As the competition in the streaming marketplace intensifies, the battle for attention and consumer dollars has shifted from streaming apps and services to connected TV (CTV) platforms, who are waging the latest fight in the ongoing, so-called “streaming wars.”
That was the overall thesis of a new report published by TVREV this week that examines the ongoing fight between CTV operating systems to draw streamers to their platforms and capitalize on that attention via advertising, subscriptions and promotional placements.
Experts in the industry have long contended that the CTV platforms that dominate the most living rooms will the ones that exert the greatest control over what apps and content the biggest number of people are likely to watch. CTV developers have leaned into their roles by evolving their operating systems from simple points of navigation across content and services to robust platforms that collect valuable viewership data and manage growing pools of highly-sought advertising inventory.
The rise of free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) has accelerated the strategic importance of operating system, the report contends: FAST services are increasingly integrated directly into TV interfaces, giving platform owners greater control over audience discovery and monetization opportunities. Home screens have also become premium advertising real estate as viewers spend more time browsing before selecting content
Traditional television manufacturers like Samsung, LG, Hisense and Walmart’s Vizio have developed proprietary platforms that extend their business models beyond hardware sales. Samsung’s Tizen OS and LG’s webOS are positioned as foundations for broader advertising, content and data businesses, while Hisense is expanding its V (formerly VIDAA) platform internationally, the report notes.
Walmart’s acquisition of Vizio highlights the growing value of TV…