Any fool can know, the point is to understand

Einstein once said, “Any fool can know. The point is to understand.” If you’re reading this, you’re likely already aware that the media landscape is more complex than ever—but you’re here to understand it, not just know about it. The role of media planners, insight specialists, and strategists revolves around making sense of complex datasets, understanding the people behind the platforms, and ultimately, turning chaos into clarity. Easier said than done, right? With every new platform and buzzword, it’s tempting to get lost in the noise about “dying media types” or “the next big thing.” Thankfully, the annual IPA TouchPoints dataset cuts through that noise, offering a reliable single source of truth.

So, what is the truth?

Commercial Media isn’t going anywhere

When subscription-based services first surged, many predicted the decline of commercial medias share within total media. Surprisingly, though, commercial ad-funded channels still command a whopping 64% of time spent with curated media – just a slight drop from 66% in 2015. And guess what? For 16-34 year olds, this increases to 67%, debunking the myth that younger audiences are unreachable through advertising. They’re out there – you just need to know where to look.

Video still dominates

Our appetite for video content is as strong as ever. When you include all video properties, social media, and functional internet, video accounts for 82% of a person’s media day—virtually unchanged from 81% in 2015. Maybe a surprise to some, but commercial TV (live/recorded/BVOD) remains the second strongest medium for reach and time spent, second only to out-of-home. What sets premium TV apart is the coveted mutual viewing experience, engagement and high-quality content that viewers and advertisers love and talk about. Yes, there’s more fragmentation in the video space, with a shift toward digital platforms and new technologies. While it can be daunting and add complexity, this shift actually creates opportunities for broadcasters, especially those with quality data. Media companies are expanding their distribution strategies to meet audiences wherever and whenever they want to watch. Take Sky Sports, for example—publishing exclusive Premier League highlight clips on YouTube hasn’t just engaged new audiences; it also fuelled the most-viewed season on linear TV outside of lockdown. As media owners, our job is to connect these screens using quality first-party data, ensuring brands achieve quality reach and optimal outcomes.

Context matters

Datasets like TouchPoints are crucial because they provide a fair, accurate comparison of different media channels, forming a solid foundation for understanding behavioural trends. But remember — one size doesn’t fit all. For instance, numerous studies show that professionally made content significantly outperforms user-generated clips in terms of trust, ad recall, and attention rates. There are also genre-specific nuances to consider. On Sky Atlantic, 78% of viewing comes from VOD, while News and Sports are watched live 99% of the time.

In a previous edition of this report, Les Binet remarked, “The more information we have at our fingertips, the less we seem to understand what’s going on.” That was five years ago, and now the information pool is even larger. The role of media is to decipher how to deliver the right message in the right environment. The IPA TouchPoints dataset is an invaluable tool in this ongoing mission, providing a solid base of understanding to navigate today’s complex media landscape.

Rebecca Slack is Insight & Measurement Controller at Sky Media

The opinions expressed here are those of the authors and were submitted in accordance with the IPA terms and conditions regarding the uploading and contribution of content to the IPA newsletters, IPA website, or other IPA media, and should not be interpreted as representing the opinion of the IPA.