Gamers in
the age of
streaming
U.S. Only
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Behind the Screens: Gamers in the age of streaming
Streaming has
been embraced by
gamers and there’s
As the TV landscape continues
to shift to a streaming-first
environment, gamers are
leading the charge and not
looking back. The advanced
capabilities of gaming consoles
and gamers’ adoption of
ad-supported streaming mean
new opportunities for
marketers and game studios.
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Behind the Screens: Gamers in the age of streaming
Samsung Ads’ data is not modeled or based on aggregated panels. It is one-to-one,
deterministic data. Samsung Ads’ first party data is powered by Automatic Content
Recognition (ACR) technology which recognizes content viewership, across linear
TV, OTT, and gaming environments. We can measure whatever is happening on the
TV device.
Our Smart TVs offer consumers the choice to opt in to receive
Interest-Based Ads and the ability to customize their Smart TV viewing experience.
We employ industry-standard security safeguards and practices to protect
information. For more information on how Samsung protects consumer privacy
please see our U.S. Privacy Policy at
https://www.samsung.com/us/account/privacy-policy/samsungads/
We measure gaming by presence and duration of play on a game console
connected to a Samsung TV in the household. In order to be included in this analysis,
play duration must be a minimum of 3 minutes during the time period. In the U.S.,
Samsung Smart TVs had a universe of 19M+ connected game consoles in 2021.
The insights within were taken from the analysis of Samsung Ads proprietary ACR
data throughout 2021 with an emphasis on the 4th Quarter and with comparisons to
2020 in some cases. We supplemented insights from Samsung Smart TVs with an
attitudinal survey of one thousand owners of Samsung Smart TVs in the U.S. who are
also heavy gamers (gaming a few times per week or more), to shed light on gamer
motivations and behaviors. This data was collected in March 2022.
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Methodology
Samsung:
As the number one TV manufacturer globally, Samsung is dedicated to creating a
premium experience for the gaming audience. From screen size and quality to
gaming mode on 4K QLED, Samsung Smart TVs are engineered for gaming.
We understand the gaming audience from both a hardware and behavioral
perspective. Our unique data allows us to understand how gamers spend time on
their Samsung Smart TV, whether watching linear TV or streaming content, and
how they engage with their game consoles.
Samsung Ads’ ACR data recognizes hundreds of the most popular game
titles in the U.S. and identifies gaming sessions as separate from viewing sessions.
This data helps us understand details about game devices and games, enabling
us to help brands reach players of specific consoles, games and genres. Our
robust reporting allows us to report on engagement and lift on users exposed
to your ads.
Brands can reach gamers and drive high visibility with a premium ad placement in the
Game Console Launcher on Samsung TVs. This means that marketers can reach the
highly-engaged, hard-to-reach gaming audiences just as they start their games.
Behind the Screens: Gamers in the age of streaming
Image
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5
Gamers on
Despite the significant growth in the number of gamers,
gaming behavior remains consistent. Gamers spend an
average of just over 2 hours per day gaming on their Samsung
TVs.
Source: Samsung Ads, Proprietary ACR Analytics – 2020, 2021 US Only
Behind the Screens: Gamers in the age of streaming
16,409,385 19,789,421
2020 annual gamers 2021 annual gamers
Average Daily Hours Gaming/Day
H:M Daily
2:07 2:05
H:M Daily
2020 2021
+21%
The number of gamers in the Samsung TV Universe
increased significantly in 2021 to nearly 20 million.
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Next-Gen gamers
are
Both Microsoft and Sony launched next-gen gaming consoles in 2020 with the Xbox
Series X and PS5. T o understand how those consoles change gaming behavior, we
looked at how their usage affects gamers’ engagement. On average, Next-Gen
gamers (those playing these next-gen consoles) spend over 60% more time with
their consoles than Previous-Gen gamers. Higher engagement means that
advertisers looking to reach gamers face stiffer competition for Next-Gen gamers’
attention. Advertisers need to find new and different methods to reach and engage
Next-Gen gamers.
And Next-Gen gaming is set to increase — making this audience even harder to
reach via linear TV advertising. Seven in ten gamers with previous generation
consoles plan to upgrade to a next generation console in the near future. Gamers
are tech-forward consumers and cite the best gameplay and technology available
as reasons to upgrade.
