Popular forms of media are constantly changing, leaving marketers with an important question to answer: where should your advertising dollars go? Broadcast TV, cable, or OTT/streaming? Marketers are always meeting their audience where they are, and each method has its own unique following and benefits.
Deciding where to spend your advertising budget doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By weighing the strengths and limitations of each method, you can create a strategy that aligns with your businesses’ specific needs and goals.
The McGuinness Media & Marketing team highlighted the perks of each platform as well as things to consider for your business.
| Platform | Best For | Strengths | Challenges |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadcast TV | Building brand awareness on a large scale | Broad reach Credibility Live events | Limited targeting Scheduling constraints |
| Cable TV | Reaching specific demographics or interests | Niche targeting Strong loyalty Diverse programming | Declining viewership Ad saturation |
| OTT/Streaming | Younger, tech-savvy viewers and personalized campaigns | Hyper-targeting Measurable results Budget flexibility | Fragmented audiences Ad-free options |
Understanding the Platforms
When it comes to advertising in 2025, marketers have more options than ever before, but navigating these choices — broadcast TV, cable TV, and OTT (Over-The-Top)/streaming platforms — is no small feat. It’s important to break down the pros and cons of each medium when determining your marketing strategy.
Broadcast TV refers to traditional over-the-air networks like ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX. These channels are free to watch with an antenna, and have been a staple in advertising for decades. Programming tends to be family-friendly, including sitcoms, news, and major live events like sports and award shows.
Broadcast TV historically attracts older generations, but that may be changing. According to a report by eMarketer, younger viewers ages 16 to 34 show higher acceptance of live TV ads at 69%. Live content, particularly sports, create natural ad opportunities that 66% of viewers use as breaks.
Strengths of broadcast TV include its loyal audience – consider sports fans – and its ability to reach many people, ideal for spreading awareness on a large scale. Broadcast TV is highly trusted by its viewers, giving your ads more credibility. This is perfect for advertising during live events that get lots of people together, like the Super Bowl or the Olympics.
By the same token, both of these perks have limitations. Advertising and production costs for broadcast TV can be significant, especially during peak viewing times. The wide audience of broadcast TV, while it has its many benefits, makes it difficult to target specific demographics or interests.
Cable TV – paid subscription services like ESPN, HGTV, and Comedy Central – hits that audience. Viewership skews slightly younger compared to broadcast TV, with a mix of family viewers and enthusiasts like local sports fans and food lovers. It seamlessly gets your ads on niche channels for more specific audiences.
Premium ad spots can still be costly despite the smaller audience. A challenge cable TV faces in today’s fast-paced world is a decline in viewership as more and more people cut the cord in favor of streaming services.
OTT (over-the-top) platforms, also known as streaming services, include many household favorites: Netflix, Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and free services like YouTube.
One thing OOT/streaming does particularly well is capturing the attention of younger people. Streaming services like Netflix and Max largely attract younger viewers but also span multiple generations. Netflix and Max stand out by maintaining lighter ad loads compared with services that include content from traditional TV, like Paramount+ and Hulu, the eMarketer report says.
OTT/streaming is in the sweet spot with its ability to hyper-target audiences based on viewer behavior, demographics, and preferences. It’s also cost-effective for small businesses with limited budgets.
OTT/streaming services also face their own unique challenges. Lotame research says while OTT and CTV ads can be non-skippable, there are factors out of advertisers’ control. Viewers display avoidant behaviors like multitasking or using ad-free subscription models or technologies.
According to AllConnect research, if you subscribe to only one streaming service, the monthly cost is significantly low compared to cable TV costs. The monthly cost with streaming gets higher once you subscribe to more than one service at a time, which happens a lot considering the different content offered with each.
Marketers always face the battle of getting and keeping viewer attention. This is extra tricky when we’re talking about watching TV in our own homes – it often doesn’t have our full attention. Sometimes it’s just on for background noise. Multiple platforms lead to fragmented audiences, requiring more planning to fully reach your goals.
The Best of Both Worlds?
For many businesses, the right answer isn’t an either/or decision. A hybrid approach that blends broadcast or cable TV with OTT/streaming advertising can help you maximize both reach and ROI.
For example:
- Use OTT during the initial phases of your campaign to target younger demographics.
- Follow up with a broadcast or cable TV ad for mass exposure during a major local event or cultural moment.
It’s also an opportunity to experiment with content creation. For broadcast and cable, a high-quality, polished ad is a must. With OTT/streaming, you can leverage short, attention-grabbing and even user-generated styles to engage audiences effectively.
Remember to adapt as you go. Every campaign will look different depending on your specific needs and goals.
What Comes Next
The simplest answer to where to put your money is this: invest where your audience is most engaged. For brands targeting older, more traditional viewers, broadcast TV offers reliability and trust. For niche campaigns or hobbies-focused audiences, cable is the ideal fit. If you’re looking to engage younger demographics or track clear ROI, OTT/streaming services are unbeatable.
A well-rounded marketing strategy doesn’t rely solely on one channel. They are all beneficial in their own ways. Test and experiment across platforms to discover the best mix for your goals. Want to achieve smarter ad placement and maximize impact? Try leveraging audience data and analytics to focus your campaigns on the most promising channels.
Follow the McGuinness Media & Marketing team on social @mcguinnessmedia for more insights from our award-winning team making BIG waves in the smallest state!