The way people watch television has changed. What used to be one screen is now many. Viewers watch live news on their TVs, then switch to a streaming app on their phone. For marketers, this shift isn’t a problem, it’s an opportunity. Because smart advertising hasn’t changed. Multi-media campaigns work better than single platform efforts as they broaden reach and increase frequency. The trick is to master media convergence – using streaming and traditional TV together.
Today’s best advertising campaigns don’t choose between traditional TV and streaming. Instead, they use both. By combining Linear TV with OTT and CTV, advertisers can reach more people, more often, and more effectively. That’s the power of media convergence.
Understanding the Platforms
Let’s start with the basics.
What is Linear TV?
Linear TV is what most people think of as “regular TV.” It’s scheduled programming delivered through cable or satellite. You sit down, turn it on, and watch what’s airing live. Every viewer sees the same thing. It offers broad reach, especially during events like regional sports or local news. It’s still a trusted source, and it’s far from dead.
What is Streaming TV?
Streaming TV includes both OTT (Over-The-Top) and CTV (Connected TV). OTT refers to content delivered via the internet—through services like Hulu, YouTube TV, or Sling. CTV means watching this content on a device like a Roku, Smart TV, or with an Amazon Fire Stick. Viewers control what they watch and when they watch it. There’s no broadcast schedule.
What’s the Difference?
Linear is live. Streaming is on-demand. Linear reaches large audiences at once. Streaming lets advertisers target smaller, defined audiences more precisely. Linear gives consistency. Streaming provides control. Both work in different ways. And both have unique strengths.
Audience Demographics and Viewing Habits
Linear and streaming don’t just offer different formats. They attract different people.
Who Watches Linear TV?
Most viewers are 45 or older. They turn to live TV for news, sports, and local updates. These audiences are loyal, and often still prefer traditional formats. For certain products and services, they are the core customer base.
Who Watches Streaming TV?
Streaming draws a younger crowd. Think millennials and Gen Z. These viewers are used to watching shows on demand and skipping ads when possible. But with ad-supported content growing, they’re seeing more sponsored messages again—just in a different setting. However, the more upscale young viewers still prefer premium services over ad-supported.
What About Overlap?
Many households watch both. They watch the morning news on TV, then switch to a Netflix show in the evening. These folks are cord-stackers. This co-viewing pattern is key. If your advertising agency only buys one or the other, you’re missing half the picture.
How They Work Together
Instead of competing, these platforms support each other.
Traditional TV Brings Scale
Linear TV gives you reach. It’s ideal for building brand awareness fast. A 30-second spot during local news can still move the needle. It starts the conversation and puts your name in the minds of large audiences.
Streaming TV Delivers Precision
OTT/CTV picks up where Linear leaves off. You can target ads by location, behavior, and even household income. And you can track what viewers do after they see your ad. Do they click your site? Fill out a form? Schedule a call? Streaming gives you those answers.
Online Video/Preroll
A vital addition to the TV advertising lineup is Online Video (OLV) or pre roll. These are the ads you see online before the content you wanted. Maybe you clicked on a thumbnail to watch highlights from last night’s news or ballgame. Before it plays, you have to watch a commercial. This allows you to reach cord-cutters who have premium services and have disappeared from TV advertising.
Together, They Create Lift
Used correctly, Linear builds awareness while Streaming drives action. A person sees your commercial on TV. Later, they see your ad again while watching Hulu on their iPad. That second touch makes them search your name or visit your site. One format reinforces the other.
Driving Website Traffic and Lead Generation
Media convergence isn’t just about coverage—it’s about performance.
How Traditional TV Drives Results
People who see your TV ad may not click a link—but that doesn’t mean they’re not interested. They might visit your website later. They might call your office the next day. While attribution is harder to measure, the impact is clear. TV builds credibility. It puts your name in the conversation.
How Streaming TV Supports Lead Generation
Streaming lets you see the full path. You can serve ads only to people in specific ZIP codes. You can retarget them if they don’t take action. And you can track every step they take. That makes Streaming a smart tool for optimizing media spend. Especially when you’re chasing high-value leads.
The Combined Effect
Campaigns that run both Linear and Streaming outperform those that use just one. Website traffic increases. Brand recall goes up. Cost per lead goes down. When these platforms work together, results get better.
Media Convergence – Using Streaming and Traditional TV Together
The media world is not divided, it’s connected. Linear TV and Streaming TV are not rivals—they’re partners. Each has a role. Each reaches a different audience and drives the buyer journey.
If you’re a marketing executive focused on lead generation, this matters. You don’t need to choose one format over the other. You need to make them work together. The right mix, backed by data, brings the best return.
An experienced advertising agency understands this balance. They know how to build awareness with traditional TV while driving conversions with CTV and OTT. They know how to structure media convergence – using OTT/CTV and traditional TV together for lead generation.
As media habits keep changing, your strategy must adapt. That’s how your advertising works harder. And that’s how your lead generation stays strong.
