The ways in which we watch TV today are different from those decades ago, so it should be no surprise that TV advertising has evolved, too. While it’s still true to say that TV advertising refers to promoting a business by airing commercials during TV programming, there is a bit more to the story.
Today, TV content can air on broadcast, cable, satellite, digital, or streaming platforms. People watch on smart TVs, phones, tablets, computers, video game consoles, and screens of all sizes—sometimes on multiple devices at a time. TV advertising, then, is a bit more complex than airing a single commercial on a regular schedule.
Despite, or maybe even because of, all the new ways people watch, TV remains one of the most widely viewed and trusted forms of media.1 From primetime dramas to local news and live sports, TV reaches people in moments when they are relaxed, attentive, and engaged—making it a powerful way for businesses to build awareness, attract customers, and strengthen their brand within their community or across the country.
Today’s TV advertising ecosystem is more flexible, targeted, and measurable than ever. Whether you’re a small business looking to reach customers in your neighborhood or a growing brand expanding into new regions, TV advertising offers attractive scale, credibility, and storytelling power. So, how does it all work?
How to advertise on TV
If you haven’t done it before, advertising on TV may feel intimidating at first, but the process is more straightforward than you might expect. Like any kind of marketing, you begin with key components: target audience, budget, measurable goals, and message. The unique parts of TV advertising are how, when, and where you air your ad, and the work of producing it.
Understanding the following steps will help demystify the process and give you the confidence to explore TV advertising as part of your marketing mix:
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- Identify your audience
Be specific about your target audience’s demographics, interests, behaviors, and viewing trends to inform your decisions about where to air your commercial and how to craft your message. - Set a budget
TV advertising costs vary based on market size, time of day, programming, and frequency. Small budget? Don’t worry—even modest budgets can make an impact with smart planning. Just remember that in addition to ad spend, you’ll want to include production costs in your overall budget. - Create the commercial
Ideally, your ad will be visually interesting (bonus points for memorable), will resonate on an emotional level, and will include a clear call to action. Find creative support from your advertising partner, a creative agency, or freelancers to produce an effective ad. - Purchase ad space
Work with a media planner and the right advertising partner to buy airtime on the TV platform(s) you want. You can contact the advertising sales departments of individual broadcast networks, cable networks, and streaming stations. Or you can work with national advertising sales companies, advertising agencies, and adtech platforms that specialize in the platform you prefer. - Execute and measure your results
Once your TV commercial is up and running, measure its impact. Modern tools allow you to gain more insight into ad performance than ever before. You can track spikes in website traffic or Google searches, foot traffic, and more.
- Identify your audience
With the right planning and support, TV advertising can be an accessible and effective marketing tool for businesses of all sizes.
Advantages of TV advertising
So, why advertise on TV today? The answer lies in the unique combination of reach, trust, and impact that makes television so different from other platforms.
When your commercial appears during a favorite show or an exciting program, or even the nightly news, it gets a boost from its proximity to that content. Consider how watching popular content can make people feel good. An ad reaching people when they’re feeling good can boost perceptions of your business. Similarly, ads placed during news programming may increase credibility for your business.
Here are some of the core advantages of TV advertising:
Broad reach and mass exposure
TV allows businesses to reach large audiences at once, whether it’s the entire local community or viewers across a region. Even with the growth of streaming, millions still watch live TV every day, especially for news, sports, and local programming.2
High ad recall and strong brand awareness
TV’s combination of sight, sound, and storytelling leaves a lasting impression. Viewers tend to remember TV ads more than many digital formats3 because they experience them on a larger screen and in a more focused environment.
A trusted, high-quality environment
Television remains one of the most trusted advertising platforms.4 Consumers are more likely to believe and respond to messages they see on TV compared to many digital platforms, where the environment can be cluttered or unpredictable.
Opportunities for emotional connection
Few types of advertising offer the storytelling power of TV. In a commercial, you can use imagery, music, voiceover, and action to create an emotional connection that strengthens customers’ loyalty to your business and motivates them to seek you out.
These advantages help explain why TV advertising continues to be a valuable strategy for businesses of all sizes and across multiple industries—from retail and healthcare to restaurants, real estate, and professional services.
What is linear TV?
Linear TV is what you may think of as traditional TV. Linear TV programming is delivered at specific times, typically on broadcast or cable channels. Viewers watch content as it airs, often in real time, especially for live events like sports, local news, morning shows, and award ceremonies.
Linear TV remains a major part of today’s media landscape.5 It brings people together around moments of shared viewing—something no other platform does in quite the same way. These shared experiences are valuable for advertisers because they deliver concentrated attention and cultural significance.
For businesses, linear TV offers predictable reach and the ability to align messaging with program genres that match their audience. Whether you’re targeting households in select ZIP codes or entire metro areas, linear TV provides cost-effective opportunities to get your message on screen.
