As ad-supported viewing becomes an increasingly central part of the TV ecosystem, the conversation is shifting from whether audiences will tolerate advertising to what kinds of advertising experiences they are willing to accept—and at what cost. Viewers today are making more explicit trade-offs between price, ad load, relevance, and privacy as they navigate a growing mix of ad-supported options.
Previous waves of TV Advertising: Facts vs. Fiction have shown that consumers are broadly open to advertising on TV, particularly when it delivers clear value in the form of lower prices or greater access to content. In Wave 11, we build on this foundation by examining the limits of that openness: where ad load becomes unacceptable, how viewers evaluate concrete price-ad trade-offs, and how perceptions of relevance and intrusiveness shape the overall ad experience.
This wave also places TV advertising in a broader context. As consumers encounter ads across social platforms, websites, mobile games, search results, and emerging AI chat platforms, we explore how TV compares, whether it is seen as a safer, less intrusive space for advertising, and how the unique context of TV viewing influences tolerance and trust.
Finally, Wave 11 takes a closer look at targeting and execution. We examine when targeted advertising enhances the TV experience versus when it raises privacy concerns, and how audiences feel about the use of AI to improve ad relevance behind the scenes. We also explore ad formats and mechanics, and testing i.e., which approaches enhance or take away from the viewing experience.
The goal of Wave 11 is to help streaming services, advertisers, and media partners better understand the boundaries of ad acceptance on TV, clarifying how price, ad load, relevance, and privacy interact to shape viewer satisfaction, retention, and long-term value.
Source: Interviews with 3,000 US TV Viewers age 16-74
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