According to a survey of advertising and marketing professionals conducted by The Myers Report, YouTube TV outperforms four leading streaming video competitors in delivering on the factors that most significantly impact on media planning and buying decisions. The Myers Report respondents who are responsible for the broadcast/cable/streaming/CTV category ranked large audience reach as their primary consideration, followed closely by brand safety. Among the twelve factors on which the media sales organizations were evaluated, contextual relevance of content and availability of innovation and creative opportunities represent a growing priority, along with advanced research support and programmatic/automated capabilities. Although currency flexibility and minority-owned media have generated industry interest, they rank as the least considered factors in buying and planning.
In the survey evaluating 26 video advertising sales organizations, YouTube TV emerged as the leader in overall performance. The survey revealed that 52% of respondents who have a business relationship with YouTube TV gave it a positive rating. This assessment utilized a 5-point scale. The Myers Report defined "positive performance" as top 2-box ratings and categorized the two lowest ratings as indicative of underperformance. YouTube TV was rated as underperforming by an average of 13% of respondents across the 12 factors.
Among the five 'streamers' included, Amazon Prime Video was positively rated by 45% of their clients; Roku by 39%; and Apple TV by 24%. The Broadcast/Cable/Streaming/CTV category was the lowest overall performer among the eight media categories and 132 media sales organizations evaluated by The Myers Report. Out-of-home media generated the highest positive ratings followed by audio and search/social.
YouTube TV's competitive advantage is built on its strength in delivering large audience reach combined with valuable multi-screen options, contextual relevance of content environment, and programmatic/automated technology. Conversely, 24% of respondents rate the quality of the YouTube TV sales organization as underperforming. Although YouTube is recognized as a performance driver, nearly 40% of respondents rate the organization's commerce opportunities as underperforming.
While Amazon Prime Video's ad sales organization is the most positively perceived among the five companies (47% positive/9% underperforming), and of course outperforms the category for commerce opportunities, it's less effective than YouTube TV in delivering large audience reach, programmatic/automated technology, multi-screen options, ease of administration, and contextual relevance.
Roku appears to be "playing the middle," with no clearly recognized strengths but also no areas in which it comparatively underperforms. An exception is the perceived quality of the sales organization, which is rated as underperforming by 20% of its clients and is only positively perceived by 36%. Respondents also expressed concern with the administrative ease of doing business with the company.
In fairness to Netflix, The Myers Report survey was fielded in August/September 2023, less than a year after launching its ad tier. The Myers Report will be fielding updated surveys in April and September, offering a view of market changes and a more comprehensive overview of the ad community's response to Netflix' foray into advertising. The 250 survey respondents who were in a business relationship with Netflix identified contextual relevance of content as the company's primary value.
For YouTube TV, the survey collected data from 472 of the company's clients; 387 for Roku; 322 for Amazon Prime Video; and 126 for Apple TV.
Apple TV is the underperformer among the five streamers, with only an average 23% assigning top 2-box ratings to the company's performance across the 12 planning and buying factors. With little exposure to agency and brand decision-makers, the company needs to offset negative perceptions of its programmatic/automated technology, innovative and creative opportunities, multi-screen options, advanced research support, and audience reach.
For more information on The Myers Report Revenue Optimization Program, contact Jack Myers at jack@mediavillage.org.