Previous-Gen gamers upgrading to Next-Gen consoles
Source: Samsung Ads, Proprietary ACR Analytics US Only 2021. Samsung US Consumer Gamer Survey, March 2022.
+61%
Behind the Screens: Gamers in the age of streaming
Hours per week
Hours per week
Previous-Gen gamers Next-Gen gamers
26%T o get the best gameplay
24%
T o have the best
technology update
20%T o get to play the next-gen
exclusive games
13%
T o have a console that can do
much more than just game
13%T o get the best graphics
40%
32%
Likelihood to upgrade in the near future
Likely
Very likely
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How are gamers
spending their
Of course, gamers are viewers too. But across 80% of all the time that gamers
spend with their TV, they are unreachable by traditional TV advertising. In 2021,
gamers spent more than half of their TV time streaming and just over a quarter of
TV time gaming.
Compared to the Samsung Universe, gamers are only slightly more likely to stream,
but they are much less likely to watch linear. Gamers spend 42% less time with
linear compared to other viewers. In fact, 74% of gamers rely mostly or entirely on
streaming services for their TV viewing. 43% of gamers don’t have a Pay TV
subscription and another 31% have a cable subscription but spend most of their
time streaming.
How gamers access TV content
Source: Samsung Ads, Proprietary ACR Analytics US Only 2021. Samsung US Consumer Gamer Survey, March 2022.
Behind the Screens: Gamers in the age of streaming
31%I currently subscribe to cable but spend most
of my time with streaming services
26%I currently subscribe to cable and spend most
of my time watching broadcast and cable TV
23%I recently canceled my cable subscription
and rely on streaming services for TV
20%
I have never subscribed to cable and have
always relied on streaming services for TV
Share of
TV Time
20% Linear
58 Index vs. Samsung Universe
28% Gaming
234 Index vs. Samsung Universe
52% Streaming
111 Index vs. Samsung Universe
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Gamers are
streamers
T o reach the Gamer audience, advertisers must
shift linear budgets to CTV. 84% of gamers fall into
our “Mostly Streamer” bucket of viewers who spend
more time with streaming services than with linear
TV, an even greater proportion than the overall
Samsung Smart TV Universe, 74% of whom are
“Mostly Streamers.”
This 84% of gamers spend so much time with
streaming that they consume just 18% of the total
linear minutes watched by all gamers in the
Samsung Universe, making them virtually
impossible to reach through linear. Linear
advertising is more likely to hit a small proportion
of gamers — just 16% — who consume over 80% of
the total linear minutes watched by the group.
Gamers are also movie buffs. The content genres
they report viewing most often are movies (both
traditional and streaming originals) and crime
dramas. Many are also regularly streaming gaming
video content (GVC) such as video gameplay by
streamers, competitions among amateur gamers
or influencers, as well as professional esports
competitions.
Source: Samsung Ads, Proprietary ACR Analytics US Only 2021. Samsung US Consumer Gamer Survey, March 2022.
Behind the Screens: Gamers in the age of streaming
Time Spent
in Linear
Time Spent
in Streaming
Samsung
Gamers
84%
18%
90%
82%
10%
16%
Mostly streaming gamers Mostly linear gamers
T op genres of
content gamers
stream on a
regular basis
50%
Theatrical release movies
49%
Streaming originals
(series & movies)
41%
Crime dramas
37%
Gaming video content
32%
Reality
29%
Documentaries
9Source: Samsung Ads, Proprietary ACR Analytics US Only 2021. Samsung US Consumer Gamer Survey, March 2022.
when they break from gaming
Gamers are embracing ad-supported VOD and just are as likely to use A VOD as
ad-free SVOD services. Advertisers can reach gamers when they’re not gaming
with both in-stream ads and home-screen tile ads
Gaming Consoles are being used for more than gaming and are offering advertis-
ers more opportunities to connect with gamers outside their gaming sessions.
Nearly half of gamers are using their consoles to stream content through Netflix,
Hulu and other services—making home screen tile ads a prime opportunity to reach
gamers before they enter a non-ad-supported streaming environment.
