For decades, television was the heavyweight of media spend. If you wanted mass reach, you bought primetime TV. Simple.
But audiences don’t consume video the way they used to. The living room screen is still central, but it’s now connected, streaming, and personalised – and that shift is pulling advertising budgets in a new direction.
The rise of connected TV (CTV) is at the heart of this change. Instead of being tied to a broadcast schedule, viewers now move fluidly between Showmax, YouTube and Netflix apps on smart TVs, mobile phones or tablets.
For advertisers, this means relying solely on linear TV for mass reach is no longer a guarantee. The power is moving to platforms where audiences actually spend their time, and where ROI can be tracked with the same clarity as digital.
Globally, the transition is already visible. In the US, digital video – including CTV – is on track to capture nearly 60% of all TV and video ad spend by 2025, with CTV alone projected at $26.6 billion. In the UK, video-on-demand advertising now accounts for just over a quarter of all TV ad revenue (£1.3 billion in 2024), and forecasts suggest another 17% increase in 2025.
Perhaps even more pertinent– given that it’s considered an emerging market, like South Africa – India is now showing the same cracks: as connected devices get cheaper and broadband spreads, advertisers are reallocating budgets from linear to CTV.
The market has grown to represent 4.4% of television ad spend, with forecasts suggesting it could climb to 42% by 2027.
Audiences are moving, and brands will have to move too
South Africa is not quite there yet, but the signals are getting harder to ignore. Smart TV ownership is climbing as costs drop and manufacturers bundle internet-ready sets. Streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+, Showmax, YouTube and Plex are now woven into everyday viewing.
For younger audiences, streaming has already become the default, while older viewers are dividing their time more evenly, creating a gradual but undeniable shift.
Measurement is the next domino. Historically, TV offered reach but little proof of ROI. With CTV, advertisers can access digital-style transparency: granular targeting, impression-level reporting, frequency management and performance data that makes it easier to justify spend.
Once agencies and planners grow fully comfortable with programmatic CTV buying, the resistance to budget reallocation will weaken further.
Then comes the cost equation. CTV promises efficiency: fewer wasted impressions and more precise targeting. Instead of paying for every viewer in a primetime slot, a brand can focus spend on the right geography, behaviour or interest group. In a market like ours, where budgets are closely scrutinised, this kind of efficiency could tip the scales.
But none of this means South Africa will leap straight into a CTV-first economy. Local infrastructure, consumer behaviour and brand conservatism tend to slow the pace. We have historically lagged global media shifts by two to three years.
But the trajectory is consistent: the same forces that pulled spend into social media a decade ago are now reshaping video.
One bold move could spark a chain reaction
The tipping point is likely to arrive when one or two major advertisers visibly reallocate significant portions of their TV budgets to CTV – and see results. That kind of proof case will ripple quickly across the industry, pushing planners and brands who have been hesitant to follow suit.
In India, those reallocations are already moving from experimental to systematic. South Africa may not be far behind.
What should marketers do now?
First, understand where their audiences really are. The data shows that time spent on streaming platforms is rising across age groups, and CTV offers access to those eyeballs with better targeting and reporting.
Second, test early. Building internal expertise in CTV planning and programmatic buying now will pay off when competition intensifies.
And finally, be ready to reimagine creative. CTV’s formats reward agility and cultural relevance in ways traditional TV spots cannot.
Television is not disappearing. It is evolving into something more hybrid, more measurable and ultimately more accountable. For brands, the challenge is to evolve with it. Those who cling to the comfort of linear buys may soon find themselves paying more for less attention.
Those who lean into CTV early as part of their broadcast “platform advertising stack” could unlock the same disruptive advantages that digital and social once delivered.
The tipping point is coming. The only question left is who will lead the charge – and who will be left playing catch-up.
Leslie Adams is sales director at Reach Africa. The company connects local and international content owners with diverse audiences across the continent. As a specialist in Connected TV (CTV), Advertising Video on Demand (AVOD) and Free Ad-Supported TV (FAST) monetisation, Reach Africa helps brands engage high-value audiences while enabling content owners to maximise revenue across the continent.
