DRAFT — outline below, needs body expansion before publish.
Intro hook
Open with the cord-cutting stat: U.S. cord-cutters now outnumber pay-TV households for the first time. But linear TV still claims X% of weekly viewing for adults 55+. The CTV vs linear debate isn't an either/or — it's a portfolio question. This piece gives the buying framework.
Cost comparison: CTV CPMs vs Linear CPMs
- CTV: $15–$85 CPM (per our 2026 CTV benchmarks)
- Linear broadcast: $10–$15 CPM, daypart spikes higher for live sports
- Why CTV is 2-4x more: addressable targeting, frequency caps, household-level attribution
- When the premium is worth it vs not
Reach comparison: who each channel actually delivers
- Linear strength: 55+ audiences, daytime news, sports event viewers
- CTV strength: 18-49 cord-cutters, streaming-only households, light-TV viewers
- Incremental reach math: CTV adds 32% unique reach when layered on linear (FreeWheel data)
Attribution: the gap that decides which one to buy
- Linear: brand lift studies, panel-based measurement, 30-day lookback windows
- CTV: identity resolution via UID2, clean-room integrations, household-level conversion tracking
- Why CTV is the only TV channel that can be measured to a lead, sale, or LTV
When to buy linear: 3 scenarios
- Reaching 65+ audiences (Medicare AEP, life insurance, healthcare)
- Live sports adjacency for mass-reach brand launches
- Local market saturation where CTV inventory is too thin
When to buy CTV: 3 scenarios
- Reaching 18-54 cord-cutters and streaming-only households
- Performance accountability — need to tie spend to downstream conversions
- Addressable audience targeting (B2B account targeting, first-party data activation)
The recommended buy: a portfolio approach
- 70/30 or 60/40 split between CTV and linear for full-funnel brands
- How to design the incrementality test that proves your split
CTA close
Link to our programmatic services and free media plan review.
