Nearly half of all US adults say TV is the most acceptable place for advertising – a feeling that is consistent across all generations – and the platform where they tend to pay attention to ads the most.

The data, conducted by Tenetic in conjunction with CivicScience, in July 2025 among 10,000 responses found that among adults 18+, TV is the best medium at making people feel connected to their local communities – 2X better than streaming content, nearly 2X better than digital video and nearly 3X better than other types of video content.

But the research also showed that 37 per cent of US adults said they believe TV advertisers don’t know anything about them, with 59 per cent saying they rarely or never remember the sponsor or advertiser of a show they watched.

“Clearly there is an untapped opportunity in the television advertising market,” commented Chris Wilson, CEO, Tenetic. “Viewers are accepting of ads on TV, but they are not finding enough ads to be relevant to their interests or needs. We can better realise the impact of TV advertising, especially as a driver to local purchase, with a more accurate, real-time understanding of the consumer.”

Additional findings from the study include:

The best place for advertisers

• 43 per cent of US adults feel that TV is the most acceptable place for ads.

• Only 28 per cent of US adults feel that the internetis the most acceptable place for ads, and 29 per cent that social media is best.

Viewing Habits

• More than half of US adults (52 per cent) say they watch broadcast or cable TV daily

• Across generations, Baby Boomers differ the most from other generations

  • 82 per cent of Baby Boomers say they watch broadcast or cable TV daily and only 57 per cent for Gen X.

• Daily viewing drops sharply among Gen Z (26 per cent) & those earning under $50k (47 per cent), highlighting a generational and income-based divide.

Advanced Advertising: Control and Connection

• 47 per cent of US adults would prefer to choose the ads they see over letting AI decide.

  • Men (49 per cent) are more likely than women (45 per cent) to prefer choosing their own ads.

• Those earning over $100K (52 per cent) are the most likely to want control, compared to 45 per cent of those earning $50K–$100K and 42 per cent of those earning under $50K.

• Gen Z, however, stands apart: 42 per cent prefer to let AI choose their ads.

TV Ads lead on influence, but mostly for older audiences:

• 43 per cent of US adults say TV ads are most likely to influence them to try a new brand.

  • This is most notable among Gen X (51 per cent) and Baby Boomers (55 per cent)

• Meanwhile, Gen Z is more influenced by social media ads (38 per cent)

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Categories: Advertising, Articles, Broadcast, Consumer Behaviour, Research

Tags: advertising, usa