Industry Insider: Analysis of the Defy Media’s Gravity Report
Iparraguirre Recio
The Defy Media's Gravity report, published by Nielsen for the 2025-2026 Upfronts/NewFronts planning season, provides crucial insights into the ever-changing media environment. The article examines trends in television consumption, audience segmentation, and the increasingly blurred barrier between linear TV and streaming. This study looks at the key findings, their implications for content producers and advertisers, and future trends in media engagement.
Key Insights from the Report
1. The Rise of Convergent TV
Television is no longer a competition between streaming and linear TV, but rather a hybrid environment in which ad-supported streaming (AVOD & FAST TV) is outpacing subscription-based streaming (SVOD). Connected TV (CTV) advertising is expected to expand by 10% each year until 2027, with some projections predicting ad sales might triple in five years.
Television advertising is more efficient as digital advertising methods have been integrated into traditional TV platforms, allowing firms to accurately reach their target consumers. Furthermore, the transition to ad-supported streaming services gives advertisers new avenues to communicate with consumers, even in a fragmented content landscape.
2. Changing Audience Behavior
The report emphasizes a shift in audience engagement, noting that 88% of U.S. consumers watch TV monthly, with an increasing preference for CTV. CTV reach has overtaken linear TV, with a 77% weekly reach vs 68% for linear TV. While live sports and event programs remain popular on linear TV, advertisers are increasingly interested in addressable marketing tactics that take advantage of deep audience segmentation.
As content fragmentation increases, consumers become more choosy in their media intake. As a result, content providers and advertisers must modify their methods to provide individualized, relevant material that meets the expectations of various groups.
3. Streaming vs. Linear TV Consumption Trends
Streaming increased from 31% to 41% of total TV time between August 2022 and October 2024.
Cable TV has fallen in popularity, yet it still accounts for 25% of total TV time and provides valuable advertising opportunities.
Sports programming continues to dominate broadcast television, accounting for 26.4% of total viewership in Q3 2024 (fueled by significant events such as the Olympics and the NFL season).
These statistics indicate that, while streaming continues to rise, traditional TV channels remain valuable, particularly for marketers looking to reach big, engaged audiences through live programming.
4. Demographic Insights and Advertising Implications
High Earners (income > $100K) watch more cable and niche streaming platforms compared to the general population.
Asian American and Pacific Islander viewers watch less TV overall but are an attractive high-income audience for advertisers.
New Moms (women 18-44 with children under 2) spend 71% of their total TV viewing on streaming platforms, much higher than the general population.
YouTube and Netflix lead the streaming market, but no single platform dominates, emphasizing a fragmented media landscape.
Advertisers may use advanced demographic segmentation to improve their media strategy, assuring that their advertising campaigns reach the correct customers in a highly competitive environment.
5. The Role of Retail Media and Ad Spending Trends
Retail media is growing as an important advertising platform, with data-driven tactics. The retail media business will develop more, particularly as CTV platforms enable shoppable commercials. However, the analysis notes that just 51% of product categories grew ad spending in 2024, indicating unequal development across industries.
This emphasizes the need for marketers to be smarter in their budget allocation concentrating on high-performing channels that produce demonstrable returns on investment.
Charts and Visual Insights
The Growth of CTV vs. Linear TV Reach (%)
- CTC Reach (%)
- Linear TV Reach (%)
- CTC Reach (%)
- Linear TV Reach (%)
Streaming Market Share Trends (2022-2024) (%)
- Streaming Share (%)
- Streaming Share (%)
Sports Viewership Dominance in Broadcast TV (%)
Key Takeaways for Content Creators and Advertisers
For Content Creators:
Diversification is Key: Content should cater to multiple platforms, for linear and non-linear TV, leveraging ad-supported and subscription models.
Engaging Niche Audiences: Understanding audience demographics beyond age and gender allows for more targeted content development.
Live Sports and Events Still Matter: Despite the growth in streaming live sports events still dominate TV viewership.
Interactivity & Personalization: Since digital platforms allow for interactive content experiences, content creators should explore new ways to keep viewers engaged.
For Advertisers:
CTV is an Opportunity, Not a Threat: The ability to use reactive advertising in both streaming and traditional TV will be critical for campaign optimization.
Audience-Driven Marketing: Advanced segmentation approaches, such as income level and unique customer habits, create additional chances for targeting.
Retail Media & Shoppable TV: As media consumption becomes increasingly intertwined with e-commerce, advertisers should look at retail media partnerships and interactive ad formats.
Holistic Measurement & Performance Tracking: Advertisers must demand transparent measurement tools that provide cross-platform insights.
The Defy Media’s Gravity report highlights a rapidly evolving media landscape in which streaming and traditional television coexist rather than compete. For content creators, this entails adapting to cross-platform tactics that appeal to a different target base. Advertisers must embrace convergent TV, retail media, and innovative targeting techniques to navigate this evolving terrain.
In this fast-changing digital environment, businesses can optimize their advertising spending and ensure they reach the correct consumers by employing data-driven insights and cross-platform measurement. The future of television is not about choosing between linear and streaming—it is more about combining the two into a unified advertising and content strategy.
