Interest in interactive television (iTV) formats from programmers, advertisers and viewers, is growing quietly but steadily, according to a new study of the US market from BrightLine Partners.
The report says that this trend continued throughout 2003 and iTV now finds itself firmly in the TV advertising equation for advertisers and programmers. A rise in the volume and range of iTV programmes in the US has resulted in a steadily growing mass audience for iTV content. The growing appeal of the digital video recorder has also caused programmers to enhance the interactivity of their programmes.
BrightLine says that a subtle shift in television viewing behaviour and viewers’ willingness to engage more deeply with marketing content are providing marketers with the conditions to routinely leverage iTV advertising opportunities.
“Our survey reveals a common theme in terms of advertisers’, operators’ and programmers’ acknowledgement of iTV’s vast potential as a marketing tool. Yet motivations vary among these stakeholders, preventing complete alignment of programmer ad capabilities and inventory with advertisers’ growing appetite,” concludes the report.
