OTT vs. Linear TV: The South African Audience Shift

The landscape of broadcasting is changing rapidly. As fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and mobile data rates drop, the dominance of linear terrestrial television is undergoing significant shifts.

According to River Peak's latest regional panel analysis, prime-time linear television viewership remains highly dominant in rural sectors, while urban households heavily transition viewing hours into Over-The-Top (OTT) streaming apps during late evening blocks.

This creates a complex ecosystem for local media buyers. Agencies must split budget strategies effectively, ensuring that they do not overspend on digital spaces where local penetration remains low, nor under-utilize linear TV platforms which offer widespread national reach.

Using our combined reporting matrices, we allow networks to map unified viewer campaigns, blending linear ad insertions with OTT platform logs to establish realistic frequency capping.