Discover how real-world TV data from over 70 million Samsung Smart TVs across Europe is redefining what effective reach, frequency and attention look like in a fragmented, app‑driven TV ecosystem.

TV viewing has fundamentally changed, but most media plans have not. Built on first‑party insights from more than 70 million Samsung Smart TVs in Europe and custom consumer research, Samsung Ads’ Behind the Screens 2026 reveals how fragmentation has become the new normal – and why viewers now experience CTV as one continuous journey across multiple apps, all radiating from the home screen. The report shows that viewers use an average of five apps per household with younger audiences using 21% more apps than average as they follow content rather than platforms.

Behind the Screens 2026 uncovers how no single environment can now capture the total TV audience: while 24% of Samsung TVs account for 81% of all linear viewing, 27% of TVs stream and never watch linear at all. It also highlights the rise of the home screen as a critical discovery moment accessed more than five times per day, with nearly nine in ten viewers using it to decide what to watch next – turning it into a powerful, under‑leveraged moment of influence for brands.

What you will learn

A data‑driven view of today’s “fluid viewer”

How app‑hopping behaviour reshapes reach and frequency across linear, streaming and gaming environments.

Why the home screen is now a primary moment of influence

Evidence of how often viewers return to the home screen and how it shapes what they watch next.

How fragmentation is rewriting audience strategy

Insights into how younger and heavier streamers spread attention across subscriptions, free ad‑supported platforms and gaming – and what that means for campaign planning.

The hidden opportunity in gaming audiences

New findings on why gamers are 88% more likely than average to follow home screen recommendations and 135% more likely to look up products they see in TV ads.

Practical ways to plan holistically with Samsung Ads

How solutions like TotalView™ help advertisers understand true reach across linear and streaming and invest with greater precision in a complex TV ecosystem.