Parks Associates has released its latest white paper, Unified Streaming: Unlocking Next-Gen Advertising, developed in partnership with Philo. The research highlights the challenges in monetising consumer attention and the advantages of unified video platforms that can aggregate across streaming formats, which creates new opportunities for advertisers, platforms, and content providers.

The firm’s latest data shows that 33 per cent of pay-TV subscribers in the US subscribe to pay-TV because they can find more of the content they want all in one place with that service.

“Aggregation is now a strategic advantage,” commented Elizabeth Parks, President and CMO, Parks Associates. “Unified platforms simplify discovery, deepen engagement, and provide advertisers with more consistent measurement and targeting capabilities. A key finding of our research shows the strength of streaming TV (vMVPD) audiences as a foundation for next-generation advertising.”

According to the research:

• The average US internet household subscribes to 5.3 streaming services, contributing to growing complexity and ‘decision fatigue’.
• More than 300 streaming services exist in the US market, reinforcing fragmentation challenges.
• Streaming TV is the anchor for the unified video platform, and its users are far more likely to engage with interactive ad formats, creating new opportunities in advertising innovation:
  • 55 per cent of streaming TV subscribers are interested in clicking on items in content for more information vs 31 per cent of non-vMVPD subscribers.
  • 51 per cent are interested in clicking on items in ads vs 27 per cent of non-users.
  • 49 per cent are interested in shopping for special merchandise/memorabilia related to a show or sporting event vs 23 per cent of non-users.

“vMVPD subscribers, like Philo’s lifestyle and entertainment viewers, are watching longer than nearly anyone else in streaming. What this research confirms is what our advertising partners already see in their results: sustained, engaged viewing creates some of the strongest environments for CTV advertising,” added Reed Barker, Head of Advertising, Philo.

The research highlights the growing importance of hybrid monetisation models, combining subscription, ad-supported, and transactional offerings. These models allow providers to balance profitability with audience growth while delivering more flexible viewing experiences. The white paper also identifies lifestyle content as a major opportunity for advertisers. These audiences show strong alignment with commerce-driven advertising, with higher-than-average mobile purchasing behaviour and interest in interactive features.

Key recommendations for advertisers:

• Rethinking streaming TV platforms as innovation hubs rather than legacy pay-TV replacements
• Leveraging live and linear viewing environments to drive real-time engagement
• Aligning lifestyle content with performance-based advertising strategies
• Investing early in unified platforms to build long-term competitive advantage

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Categories: Articles, Broadcast, Consumer Behaviour, Pay TV, Research

Tags: Parks Associates, pay TV, Philo, usa