The biggest growth story in Connected TV isn't viewership. It's the massive gap between where audiences are and where advertising dollars are going.

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Streaming has fundamentally transformed how America watches television. According to Nielsen's Gauge report, streaming now accounts for 49.6% of total TV viewing time, comfortably surpassing traditional broadcast and cable combined.

Interestingly, Nielsen's newer Ad Supported Gauge, which focuses specifically on ad-supported television viewing, tells a similar story. Streaming accounts for 48.2% of ad-supported viewing in Q2 2026. While the two reports measure different things, both reinforce just how significant streaming has become.

(Full disclosure: I sell television and CTV advertising for a living.)

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As impressive as that number is, I believe it actually understates streaming's true footprint.

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I have two concerns with Nielsen's Gauge:

1. Changing methodology makes consistent comparisons difficult.
2. When viewers watch traditional broadcast or cable channels through streaming services, Nielsen Gauge credits that viewing back to broadcast or cable, not streaming. Comscore uses a similar approach in its advertising exposure report.

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In other words, streaming delivers more television than the Gauge's streaming category suggests.

But the bigger story isn't just about viewing time.

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It's about advertising.

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Comscore's latest report shows streaming accounts for just 22.3% of measured television advertising exposure time.

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Think about that contrast.

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Nearly 50% of television viewing is attributed to streaming, yet streaming accounts for only 22.3% of measured advertising exposure.

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While these are different measurements at some point they must be justified. I acknowledge that only about 70% of CTV viewing carries advertising, so the number can be offset a bit but there is no denying the opportunity is significant, and Streaming's share of advertising exposure is growing rapidly.

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Over the past 12 months, streaming's share increased from 16.1% to 22.3%. That's nearly 39% relative growth in share in just one year.

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IAB projects CTV advertising spending will approach $30 billion in 2026, with its latest forecast calling for more than 15% growth this year.

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Historically, advertising investment has moved slowly in response to changing consumer behavior. But the audience has moved. Advertising is following fast.

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I believe the next chapter of CTV growth won't be driven simply by more viewers cutting the cord. Advertisers will recognize that their media investments need to reflect better how consumers actually watch television.

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CTV has already transformed how America watches television. The next opportunity is transforming how advertisers invest in it.

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If streaming has already changed how America watches television, shouldn't it be changing how advertisers allocate their budgets?

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