strategy.

Shaw Media Marketing
7717 S Illinois Rte 31
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
(630) 845-5253
www.shawmediamarketing.com