Key stat: TV ads drive purchase behavior for 49% of consumers, making them the most effective channel, even though 36% find them disruptive, according to a January report from DISQO.

Beyond the chart:

• TV's effectiveness has some science behind it. Across generations, 43% of US adults say TV is the most acceptable place for advertising, according to Tenetic and CivicScience, and linear TV boosts purchase intent by 9.6%, outpacing lifts on CTV and digital.
• Meanwhile, social media's purchase-driving power is growing beyond the scroll. Some 34% of US TV viewers have bought merchandise inspired by a show, and 31% have shopped using QR codes or links during a show, according to Horowitz Research, suggesting the line between TV viewing and social commerce is collapsing.

Use this chart: Drop this in your next media planning meeting to make the case for TV investment. Show clients that disruptiveness and effectiveness aren't mutually exclusive, and use the channel comparison to benchmark where social, web, and podcast ads fall on both dimensions.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• Digital Video Forecast and Trends Q1 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)
• Digital Advertising Trends to Watch in 2026(EMARKETER subscription required)

Methodology: Data is from the January 2026 DISQO report titled "Consumer Trends 2026." More than 3,000 US consumers were surveyed during the fourth quarter of 2025. Quotas were used to achieve a representative sample by gender, age, and income.

We prepared this article with the assistance of generative AI tools and stand behind its accuracy, quality, and originality.