The ROI Reality Check: Why Linear TV Is Losing and How to Build a Smarter Media Strategy

A recent MediaPost article confirmed what many advertisers have suspected for a while: Linear TV advertising is underperforming. Badly. In fact, it now ranks dead last in return on investment, according to NCSolutions’ findings, while streaming platforms, both ad-supported and subscription-based, are proving to be the more efficient and effective bets.

The numbers tell a simple story. Ad dollars invested in linear are delivering a fraction of the return seen on newer channels. Streaming platforms delivered over three times the ROI of traditional TV. The reasons aren’t complicated: modern media consumption has moved on, and so have the tools to reach people in smarter, more personalized ways.

But the implications are bigger than just shifting budgets from one screen to another.

Linear TV's Wake-up Call

This is a wake-up call for any brand still defaulting to legacy buys. The media environment today isn’t just digital, it’s dynamic, hyper-targeted, and accountable. We no longer have to guess who’s watching or hope for broad reach. We can know, measure, and adjust things in mid-flight.

At Advu, we don’t treat media like a megaphone, we treat it like an investment portfolio. That means understanding your audience intimately, aligning placements to intent and context, and constantly optimizing for outcomes. Whether that’s through Connected TV, digital out-of-home, programmatic display, or dynamic creative tailored to audience segments, the goal is the same: relevance, resonance, and results.

We’re not here to vilify linear. In certain cases, especially for mass-awareness campaigns with the right creative, it still has a role. But media strategy isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about performance. And the landscape doesn’t reward inertia.

Shameless Plug

If your media plan isn’t being questioned, refined, and measured with intent, then it’s probably not a plan, but it’s a habit.

As the media ecosystem evolves, so should your strategy. Your audience already has. They’re streaming, scrolling, and skipping. They expect more from what they see. And frankly, so should you.

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