The New Life of the Living Room study

• 59% of CTV users start with broadcaster-produced content when they switch on their TV (51% linear TV, 8% Broadcast Video on Demand (BVOD)) as linear TV remains a preferred and trusted source for a wide range of content despite a blurring of lines of what defines TV. 

• As users hop between content platforms, CTV remains the go-to device for video entertainment spanning linear TV, BVOD, Subscription-Based Video on Demand (SVOD), Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) and video-sharing platforms.

RTL AdAlliance has revealed the fourth edition of its annual study The New Life of the Living Room. In its newest quantitative research, RTL Group’s international sales house separates signal from noise in the fast-changing video content and advertising landscape, providing valuable insight into evolving viewing habits across 14 European markets (including the new additions Poland, Switzerland and Austria) and the United States. 

The research reveals that linear TV remains a preferred and trusted source for consumers’ favourite programmes and a variety of genres. Most Europeans turn to broadcast TV for news (59%), sports (44%) and entertainment (44%), while SVOD is the top choice for movies and series (63%). Broadcaster content also remains the entry point for most viewers when they turn on their TV device. 51% of respondents first switch on linear TV when starting the TV device, another 8% first access BVOD platforms. European users trust the curation of broadcast TV, making it easy-to-find content. 40% of viewers need less than one minute to find content on linear TV. 

Consumers seem to seamlessly switch between platforms, with 45% watching linear TV and 36% viewing SVOD daily. YouTube (30%) and BVOD (17%) experienced significant growth in daily usage, both rising by 6 percentage points. While US viewers lean more towards digital content (49% watch SVOD daily), European audiences tend to favour linear TV. Spanish viewers are the most loyal to linear TV with 61% watching daily. 

The fluid transition between platforms has also influenced how viewers define “watching TV”. For 52% of viewers, watching long-form content like sports or movies on a TV screen qualifies as "watching TV", even when accessed through platforms like YouTube. Only 36% consider viewing similar content on mobile or desktop as "TV". Meanwhile, just 22% of respondents regard viewing creator- and user-generated content on YouTube via a TV set as “watching TV”.  

A particularly noteworthy result of The New Life of the Living Room study highlights the increasing trust in traditional media such as radio (67%), linear TV (66%), magazines/newspapers (64%), and BVOD (58%). Social media platforms lag significantly behind, with TikTok being the least trustworthy, trusted by only 23% of respondents. This shows that European viewers do make a distinction between platforms and attribute a different value in terms of ad experience and trust. Ads are perceived as less intrusive on traditional channels like linear TV (55%) compared to video-sharing platforms (61%) and a significant percentage of respondents (32%) regularly regrets wasting time by watching content on YouTube. 

Stéphane Coruble, CEO at RTL AdAlliance, said:  

"The smart TV remains the central hub for television and video entertainment with viewers defining TV by device, quality and long-form content rather than delivery method. Nonetheless, trust in traditional media is growing across Europe, reinforcing the enduring value of broadcast content, particularly as a trustworthy source of information and for locally produced premium programming. This mix of trust and quality sets the standard for selecting optimal TV advertising environments in so many different European markets. As RTL AdAlliance, we simplify advertisers’ access to Europe’s complex media landscape, and our latest The New Life of the Living Room research offers vital insights and a clear understanding for navigating TV advertising”.  

The recorded live stream from 1 April and the study handbook can be accessed here: https://rtl-adalliance.com/events/new-life-living-room-2025. 

Method: RTL AdAlliance’s The New Life of the Living Room study provides broadcasters, publishers and advertisers with insights to optimise strategies in today’s fragmented video landscape. This comprehensive analysis is based on a quantitative survey conducted in February 2025. Over 12,500 respondents aged between 18 and 64 participated in the study, which covered 15 markets, including the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and the US, as well as newly added markets Poland, Switzerland, and Austria. 

VP Brand & Communications 
Carine Jean-Jean 
carine.jeanjean@rtl.com
+33 6 30 51 58 73 

PR Director  
Kathrin Müller 
kathrin.mueller@rtl.com
+49 40 286 686 117 

RTL AdAlliance – simplicity for advertisers and value for publishers. 

The media sales house RTL AdAlliance, a subsidiary of RTL Group, unites premium content publishers under one roof for international brands to connect with European audiences. Combining the most successful broadcasting, publishing and Adtech companies in Europe, RTL AdAlliance offers brands access to over 100 TV channels, 350 print publications, 40 radio stations and 5,000 premium web properties – with over 150 million daily TV viewers, 37 million Addressable TV households, over 40 million daily listeners and more than 4 billion online video ad impressions a month in one streamlined service – enabling unrivalled reach in Europe and beyond. 

250 media sales experts all over the world provide dedicated support for successful international media campaigns. Advertisers gain simplified access to premium, brand-safe media space that reaches only the most engaged audiences. RTL AdAlliance also provides latest insights and innovations for the media world. In addition, RTL AdAlliance empowers publishers to make better use of their premium offering by leveraging smarter, simpler monetisation strategies, Adtech solutions, developed in Europe, and dedicated media sales expertise. 

Headquartered in Luxembourg and Hamburg, RTL AdAlliance has offices across Europe and North America. 

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