When someone turns on the TV in Mexico, they are most likely not watching cable, but a streaming app. Today, 84% of the time people spend in front of their screens goes to streaming platforms, with only 16% left for traditional linear TVaccording to recent data from Samsung and IAB Mexico. This completely changes the rules of the game for advertising: if your brand isn't on Streaming TV, it's essentially speaking on a channel that almost no one is listening to anymore.
From cable to streaming: this is what TV looks like in Mexico today
The shift isn't just in the platform, but also in the device. A large portion of Mexicans now watch content on connected TVs (CTV), using Smart TVs and devices like sticks or boxes. In fact, 67% of people in Mexico enjoy content through CTV devices, and within that segment, Smart TVs dominate with a 93% shareaccording to Comscore. The living room remains the center of entertainment, only now the signal arrives via the internet.
For brands, this means that “TV” is no longer just channel 2 or 7, but Netflix, Pluto TV, Roku Channel, channel apps, and many other platforms where the user chooses what to watch and when to watch it. And they watch it at their leisure, kicked back on the couch, without scrolling as much as they do on their phones. It’s the perfect context to capture high-quality attention, if leveraged correctly.
What does this mean for your brand?
This change in habits forces a rethink of the media mix. Investing only in social media and search engines leaves out a key moment: the home’s big screen, where many family decisions are made. At the same time, it no longer makes sense to think of TV as a channel reserved for giant brands with million-dollar budgets. With Streaming TV and CTV, any business can appear on their ideal customer’s connected TV, in their city, and with a tailored message.
- Your customer’s living room is now also a highly segmentable digital space.
- Big-screen video builds brand and trust faster than many smaller formats.
- Measurement has moved from “estimated ratings” to real-time metrics very similar to those of digital marketing.
Why Streaming TV is so powerful for brands
Advertising on Streaming TV combines the best of both worlds: the visual and emotional impact of television with the precision and measurement of digital marketing. It’s no longer just about “being on TV,” but about reaching the right people at the right time and knowing exactly how well the campaign performed.
A key fact: 84% of connected TV users in Mexico have taken at least one action after seeing an ad while consuming streaming contentaccording to a recent study on CTV in the countryThis action can range from searching for the brand online, visiting the website, downloading an app, or even making a purchase. In other words, people do respond to CTV ads when the message is relevant.
- Greater attention: on connected TV, there is less noise than in a mobile feed, and users are generally more willing to watch content in its entirety.
- Better brand recall: the full-screen video format boosts recall and associates the brand with a moment of entertainment.
- Granular targeting: you no longer buy a channel; you buy an audience based on city, interests, content consumption habits, and more.
- Clear measurement: impressions, completed views, frequency, reach, devices… all with real-time data.
Advantages over traditional digital advertising
Streaming TV doesn't compete with your social media and search campaigns; it complements them. While social media ads focus on quick interaction and direct performance, CTV helps build brand awareness, trust, and consideration. When users see your ad on TV, they perceive you as more established and professional, making them more likely to click on your digital campaigns later.
For an SMB, this is key: a 15 or 30-second spot on Streaming TV can accelerate results across the entire marketing funnel. It not only generates brand searches but also improves CTR and conversion rates for other channels, because the user already recognizes you when they encounter you online again.
Key streaming trends in Mexico you need to know
The Mexican streaming market is not only large, but it is also growing. Subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) subscriptions reached 14.3 million by the end of 2024, with a 6.3% annual increase in these subscriptionsaccording to industry figures. This means more connected screens, more active profiles, and more inventory available for ads.
Consumption is also accelerating. During the first seven months of 2024, streaming content viewership in Mexico grew by 26.7%according to the report “Digital Marketing Trends Impacted by Technology and Data”. It’s not just that there are more accounts; it’s that they are being used for more hours each day. For a brand, this translates into more opportunities to appear in front of users without saturating them, by playing with frequency, schedules, and different contexts.
Even the giants of traditional broadcast TV in Mexico, such as Televisa and TV Azteca, are adjusting how they measure and sell audiences to adapt to the streaming business model. This confirms that the center of gravity for audiovisual advertising is shifting toward digital, even if it is still being watched on the same screen as always.
The role of Connected TV (CTV)
CTV is the bridge between "traditional TV" and the digital ecosystem. Technically, it is any TV connected to the internet, whether it is a Smart TV or has a device connected to it (Roku, console, etc.). For you, the advantage is that you can place video ads exclusively on large screens, rather than mixing everything with mobile and desktop, allowing you to better control the brand experience.
Furthermore, with CTV you can apply strategies that were previously only used in digital: A/B testing of creatives, geographic segmentation by state or city, real-time budget adjustments, and performance-based optimization. This combination makes television accessible and strategic again, rather than just aspirational.
