Key stat: TV ad reach among US adults ages 25 to 34 grew in all seven industries tracked, and every category topped 31 million viewers, up from just two above 30 million in June 2025, according to a June report from Samba TV.

Beyond the chart:

• Ad tiers help explain the gains. Nearly half of millennials (46%) and Gen Zers (49%) would watch twice as many ads in exchange for cheaper streaming subscriptions, according to Bango.
• Still, reaching viewers isn't the same as being remembered. 59% of consumers rarely or never remember the advertisers on shows they watch, according to Tenetic and CivicScience.

Use this chart: Drop this into your 2027 media plan to push back on writing off TV for younger viewers. Show it to brand leads in autos, insurance, and health and beauty, where reach grew 10% or more. Pair it with the recall stat to argue for better creative, not just more reach.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• Millennials 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)
• YouTube Takes Millennials 2026 on TV 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)

Methodology: Samba TV’s viewership data is derived by its proprietary Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) technology from tens of millions of voluntarily participating smart TVs. Integrated at the chipset level across 24 leading smart TV models sold in over 100 countries worldwide, Samba TV's ACR captures content displayed on the TV screen, regardless of source. Additionally, Samba TV analyzes this data to project household-level viewership, aligning with the US census across various age, gender, race/ethnicity, and household income. This ensures unbiased insights into US TV consumption.