In this week’s egtabite, we delve into an intriguing research study carried out by TV4, the largest commercial broadcaster in Sweden, which aimed to compare their digital channel TV4 Play and the linear TV channel TV4 with the social media platforms TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook, as well as local news sites. The goal of the study was to gather evidence and insights to improve TV4’s offerings and adapt their communication with clients and media agencies, by focusing on actual behaviour rather than self-reported behaviour of viewers.
The research was conducted by in-home study with audience measurement, using eye-tracking glasses and EDR sensors (Electrodermal Response), followed by in-depth interviews, all carried out by COG Research. Anders Eriksson, Head of B2B Insights at TV4, presented the research and its results at egta’s Market Intelligence Meeting in March, highlighting the importance of attention as a buzzword in the media world and the need to understand viewers’ experiences while watching content on different platforms. “We wanted to bring evidence and insights into our offers and adapt the we way talk to clients and media agencies,” he said.
Much higher ad attention and lower overload levels
The study found, unsurprisingly, that ads served on linear and BVOD platforms consistently achieve 100% opportunity to see (OTS), while social platforms have significantly lower attention levels due to the ease of skipping or scrolling past ads. In terms of actual attention, TV4 Play and linear platforms ranked much higher than other media platforms, with 73% of TV4 Play viewers focusing on ads during breaks.
TV4 also examined engagement levels through EDR Sensors revealing that viewers experienced higher sensory overload when engaging with social media ads, which negatively impacted memory retention. Although engagement levels for social media were between 60-70%, overload was considerably higher than for TV4 Play and linear. Overall, TV4 Play generated five times higher ad engagement per minute than the social platforms.
Interestingly, interviews with viewers demonstrated that despite initially denying having paid attention to ads, participants did remember specific ad segments, individual ads, and some even took actions as a result of seeing the ads. This supports the long-term brand-building effects of TV and premium video content. “It shows that we pay more attention to TV ads than we think we do, and we remember them more than we realise,” Anders said.
Refined discussions with agencies and clients
TV4 has shared the findings of this study with media agencies and major clients and has presented them at marketing seminars. The insights have resonated well with the sell-side, particularly since attention is easier to understand than for example gross rating points (GRPs).
In summary, TV4’s research comparing their digital channel, TV4 Play, with other popular digital platforms has shed light on the attention and engagement levels of viewers across these platforms. The findings emphasize the advantages of TV4 Play and linear content in capturing viewer attention and driving higher ad engagement compared to social platforms. TV4 has successfully leveraged these insights to engage with media agencies, clients, and marketing professionals.
OTHER CASE STUDIES
A BIG-SCREEN STUDY FINDS STRONGER ATTENTION ON TV4 PLAY THAN ON YOUTUBE
24. 4. 2026TV4 just launched its third attention study, comparing the viewing experience on its streaming service (TV4 Play) with YouTube’s big screen experience at home. It confirms once again the assumption that the streaming environment provided by a qualitative TV network (BVOD) delivers a much bigger attention than UGC platforms, such as YouTube. An at-home test… Continue reading EGTABITE 426: TV4 PLAY VS. SOCIAL MEDIA: MEASURING AD ATTENTION AND ENGAGEMENT
THE TV ADVERTISING PARADOX, A THINKTV NEW ZEALAND CASE STUDY (1/2)
24. 4. 2026In late 2024, ThinkTV New Zealand, under the leadership of Jacqueline Freeman, GM Communications, undertook a full market review to understand how television was being perceived, valued, and used across the New Zealand marketing ecosystem. This was a broad diagnostic rather than a simple pulse check. It drew on perspectives from CMOs, CFOs, insights people,… Continue reading EGTABITE 426: TV4 PLAY VS. SOCIAL MEDIA: MEASURING AD ATTENTION AND ENGAGEMENT
AD EMISSIONS MEASUREMENT: LESSONS FROM THE FINNISH MARKET
31. 3. 2026Finland’s commercial TV broadcasters spent the past year developing a carbon emissions measurement framework for linear TV advertising, starting with no local methodology and ending with a validated model owned by an industry body. For markets facing the same challenge, the experience offers a useful reference point. Start narrow, then scale The project focused exclusively… Continue reading EGTABITE 426: TV4 PLAY VS. SOCIAL MEDIA: MEASURING AD ATTENTION AND ENGAGEMENT
A NEW WAY FOR FRANCETV PUBLICITÉ TO SELL CONTEXTUAL VIDEO ADVERTISING
