TV, now starts with streaming: What does it mean for advertisers?

Television today is all about personalised, data-driven content that transforms how viewers engage with their screens. Streaming platforms give viewers control over what, when and how they watch content. With the integration of AI and data analytics, the TV viewing experience is becoming more and more dynamic, interactive, and immersive. It’s also creating new opportunities for advertisers to connect with audiences in a way that’s relevant, timely, and highly engaging.

Nishit Kanchan, Head of Sales, Samsung Ads, kickstarted the Spotlight Address on TV Starts With Streaming at the Pitch CMO Summit 2025 in Mumbai with insights into how streaming is transforming television and rewriting the playbook for advertisers, planners and brands. Further, he delved deeper into the streaming-first world with a CTV-first lens.

“The biggest screen in our homes has transformed,” he said. A decade ago, television was just a medium for settop box content or linear broadcasts. Today, it’s an intelligent, interactive platform that analyses user behaviour, personalises content, and offers experiences beyond passive viewing. “In many countries, you can now shop directly from your CTV, something unimaginable just a few years ago,” he remarked

With the convergence of linear TV, FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV), AVOD (Ad-supported Video on Demand), SVOD (Subscription Video on Demand), and live streaming events, CTV has become the entertainment hub of the household. In India, TV continues to be an aspirational device that brings families together for an immersive co-viewing experience, Kanchan highlighted.

Many Samsung Smart TV households are moving away from traditional forms of content consumption. This transition has led to a 28% increase in cord-cutting audiences (2024 v/s 2023) across Samsung Smart TV households.

Kanchan emphasised that this marks the beginning of a new era of Indian television viewership — where TV starts with streaming.

“Looking deeper into the streaming ecosystem, if we consider total TV viewing hours, 90% is spent on streaming, while only 10% is on linear TV. This has given rise to new content models, including FAST alongside AVOD and SVOD,” he added.

When one talks about TV, they also talk about national prime time — the most coveted and sought-after advertising inventory. However, with the rise of streaming, prime time is being redefined. Kanchan explained the ‘now’ of national prime time: “What we’ve found is that 97% of Samsung Smart TV users stream content during national prime time, with just 3% watching linear TV. Even during prime time, linear viewership drops to just 3%, which is significantly lower than the usual 10% throughout the day.”
Over the years, Samsung has seen a massive 27% growth in its active Smart TV user base. While most of these users are streaming, they haven’t entirely moved to an ad-free ecosystem. Instead, they’re engaged with ad supported ecosystems, such as AVOD, SVOD, and FAST platforms.

Another key factor is the shift in viewing habits. Consumers are no longer bound by the traditional TV schedule. They’re watching content on their own time, whether it’s during prime time or late at night. This is why the ability to serve ads in real time, based on a viewer’s behavior and context, will be crucial for success in the coming years.

The rise of CTV and streaming services has made it possible to deliver highly targeted, data-driven advertisements that can reach the right audience at the right time. The new era of TV consumption is all about creating meaningful connections with consumers through better data, technology, and personalised experiences.