Tackling the ‘I Don’t Watch TV’ Myth

Why It Matters

The insight proves that fragmented viewing habits still generate high‑impact advertising, prompting brands to adopt cross‑platform premium content strategies for measurable ROI.

Key Takeaways

• Viewers still watch premium content via phones, laptops, not TVs
• Nine consolidates 9Now, Stan Sport, HBO Max into single gateway
• Live TV ad recall 52%; reality shows reach 67% recall
• On‑demand drives 7.4% purchase‑intent lift, 51% ad receptivity
• Fragmented market demands scale, data‑rich cross‑platform strategies

Pulse Analysis

The notion that audiences have abandoned television is increasingly a myth. Research cited by Nine’s digital strategy chief, Kath Sroka, shows that viewers who claim they ‘don’t watch TV’ are still consuming long‑form premium content on smartphones, laptops, and shared screens, especially live sport and reality formats. This behavioural shift reflects a broader cultural move toward on‑demand viewing while retaining the social pull of live events. As a result, premium video remains the primary connector between brands and consumers, even as the delivery devices diversify.

To capture this fragmented audience, Nine has unified its streaming assets—9Now, Stan Sport and HBO Max—into a single, data‑driven gateway. The consolidated platform offers advertisers a unified sales team, behavioural targeting, and a suite of ad products that work across both broadcast‑video‑on‑demand (BVOD) and subscription‑video‑on‑demand (SVOD) environments. By leveraging a market‑leading data proposition, Nine can deliver precise audience segmentation and real‑time measurement, turning the complexity of multiple screens into a scalable, end‑to‑end solution for brand marketers.

The performance metrics underline the commercial upside. Live programming generates a 52 % ad recall rate, soaring to 67 % for reality formats, while on‑demand content yields a 51 % ad receptivity score and lifts purchase intent by 7.4 %. These figures demonstrate that a hybrid strategy—pairing the ‘water‑cooler’ effect of live events with the personalized control of on‑demand viewing—produces full‑funnel outcomes. As audiences continue to fragment, advertisers that embrace Nine’s integrated premium‑content ecosystem will secure higher engagement and measurable ROI in the evolving media landscape.