Unleash the power of streaming TV to help achieve full-funnel advertising success

The advertising world is at an inflection point. Consumers have shifted to streaming in record numbers, reshaping how they discover, engage with, and ultimately purchase from brands. Streaming is now mainstream—9 in 10 of adults in the U.S. pay for one or more streaming services.¹

But with so many subscription apps and services, media consumption has become fragmented. Modern shoppers use more than 20 media touchpoints leading up to a purchase, which can make it difficult for brands to stay top of mind or to understand the clear impact of their advertising spend.²

This fragmentation has presented new challenges for full-funnel advertising, with 3 out of 5 advertisers reporting difficulties in understanding their cross-channel marketing impact.³ While the expansion of video content presents new opportunities, advertisers now face rapid technological changes and industry evolution.

In this dynamic landscape, advertisers need robust solutions that can bridge measurement gaps and provide actionable insights. Modern measurement services are rising to meet these challenges, offering cross-channel visibility and sophisticated analytics that span the entire customer journey. Leading advertising resources—such as our innovative Amazon Ads measurement solutions—leverage advanced technologies to process trillions of signals into meaningful insights, helping brands better understand and optimize their marketing impact.

Despite streaming TV's massive potential, marketplace fragmentation and rapid change have created misconceptions about its effectiveness. Understanding the reality versus myths of today's streaming landscape can help marketers reach relevant audiences and achieve measurable, full-funnel results that validate their investment.

Myth 1: The fragmented reach

Many marketers still believe that streaming TV's fragmented landscape makes it impossible to achieve the broad reach of traditional broadcast TV. However, the insights tell a different story. As of June 2025, streaming has captured 43% of total TV viewing time—surpassing both broadcast and cable combined, with a remarkable 15% growth over three years.⁴ The scale is undeniable: streaming TV reaches 234 million U.S. viewers, with services like Amazon Ads alone connecting with over 200 million monthly viewers.⁵ More significantly, these audiences are often unreachable through linear TV alone. Amazon internal insights show that 60% of streaming viewers are exclusive to these services, with campaigns delivering 17% incremental reach beyond linear TV—a figure that continues to grow.⁶ The path forward is clear: streaming platforms are speaking to a wide, engaged audience that can no longer be reached with linear TV. And as more premium experiences launch exclusively on connected surfaces, the live-tune-in viewership will continue to shift.

Myth 2: The cost barrier

The perception that linear TV is more cost-effective continues to persist in marketing circles. However, this view overlooks streaming's unique ability to combine scale with relevant engagement. Third-party measurement consistently reveals that streaming advertising delivers superior efficiency in reaching relevant audiences compared to traditional TV campaigns. The insights are compelling: streaming services demonstrate up to 3.6x more effectiveness at reaching audiences and 4x greater cost efficiency than linear TV.⁷ While linear TV often oversaturates heavy viewers while missing cord-cutters entirely, streaming services excel at sophisticated engagement with relevant frequency management. Unlike traditional TV's broad audience approach, streaming platforms leverage granular household-level data to deliver personal and precise advertising with measurable returns.

Myth 3: The awareness-only limitation

Perhaps the most persistent myth is that streaming TV serves only as a top-of-funnel awareness tool, unable to deliver measurable conversions or long-term business impact. In reality, streaming TV combines television's cultural impact with digital's measurability, creating a powerful full-funnel marketing engine. Modern streaming services offer interactive formats like QR codes and shoppable ads, driving real-time engagement with measurable results—brands using these solutions see 27% more page views and 28% higher purchase rates compared to standard video ads.⁸ The cross-channel impact is particularly striking: 77% of viewers exposed to Streaming TV ads proceed to make purchases.⁹ This comprehensive visibility into the customer journey, from initial exposure through purchase and beyond, demonstrates streaming TV's evolution from a pure awareness play to a performance powerhouse that helps drive measurable business outcomes across all stages of the funnel.

As we've debunked these persistent myths, it's clear that streaming TV represents a transformative opportunity for modern marketers. Far from being fragmented, expensive, or limited to awareness, streaming TV offers a unique combination of reach, precision, and measurability that traditional linear TV simply can't match.

By working with the right streaming TV providers and leveraging the unique features of this channel, brands unlock that powerful combination of scale, relevancy, and impact that just isn't possible with linear TV. In our increasingly fragmented media landscape, streaming TV stands out as a solution that seamlessly blends the brand-building power of television with the granular accountability of digital offerings. As marketing budgets face ever-increasing scrutiny, streaming TV emerges as a cornerstone of insights-driven strategies that maximize efficiency without sacrificing reach. Make no mistake, streaming TV isn't a short-term tactic—it delivers long-term business impact. It's a strategic pillar for forward-thinking brands who understand that the future of advertising is both digital and measurable. By embracing streaming TV's full potential today, you're not just adapting to change—you're helping position your brand for sustainable success in an increasingly digital-first world.

About the author

Maggie Zhang leads Global Video Measurement GTM at Amazon Ads where she is responsible for developing and executing the global video measurement and currency GTM strategy across Amazon’s video advertising portfolio. Her career spans leadership roles on both the buy-side (agency), sell-side (platform and network), trade associations, and academia. Prior to Amazon Ads, she held senior leadership positions at NBCU, Dentsu, IAB, and Magid.

Sources

¹ DISQO, Ad Supported Streaming TV report, U.S., 2024.

² Boston Consulting Group, U.S., Feb. 2023.

³ Nielsen Annual Marketing Report, WW, 2023.

⁴ eMarketer, U.S., Feb. 2024.

⁵ Amazon internal, U.S., Dec. 2024.

⁶ Amazon internal, U.S., Dec. 2023 and Mar. 2024.

⁷ Nielsen One, U.S., 2024-2025.

⁸ Nielsen One, U.S., 2024-2025.

⁹ Amazon internal, U.S., Oct. 2023-Mar. 2024.