CTV Fragmentation Accelerates: Samsung Ads Reports 8% App Launch Increase in 2025
Samsung Ads' "Behind the Screens 2026" report, based on 70 million European smart TVs, reveals increasing CTV fragmentation, with average app launches up 8% in 2025. The report highlights that younger viewers use 21% more apps, shifting loyalty from platforms to content, making the home screen crucial for discovery and advertising strategy. Samsung Ads is a vendor providing advertising solutions for streaming.
Key Takeaways
- More than 70 million European Samsung smart TVs provided first-party data for the "Behind the Screens 2026" report.
- Total app launches increased by 8% to 18.4 billion in 2025 across Europe, with households using an average of five apps.
- Younger viewers utilize 21% more apps than average, prioritizing content over specific streaming platforms.
- The CTV home screen is accessed over five times daily, with nearly 90% of users relying on it for content decisions.
- 24% of Samsung TVs account for 81% of linear viewing, while 27% stream exclusively, indicating viewing segmentation.
Why It Matters
The continued fragmentation of CTV viewing, evidenced by increased app usage and content-driven viewer behavior, directly impacts advertising and content discovery strategies. As platform loyalty wanes, the home screen's role in guiding viewer choices is amplified, transforming it into a primary monetization and audience engagement touchpoint. Advertisers and content providers must focus on discovery and precise targeting within a highly multi-app environment. The ongoing shift necessitates tracking home screen engagement metrics and app-level usage patterns to understand evolving audience flows and optimize ad spend.
Read full article at content-technology.com