27. 3. 2026FranceTV Publicité (FTP), the advertising sales house for French public television, has introduced Context.IA into its digital video offer. The solution uses programme context to decide when an ad should appear, instead of relying only on fixed scheduling. That makes Context.IA a new commercial tool inside FranceTV Publicité’s own video inventory. Context.IA links programme cues… Continue reading EGTABITE 426: TV4 PLAY VS. SOCIAL MEDIA: MEASURING AD ATTENTION AND ENGAGEMENT
BUILDING A SHOPPABLE, ATTENTION-READY CTV OFFER: THE BIG BROTHER CONTEXTUAL CASE
26. 3. 2026In 2025, Paramount Australia, in partnership with FreeWheel and egta, hosted a webinar outlining a forward-looking view of the evolving advertising market. One key topic explored the industry’s shift to pull-based discovery, experience-driven engagement, and frictionless content-commerce integration. Paramount Australia’s Contextual Advertising Suite directly responds to these trends, reinforcing the company’s leadership in premium CTV… Continue reading EGTABITE 426: TV4 PLAY VS. SOCIAL MEDIA: MEASURING AD ATTENTION AND ENGAGEMENT
GLOBO CREATES HOME SCREEN PROMINENCE FOR FREE-TO-AIR TV ON SMART TVS
26. 2. 2026Globo, Brazil’s largest commercial TV group, is rolling out DTV+, a next-generation free-to-air TV standard designed for connected TVs. It brings broadcast channels into the TV operating system, with app-like navigation, login and interactive layers placed directly on top of live programming. The move fits Brazil’s viewing reality. Linear TV accounts for 57.9% of total… Continue reading EGTABITE 426: TV4 PLAY VS. SOCIAL MEDIA: MEASURING AD ATTENTION AND ENGAGEMENT
THE VISUAL TRANSFER EFFECT: HOW SOUND BUILDS BRANDS
24. 2. 2026In collaboration with neuro-marketing agency Unravel, Talpa Media has produced the scientific proof that audio does not just complement TV. It actively reactivates it, reconstructing visual brand memories in the consumer’s mind through sound. The findings carry significant implications for how audio is planned, sold, and valued within the wider media mix. Context Talpa Media… Continue reading EGTABITE 426: TV4 PLAY VS. SOCIAL MEDIA: MEASURING AD ATTENTION AND ENGAGEMENT
RMB TURNS QR CODE VOTING INTO A SHARED VIEWING MOMENT THAT STRENGTHS BRAND IMAGE FOR SPRITE AND DELI CHOC
24. 2. 2026Campaign objectives The chocolate snack Deli Choc and soft drink Sprite brands worked with RMB to reach younger audiences by becoming part of Belgian hip-hop show “PLAYGROUND”, supporting new rap talent through a live QR vote and cross-platform content. This helps the brands appear as enablers of the format rather than separate ads. For RMB… Continue reading EGTABITE 426: TV4 PLAY VS. SOCIAL MEDIA: MEASURING AD ATTENTION AND ENGAGEMENT
CANADIAN SUPERSTAR ANDREW PHUNG HELPS VIA RAIL CHALLENGE CAR CONVENIENCE ASSUMPTIONS WITH LONG-FORM STORYTELLING ACROSS CBC’S TV ECOSYSTEM
24. 2. 2026Campaign objectives VIA Rail, the company operating Canada’s national passenger rail service, combined a new product launch with brand building, using long-form content to tackle misconceptions that tend to block conversion in travel: comfort, ease, and whether rail feels like a realistic alternative to driving for intercity trips. The objectives behind this campaign were to… Continue reading EGTABITE 426: TV4 PLAY VS. SOCIAL MEDIA: MEASURING AD ATTENTION AND ENGAGEMENT
HOW L’ORÉAL PARIS AND RTL MADE STREET HARASSMENT HARD TO IGNORE
24. 2. 2026Context Sexual harassment in public spaces is one of the most common forms of gender-based violence in the world. Two figures frame the issue: 80% of women have experienced street harassment, but 85% of people say they lack training on how to intervene. Ad Alliance and L’Oréal created a campaign to respond to this problem… Continue reading EGTABITE 426: TV4 PLAY VS. SOCIAL MEDIA: MEASURING AD ATTENTION AND ENGAGEMENT
HOW AD ALLIANCE USED VIRTUAL SET GRAPHICS TO RESKIN THE LET’S DANCE STAGE FOR UNIVERSAL PICTURES
24. 2. 2026Context This campaign promotes a film by changing the look of a well-known TV studio during the ad break, so the show setting becomes part of the idea. Universal Pictures International Germany supported the live-action version (made with real actors) of How to Train Your Dragon, based on a well-known animated franchise. The ad special… Continue reading EGTABITE 426: TV4 PLAY VS. SOCIAL MEDIA: MEASURING AD ATTENTION AND ENGAGEMENT
CHANNEL 4 SHOWS HOW PUTTING ACCESSIBILITY FIRST BENEFITS BOTH CUSTOMERS AND COMMERCIAL WITH CURRYS’
24. 2. 2026Context Channel 4’s Diversity in Advertising Award 2025 set its brief under the theme “Inclusive by Design”. It asked brands to embed inclusive practices into the creative, rather than at the end of production. The initiative linked that ambition to airtime: £1m of advertising space across Channel 4’s portfolio sat behind the winning campaign. The… Continue reading EGTABITE 426: TV4 PLAY VS. SOCIAL MEDIA: MEASURING AD ATTENTION AND ENGAGEMENT