CTV & video · also called Traditional TV, broadcast TV
Linear TV
Linear TV is traditional scheduled television, broadcast, cable or satellite, where viewers watch programmes at the time the channel airs them, with ad breaks sold to all viewers of that channel.
"Linear" means content runs in a fixed sequence, like a line: channels broadcast a schedule, and you watch what is on. Ads are sold for specific programmes, dayparts or channels, usually through negotiated deals and, in the US, often in the annual upfronts.
Linear TV is planned and bought in GRPs or TRPs, measured through panels and increasingly supplemented by set-top-box and ACR data. Everyone watching the same channel typically sees the same ad, unless Addressable TV technology is used.
Linear audiences have been declining in many countries as viewers move to streaming (OTT and CTV), especially younger audiences, although live sports and news still gather huge simultaneous audiences. Broadcasters increasingly run their own streaming services and FAST channels, and buyers plan campaigns across linear and streaming together. Programmatic buying of linear TV exists but remains a small share in most markets.
Think of it like this
Linear TV is like a train timetable: the train leaves at a set time, and everyone on it travels the same route and sees the same view.
An example
An FMCG brand in India buys 30-second spots across three Hindi general entertainment channels during prime time, planning for 250 TRPs among women aged 22 to 40 over four weeks.
Related terms
Upfronts
Upfronts are annual events and negotiations, mainly in the US, where TV networks and streaming services present upcoming programming and advertisers commit budgets in advance for the coming season.
Gross rating point (GRP)
A gross rating point (GRP) measures advertising weight: reach as a percentage of a target population multiplied by average frequency, so 1 GRP equals impressions equal to 1% of that population.
Addressable TV
Addressable TV is the ability to show different ads to different households watching the same programme, based on data about each household, across set-top boxes, smart TVs or streaming.
CTV (connected TV)
CTV (connected TV) is any television connected to the internet, such as a smart TV, streaming stick, games console or set-top box, and the advertising shown in streaming apps on it.
FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV)
FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) channels are free, linear-style streaming channels with scheduled programming and ad breaks, delivered over the internet to smart TVs and apps.
Sources: MRC standards and guidelines