How to build an effective Streaming TV advertising strategy
Before uploading your first spot, it is worth grounding yourself in a simple strategy. It doesn't have to be a massive document, but it should answer three basic questions: What business goal do you want to move? Who do you want to reach? What do you want people to do after seeing your ad? The answers to these three things will set the tone of the message, the segmentation, and the budget.
A practical framework for your Streaming TV plan could be:
- Objective: brand awareness, website traffic generation, app downloads, store visits, etc.
- Audience: define location (country, state, city), estimated age range, interests, and type of content consumed.
- Message: a clear central idea, with a concrete benefit and a simple call to action.
- Format: duration (15, 20, or 30 seconds), style (emotional, demonstrative, testimonial, offer).
- Success metric: completed views, reach, site visits, brand searches, or attributable sales.
Smart segmentation in Streaming TV
The great value of Streaming TV lies in segmentation. It is no longer about "buying national prime time," but about deciding which states or cities you are interested in appearing in, what type of content you want your message associated with, and which interests are most likely in your ideal customer. Platforms like Masha allow you to segment by state, city, interests, and content consumption habits, so your ad doesn't get lost in overly general audiences.
A best practice is to combine segments: for example, focus only on two or three key cities where you have a physical presence, while simultaneously narrowing by interests (home and family, sports, healthy lifestyle, etc.). This way, your campaign maintains reach, but the probability of relevance is much higher and every view adds more value.
Streaming TV accessible for SMBs: using a self-service platform
For years, advertising on TV meant negotiations with networks, annual contracts, and budgets that only big brands could afford. That has changed. Today you can use a self-service platform like Masha to buy advertising on Streaming TV and CTV without intermediaries, register your account in less than five minutes, and launch a campaign in under 10 clicks. All with a simple interface, designed for those already accustomed to managing campaigns on social media or search engines.
The proposition is clear: no long-term contracts, no complex minimum investment requirements and with prices starting from $0.01 MXN per view. You pay only what you decide to invest, via credit card or bank transfer, and you control when to activate or pause your campaign. Plus, you see live metrics: impressions, completed views, cost per view, frequency, and breakdown by device. It is the logic of performance marketing, applied to the big screen.
- Sign up: Create your free Masha account in less than five minutes.
- Define your campaign: choose a name, objective, and dates.
- Upload your video: your spot in horizontal format, ideally 15 to 30 seconds long.
- Choose your audience: states or cities where you want to appear, interests, and viewing habits.
- Set your budget: decide how much you want to invest and let the platform optimize delivery.
- Launch and monitor: check metrics in real time and adjust creatives, targeting, or budget based on results.
Creative best practices for your ad
In Streaming TV, format is king: full-screen video, active audio, and a viewer leaning back, not hovering over a “skip” button. To take advantage of this context, it’s best to create agile, clear ads. Capturing attention in the first three seconds with a strong image, a direct question, or a relatable problem makes all the difference between being background noise and being remembered.
Some practical recommendations: show your logo and value proposition from the start, use subtitles if the message allows, avoid very small text, and end with a specific call to action: visit your site, scan a QR code, search for your brand, or book an appointment. Think about how you want the person to continue their journey after the TV: to their phone? To a physical location? To a landing page? The spot should push them exactly toward that next step.
How to get started with Streaming TV advertising today
If you’ve never invested in Streaming TV, it’s best to start with a controlled test: one or two cities, a single clear message, and a budget that allows you to accumulate enough views to gain insights. Something in your favor is that more than half of streaming platform users in Mexico have ad-supported or free accountsaccording to recent market studies. This means there is plenty of inventory available for ad campaigns, and users are already accustomed to seeing ads in these environments.
The key is not to think of it as an isolated channel, but as one more piece of your digital strategy. You can launch your Streaming TV campaign with Masha, coordinate the message with your ads on social media and search engines, and then measure if brand searches, direct traffic, and conversions increase. If you see an impact, scale your budget or expand to more cities; if not, adjust your creatives and targeting. And all without paperwork or endless calls with media agencies. Ready to appear on the TV where your audience actually is? Create your Masha account, advertise on Streaming TV in 10 clicks and take your brand to the big screen.
Take the leap into advertising innovation with Masha, your gateway to streaming TV advertising. Forget about massive budgets and the complexities of traditional TV ads. With Masha, you can start with as little as $2,000 MXN, with a cost per view starting at just $0.01. Sign up in under 5 minutes, choose your preferred streaming platforms, target your audience by location and interests, and track your campaign's success with real-time metrics. Ready to launch your first TV campaign? Masha is here to democratize TV advertising for SMEs in Mexico, proving that television isn't just for big brands.
