With disposable income topping $950 billion1 – more than double what it was a few years ago – Gen Z is an audience not to be ignored. And while they have a smorgasbord of media options to choose from, this “digital-first” generation still regularly engage with TV.
According to a study from Deloitte, Gen Z spends over two hours per day with traditional TV and streaming services.2 Though TV accounts for just under 30% of their daily media consumption, it still awards advertisers ample opportunity to engage with them, an opportunity that is poised to grow as Gen Z starts to shift away from social media and continue to embrace TV content.3
The way for advertisers to ensure they effectively reach Gen Z audiences via multiscreen TV is by incorporating addressable TV advertising.
Gen Z’s Shift Away from Social Media
As a digitally native generation, Gen Z has largely accepted advertising as a routine part of consuming content, and advertisers have increasingly leant on social media to reach these young consumers. But growing concerns about content, data privacy, and algorithm manipulation have begun to affect how Gen Z feels about and engages with these platforms.3 In fact, the VAB found that over half of Gen Z have closed or stopped using a social media account due to content or posts they have found upsetting.
According to the VAB, a third of Generation Z report feeling sad or unhappy after using social media.3 83% have already taken steps to distance themselves from it.3
Though their social media sentiment is in decline, Gen Z’s feelings toward TV content remain overwhelmingly positive. 72% of Gen Zers say love watching traditional TV and 75% love streaming TV shows.3
And with 58% of these young adults reporting that they don’t trust the ads they see on social media,3 now is a great time for advertisers to lean into multiscreen TV.
With multiscreen TV, ads are delivered transparently in trusted, brand-safe premium environments which have been proven to drive greater ad recall and brand recognition.4
To maximize multiscreen campaign impact and reach, advertisers need to catch Gen Z while they are tuned in by harnessing advanced targeting tactics like addressable TV.
Reaching Gen Z with Precision and Personalized Ad Experiences
Addressable TV enables advertisers to reach precise audience segments, like Gen Z, across screens and platforms. Going beyond the more traditional multiscreen TV practice of geotargeting, addressable uses deterministic data to connect advertisers with their target audiences at the household level.
For example, if a clothing brand wanted to reach Gen Zers, with a multiscreen geotargeting campaign, they could run ads in a neighborhood with a heavy Gen Z population. With addressable, those ads are strategically delivered to households in that neighborhood matching specific viewers, based on their characteristics and interests, resulting in more efficient ad spend.
Additionally, when incorporated into a multiscreen campaign, addressable delivers more than a third of unique target reach and increases total target frequency by +75%.5
Delivering at the household level also allows advertisers to personalize the ad experience for audiences based on their preferences and media behaviors, which can improve overall ad performance. A study from the FreeWheel Viewer Experience Lab found that relevant ads drive 2.4X higher engagement and 5.2X higher purchase intent.6
Addressable TV presents a powerful opportunity for advertisers to connect with Gen Z, a generation that is increasingly shifting away from social media and embracing TV content. With its advanced targeting capabilities, advertisers can deliver ads that resonate with Gen Z across screens whenever they tune in. Advertisers who embrace addressable will be well-positioned to capture the attention and loyalty of Gen Z.
For more on the power of addressable, visit our Audience Addressable page and download the latest Multiscreen TV Advertising Report for other additional insights on maximizing audience reach.
Sources:
1. PR Newswire, “New Research: Gen Z’s Total Income Reaches 1.1 Trillion,” 2025.
2. Deloitte, “2025 Digital Media Trends (19th Edition),” 2025.
3. The VAB, “Disconnect to Reconnect: How Real-Life Shared Experiences Are the Antidote to Social Media Isolation Among Gen Z, 2024.
4. Comcast Advertising, “What is Premium Video?,” 2022.
5. Comcast Advertising, “The Multiscreen TV Advertising Report 2H 2024,” 2025.
6. FreeWheel, “Making the Ad Experience More Relevant,” 2024.