TV viewership: what does it look like?
Television viewership is changing, but it’s far from disappearing. From Boomers to Gen Z, people from every generation continue to watch TV every day, though how they watch varies widely.6
Today’s TV landscape includes live broadcast, cable networks, streaming apps, and on-demand platforms. Some viewers prefer scheduled programming, especially for news, sports, and local coverage. Others primarily stream shows on connected TVs. Many do both.
Despite the fragmented landscape, one trend is clear: TV remains one of the most consumed media types in the U.S.7 A significant share of viewing still happens on ad-supported platforms, and live events continue to draw some of the largest audiences anywhere in media.
For advertisers, this means TV is still a reliable way to reach broad and diverse audiences. Understanding viewership patterns helps businesses choose the right mix of linear and streaming placements to maximize their reach.
Local TV advertising
Local TV advertising gives small and mid-sized businesses the ability to speak directly to their communities. It’s ideal for businesses that serve specific regions or neighborhoods—such as restaurants, healthcare providers, home services, real estate agents, auto dealerships, and local retailers.
Because you only pay for the areas you want to reach, local TV is often more affordable than national campaigns. Local advertising is also easier to execute than many business owners expect. With the right planning, even modest budgets can deliver strong results and get your business in front of thousands of nearby households.
What is the difference between cable and broadcast TV?
Broadcast TV is free over the air and reaches nearly every household with a TV antenna. It includes major networks such as NBC, CBS, and ABC and is known for delivering mass audiences—especially during live events like primetime sports and national news.
Cable TV requires a subscription and offers dozens, or even hundreds, of channels that cover a wide range of interests. The niche programming gives advertisers the opportunity to place commercials where they will have contextual relevance—such as home improvement networks, food channels, travel programming, and more.
Both platforms offer valuable advertising opportunities. Broadcast TV offers a wide reach, while cable excels with flexibility and targeted relevance. Some businesses use a mix of both to balance reach and precision.
The truth about cable TV decline
Is cable TV viewership declining? Yes, but that doesn’t mean it has lost its value. Subscriber numbers have decreased over time, largely because viewers now have more choices than ever. But cable still reaches millions of households and remains a major source of news, sports, and entertainment.
Importantly, cable hasn’t disappeared—it has evolved. Many networks now appear across both cable and streaming platforms, giving advertisers multiple ways to reach viewers. And while overall subscriptions have dropped, cable viewers tend to be highly engaged, especially with programming like live news, documentaries, lifestyle shows, and niche entertainment.
Cable advertising also offers unique advantages: targeted placements, regional flexibility, and opportunities to align with content that appeals to specific audiences. For many businesses, it remains a reliable and cost-effective way to reach customers.
Can TV and social media work together?
TV and social media complement each other extremely well. TV builds trust and delivers emotional impact, while social media reinforces the same message with frequency and immediate opportunities to act.
Today, people often watch TV with their phones in hand. Many look up products they see in commercials, search for local businesses, or interact with brands online in real time. This “second screen” behavior makes coordinated TV and social campaigns especially effective.8
When businesses use the same message across both platforms—such as promoting a sale, event, or new service—they create cohesive storytelling that can improve recall.3 TV introduces the idea; social media keeps it top of mind. Even with small budgets, businesses can run paired campaigns that drive measurable results.
Using TV advertising to reach your business goals
Whether you want to boost brand awareness locally, reach new customers across several regions, or build a national presence, TV advertising remains one of the most effective tools to help businesses grow. Innovations in technology mean that TV advertising is more customizable, measurable, and accessible than ever. Businesses can target specific audiences, tailor campaigns to their goals, and measure results across screens.
Advertising partners like Comcast Advertising make this even easier with addressable TV, household-level targeting, multiscreen campaign planning, and advanced measurement tools. With the right support and strategy, TV advertising can help your business stand out, reach the right people, and achieve meaningful results—wherever your potential customers are watching.
Now that you have an overview of how TV advertising works, contact us to start reaching your audience.
Sources:
- TEGNA, “Is TV Advertising Still Effective?”
- Nielsen, “Viewing to Content with Ads Gained Share to 73.6% of Overall TV Viewing in Q2,” May 2025.
- Comcast Advertising, “Digital Loves TV,” September 23, 2020.
- YouGov, “Global study: Which types of ads do people trust?” March 5, 2021.
- Nielsen, “Viewing to Content with Ads Gained Share to 73.6% of Overall TV Viewing in Q2,” May 2025.
- Comcast Advertising, “Reaching Multigenerational Audiences,” 2025.
- eMarketer, “Traditional TV still dominates daily media time,” July 9, 2025.
- GWI, “Second Screening.”