Behind the Screens: Gamers in the age of streaming
77% 75%
48%
SVOD AVOD TVOD
Gamers Who Use Video Subscription and Ad Supported Video Services
None of the above
Rent / Buy movies
Watch live TV through my cable subscription
Stream content through Twitch
Watch movies from my library
Social Media (Facebook, Twitter and others
Browse the Internet
Stream content through YouTube
Stream content through Netflix, Hulu and other services. 48%
47%
37%
36%
36%
32%
29%
14%
28%
Focusing in on
Just as streamers are competing for gamers’ attention, so
too are game studios. There are only so many hours for
game play in a day so making games sticky to ensure
extended engagement is of primary importance. What
follows is an analysis of our Samsung Ads ACR data
describing three key gaming audience segments: New,
Lapsed, and Churned.
Understanding these gaming audiences is critical. We have
created benchmarks for these audiences against gamers
of the top 10 game titles within the Samsung ecosystem
during the 4th quarter of 2021. Because Lapsed and
Churned gamers have been inactive for 3 months or more,
the benchmarks for these segments represent the
opportunity for game studios over and above the active
user base during the quarter. Across the top 10 games,
re-engaging Lapsed gamers would increase the active
user base of a game by 69%. Re-activating Churned
gamers would add an additional 65% of the active user
base. T argeting these users with the appropriate message
represents an enormous opportunity.
Opportunistic audiences by segment across top 10 games
New gamers as a % of
quarterly active
gamers
48.7% 69.4% 65.2%
Increase to active user
base by re-engaging
Lapsed gamers
Increase to active user
base by re-activating
Churned gamers
Behind the Screens: Gamers in the age of streaming
New gamers
Gamers who are
using a game that
they haven’t
played previously.
Key Samsung gaming
audience segments
Lapsed gamers
Gamers who have
played a title within the
past 3 months but
haven’t returned. This
lapsed segment is key
to game publishers
because beyond a
3-month window, a
gamer is unlikely to
return as an active
player.
Churned gamers
Gamers who played
a title 4 months prior
but haven’t returned.
Source: Samsung Ads, Proprietary ACR Analytics US Only 2021. 10
18%
Reaching these gaming audiences effectively requires an understanding of their TV
viewership. We used our data to detail viewership of each of these segments across
some of the top 10 game titles in our analysis.
Platform viewership
TV usage time by daypart
Streaming viewership
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New gamers — sports genre
New gamers become heavily involved in gaming and spend more of their time with
their game console than with other TV content, particularly during daytime and
Primetime hours.
These gamers are an important segment who have just started their experience.
Messaging should be frequent in order to keep the gamer engaged.
Behind the Screens: Gamers in the age of streaming
82%
Mostly streamers
Index to overall
gamers: 98
Mostly linears % of audience
AVO D 71%
SVOD 70%
Viewing time/day
1hr:15mins
1hr:16mins
Index to overall
gamers: 113
Breakfast Daytime National
Prime Time
Late Nights Overnight
Streaming Game console Linear
Source: Samsung Ads, Proprietary ACR Analytics US Only 2021.
Lapsed gamers— first person shooter genre (A)
Lapsed gamers of this first-person shooter title shift more of their viewing to linear
compared to overall gamers but are more likely to be found streaming across all
dayparts. These gamers are at risk of churning. Messaging should focus on new
game features and updated game content.
Behind the Screens: Gamers in the age of streaming
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Breakfast Daytime National
Prime Time
Late Nights Overnight
Streaming Game console Linear
Source: Samsung Ads, Proprietary ACR Analytics US Only 2021.
TV usage time by daypart
23%
Platform viewership Streaming viewership
77%
Mostly streamers
Index to overall
gamers: 92
Mostly linears % of audience
AVO D 70%
SVOD 71%
Viewing time/day
1hr:16mins
1hr:21mins
Index to overall
gamers: 144
Churned gamers— first person shooter genre (B)
Those that have churned from this first-person shooter title split their TV time
consistently throughout the day with streaming and game play clearly a
preference over linear. These gamers have moved on to other titles or activities.
Messaging should focus on win-back strategies highlighting what engaged
these gamers initially.
Behind the Screens: Gamers in the age of streaming
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Breakfast Daytime National
Prime Time
Late Nights Overnight
Streaming Game console Linear
Source: Samsung Ads, Proprietary ACR Analytics US Only 2021.
