There is no evidence-based universal percentage split between TV and streaming ads for awareness, consideration, and action. Choose the mix by campaign objective, audience fit, incremental reach, frequency, creative needs, and the quality of the measurement you can support. Funnel stage describes what you want people to do; it does not dictate which screen or delivery channel should get the budget.
First, define which kind of TV or streaming inventory you mean
These terms describe different things, so naming the inventory precisely is essential before comparing plans. Nielsen’s definitions distinguish streaming content delivered over the internet from OTT, the method of delivering it, and CTV, internet-delivered video viewed on a television-connected device.
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| Term | What it refers to | Planning implication |
|---|---|---|
| Linear TV | Scheduled traditional broadcast or cable television. | Compare it with a specific digital-video buy, not with “streaming” as if that were a single inventory source. |
| Streaming | Video content delivered over the internet to a device. | May include viewing on a television or on other devices; identify the screen and inventory in the plan. |
| OTT | The method of delivering streaming video over the internet. | It describes delivery, not a separate screen category. |
| CTV | Internet-delivered video watched on a television-connected device. | CTV overlaps with streaming and OTT; it is not a wholly separate content category. |
Ad-supported streaming services, streaming video watched on a TV screen, online video on phones or computers, and linear broadcast or cable are not interchangeable buys. Ask where an ad will appear and how the seller classifies the impression before comparing reach or cost.
Choose by funnel stage, not by a preset channel split
Google Ads organizes its own full-funnel planning framework around reach or awareness, consideration, and action campaigns. That framework helps name objectives; it does not establish that one channel is best for a given stage. Google also cautions that Reach Planner forecasts do not guarantee actual campaign results. Google Ads Help explains its full-funnel framework.
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Awareness: prioritize the audience and incremental reach
Start with the people the campaign needs to reach, then ask which inventory adds useful reach beyond what the other buy already delivers. Linear TV and national CTV can both be considered for broad awareness; the IAB lists both among awareness tactics in its retail-media planning guidance. That is a planning option, not proof either channel will win in every market. IAB’s 2024 planning guidance describes awareness as building broad awareness with key audiences.
For example, if a linear schedule already reaches much of the intended audience, a streaming plan is useful only to the extent that it adds relevant people or supports a distinct purpose. Request deduplicated reach across buys rather than adding each seller’s reported audience totals together.
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Consideration: match the video and measure meaningful engagement
Use this stage to explain the brand, product, or offer in a way the audience can absorb. Choose a video length and format that suit the message and viewing context, and assess attention or engagement alongside reach. Streaming inventory can include formats beyond a conventional TV spot: IAB Tech Lab’s CTV guidance lists pause and menu ads, although formats vary by publisher and platform. IAB Tech Lab’s CTV ad portfolio guidance describes these formats and signaling considerations.
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Action: use conversion-oriented buys only with a credible measurement path
Before adding an action-focused campaign, define the action—such as a purchase, sign-up, or store visit—and confirm how the buying platform will connect ad exposure to that outcome. Record the attribution method, reporting window, and what counts as a conversion. A platform-attributed conversion is not, by itself, proof the ad caused the action. Where feasible, use an incrementality test or broader modeling to help distinguish added impact from outcomes that would have happened anyway.
Google includes action and conversion campaigns in its full-funnel framework, but forecasts remain estimates rather than guarantees. Base the investment on your sales cycle, available inventory, audience, and measurement design—not on a forecast presented as a certain result.
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- Seamless streaming: With fast Wi-Fi and apps that launch in a snap, Roku Select Series TVs get you to your entertainment quickly. You get excellent picture quality, clear sound, automatic updates, and more. It’s simple to use. Hard to outgrow.
- TV, simplified: With setup that only takes minutes, a simple-to-navigate Home Screen, and an uncluttered remote control that does all you need—Roku makes it easier to watch the TV you love.
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Compare the buys on the same terms
A channel comparison is useful only when both sides use comparable audiences, definitions, and time periods. Ask sellers and measurement partners for the details behind each reported result.
- Audience and incremental reach: Who was reached, and how many additional people did each buy add after deduplication?
- Frequency: How often was the same person or household exposed across linear and streaming campaigns? Check whether frequency is controlled or reported consistently across the buys.
- Cost and scale: Compare cost for the same target audience and intended outcome. A CPM, view, or conversion is not automatically equivalent across providers.
- Creative and context: Check spot length, viewing context, ad load, and available formats. Confirm actual placement availability with the seller; format guidance does not establish that every publisher offers every unit.
- Measurement: Request metric definitions, eligible impression or view signals, identity and deduplication methods, reporting windows, and attribution methodology. The IAB describes variation in digital-video signals and methods, while IAB Tech Lab identifies fragmentation and inconsistent signal quality as CTV measurement obstacles.
- Privacy and data use: Confirm consent, data provenance, and permitted uses for targeting and outcome matching. Nielsen identifies evolving privacy regulation as a consideration for CTV and OTT.
When a provider cannot explain how a metric was counted or how cross-channel exposure was deduplicated, treat it as a limited directional signal rather than a like-for-like performance comparison.
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Use audience behavior as context, not as a budget formula
Nielsen reported that, in 2024, streaming accounted for 60% of time spent with TV among audiences aged 18–34, citing its 2024 Upfronts/NewFronts Planning Guide in its OTT/CTV explainer. That figure is specific to time spent with TV for that age group; it is not a share of all audiences, advertising spend, or evidence that streaming ads are more effective. Use it as audience context, not as a recommended budget allocation.
A practical way to set and revise the mix
- Write one objective for the stage. State whether the campaign is meant to expand awareness, develop consideration, or produce a defined action.
- Specify the audience and inventory. Name the target, geography, and whether each proposal is linear broadcast or cable, streaming on a TV screen, or online video on another device.
- Ask what each buy adds. Compare incremental, deduplicated reach and planned frequency, not just each channel’s gross audience estimate.
- Match the creative to the placement. Confirm available lengths and formats with the seller and make sure the message works in the expected viewing context.
- Agree on measurement before launch. Document definitions, signals, deduplication, reporting windows, privacy permissions, and attribution. For action campaigns, specify how you will assess incremental outcomes where feasible.
- Reallocate based on observed evidence. Review results against the campaign’s objective and the agreed definitions. Treat forecasts and platform-reported attribution as inputs with limitations, not as guaranteed outcomes or causal proof.
The right mix can therefore differ by audience, sales cycle, reach needs, creative, available inventory, and measurement capability—even for campaigns at the same funnel stage. The available guidance supports a decision process, not a universal channel ranking or fixed set of stage-by-stage percentages.
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