TVs are once again slowly becoming the focal point of consumers’ content experiences, no longer just being screens for passive viewing, according to research from LG Ad Solutions, the cross-screen advertising arm of the consumer electronics giant LG.
The ‘The Big Shift 2025 | UK Edition’ report reveals that 48% of UK connected TV (CTV) viewers now rely on the TV home screen to guide what they watch next, with two-thirds using the built-in TV search function to jump directly to the content they want.
This search for content provides a significant window for brands to reach viewers, as it takes people more than 12 minutes to actually begin watching something, on average.
“The home screen has become the front page of the connected household,” said Ed Wale, VP, International at LG Ad Solutions. “It’s where content is discovered, decisions are made, and increasingly, where brands can capture attention with high-impact, native formats.”
The research also found that UK free ad-supported TV (FAST) user growth has outpaced subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) by almost 10 times over the past two years, which makes a lot of sense when you consider that 79% of UK CTV viewers now favour ad-supported streaming options over pricier subscriptions.
Of the UK CTV viewers surveyed, 39% have visited a website in response to a streaming TV ad, 35% have searched for a product, and almost a quarter have a made a purchase. Meanwhile, UK CTV viewers are increasingly open to engaging with content hubs – ranking music, sports, fitness, and gaming as their top destinations.
*LG Ad Solutions is a client of Bluestripe Communications, owned by Bluestripe Group, publisher of NDA