TV usage time by daypart
17%
Platform viewership Streaming viewership
83%
Mostly streamers
Index to overall
gamers: 99
Mostly linears % of audience
AVO D 73%
SVOD 73%
Viewing time/day
1hr:22mins
1hr:25mins
Index to overall
gamers: 106
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What you
Behind the Screens: Gamers in the age of streaming
Gamers are more likely to stream than the
overall Samsung universe.
Gamers are embracing ad-supported
streaming (A VOD).
Marketers must balance their plans
across both linear and streaming to
capture gamers where they are viewing
content.
Marketers must include video ads in A VOD
environments to effectively reach gamers
when they take a break from gaming.
Gamers who have not engaged with
a particular title in 3+ months have
moved on and rarely return.
Game publishers must understand the
mix of new, lapsed, and churned gamers
to tailor messaging to each segment
and maximize their active gamer base.
Next-Gen Console gamers are spending
notably more time with their consoles
than previous generations.
Marketers must adjust their strategies and
look for innovative solutions to reach
gamers in and out of the gaming console
environment. Home screen tile ads are an
ideal way to reach gamers just before and
after their game play.
Gamer behavior Implications
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Gamers on the
Samsung platform
Audience Profile
Behind the Screens: Gamers in the age of streaming
Source: 2021 Doublebase GfK MRI weighted to Population (000) – Indexed to Overall Population,
Base: Samsung Smart TV Owner and Heavy/Medium Video Game Player.
more likely to be the
decision maker for an
auto purchase or lease
in the last 12-months
more likely to have
4 credit cards
more likely to be a
New T echnology
Super Influencer
more likely to completely
agree with the statement “I
think of my cell phone as a
source of entertainment”
more likely to be
a sports enthusiast
more likely to travel
domestically with
friends
more likely to dine 12+
times at fast food or
drive-in restaurants in the
last 30 days
more likely to agree with
the statement “Getting
exactly what I want is
more important than the
price of an item”
How Samsung Ads
can help
We work with partners to leverage our exclusive Samsung data, insights, and advertising
solutions to reach the right audience and measure attribution for your media investments.
Advanced Gamer T argeting
We can target by console, by genre and by franchise. We can reach new, active, lapsed, and
churned Gamers throughout a game’s lifecycle. We can suppress and re-target exposed
players. We can do this from the moment someone turns on their TV and as they enter their
gaming session.
Enhanced Audience T argeting
With our ability to capture real-time TV and Gaming behaviors from Smart TVs, mobile, and
connected devices, we can combine additional targeting layers based on viewership, device
and app usage, and CRM customer data.
Samsung Advertising Solutions
We work with partners to reach gamers through brand-safe advertising solutions across CTV,
mobile, PC, and Samsung’s exclusive native ad experiences on Smart TV & Galaxy devices.
This enables advertisers to reach gamers in streaming and contextually relevant
environments within A VOD apps including our FAST service, Samsung TV Plus, and throughout
the Samsung household as consumers consider their next gaming experience.
Exclusive Analytics & Insights
Unique insights are derived from Samsung’s deterministic data at the device level so we can
measure engagement and gameplay attribution for advertising campaigns. We utilize this to
complement your existing linear TV and OTT strategy to drive incremental reach and
gameplay conversions as well as provide insights into your audiences' cross device behaviors.
Samsung Cloud Gaming on Smart TV
In Summer 2022, Samsung launched the first ever Gaming Hub on all new Samsung Smart TVs.
Samsung Gaming Hub is the new home for gaming on your Samsung Smart TV. It offers
consumers the ability to play the biggest games from your preferred gaming platform —
consoles or other top cloud gaming services such as Xbox Game Pass. The Samsung Gaming
Hub is a new exclusive opportunity for advertisers to reach gamers in a premium environment
on Samsung Smart TVs.
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Behind the Screens: Gamers in the age of streaming
About Samsung Ads
Samsung Ads is an advertising
ecosystem spanning hundreds of millions
of smart devices across TV, mobile, and
desktop. With the largest single source of
TV data in the market, we not only have
more, we have double the TV data scale
of the next largest competitor. Our
unrivaled understanding of consumers,
powered by exclusive Samsung data and
insights, drives more engagement and
delivers more results. With Samsung Ads,
advertisers can achieve reach, scale, and
precision in every connected moment.
Get in touch at adsales@samsung.com.
Behind the Screens: Gamers in the age of streaming
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