The leading trade association advocating for the nation’s local broadcast television industry has released a new study investigating multimedia usage and effectiveness. The top finding? TV, viewed on the TV screen, has the highest reach and time spent of all media platforms studied, for all age groups and categories measured.
The 2025 Media Comparisons Study, conducted by GfK/NIQ and commissioned by TVB, examines over 20 platforms in traditional and digital media, including free and paid ad-supported and advertising-free streaming platforms.
The study measured the viewing of linear broadcast programs on digital devices to get a complete picture of broadcast’s reach: linear viewing on TV and mobile devices, as well as broadcast websites and apps. In addition to reach and time spent, the study sought to identify the top and most trustworthy news sources, as well as the level of community involvement and motivation to do further research online.
Among the other key findings is that most television viewers are reached through broadcast TV. Furthermore, linear TV viewing is mostly done on the TV set but not exclusively. Adults also spent about half an hour each day viewing broadcast linear content on computers, smartphones and tablets.
Among the other key takeaways from the TVB study:
- Local broadcast TV is turned to most for local news and is the most trusted.
- Television ads are motivation to do further research online.
- More time is spent with broadcast TV across all devices than with cable and streaming programs.
- Broadcast digital assets alone reach between 34% to nearly half of respondents depending on segment/category.
- Total broadcast assets reach nine out of ten adults 18+ and in key categories.
- 43% cite local broadcast television assets as most involved in their community.
- Numbers quoted in Nielsen’s Gauge Report include streaming without ads. The Media Comparisons Study was able to focus only on video program platforms that have advertising and found that linear TV represents 70% of the viewing time.
- If they watch streaming on a TV set, they are reached by broadcast as well.
“The 2025 Media Comparisons Study once again confirms the power of television and continues to highlight broadcast TV as the top medium for both viewers and consumers, not only on a TV set, but across all devices,” the TVB says.
