The Top CTV Shows in September 2021

Throughout 2021 marketers and advertisers have put an emphasis on figuring out CTV advertising - how to measure it, the formats that work, opportunities for product placements on SVOD programming, the AVOD apps that deliver engaged audiences, and how to balance CTV ads with existing linear TV plans. 

Meanwhile, streaming providers are looking for ways to understand their overall performance, given most of the major competitors are less than transparent with their own viewership and engagement data. Figuring out which content drives engagement with the app, keeps subscribers tuned in, and captures new audiences is critical.

TVision’s clients are keyed into several important metrics, which we feature here: Share of Time Spent, Attention, Co-Viewing, and Bingeing. We highlight the top five shows in each of these categories below, but if you want to find out which shows made the top 10, click the links for "See the Full List" in each section.

A few dependable patterns have emerged over time - Netflix regularly puts five or more programs in the top ten for share of time spent, family-friendly programming at Disney+ dominates co-viewing, and well-promoted, high-quality programming captures viewer attention on streaming.

Top CTV Programs, by Share Time of Spent

Share of Time Spent ranks shows by the proportion of time viewers spent tuned to the content. For this report, we are specifically looking at time spent with new, original, episodic CTV programming.

Our Share of Time Spent is a good indicator of the overall popularity of a show, and that’s why it’s no surprise to see Netflix’s mega-hit “Squid Game” on the list. The show took off in September, but we expect to see it capture an even bigger share of time spent when we report next month. Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror also capture a large share of time spent, in the month, as Americans reflected on this major historical event. 

See Full List
Turning Point 911

Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror (S1)

Squid Game

Squid Game (S1)

Only Murders in the Building (S1).jpg

Only Murders in the Building (S1)

Nine Perfect Strangers (S1).jpg

Nine Perfect Strangers (S1)

Ted Lasso (S2)

Ted Lasso (S2)

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Top CTV Programs, by Co-Viewing Rate

Co-Viewing Rate refers to the number of episode views with more than one person in front of the screen.

Disney+ routinely delivers on co-viewing, which we define as more than one person in the room to view the show when it airs. In September 202, “Chicken Squad”, “Turner and Hooch” and “Monsters at Work” had people watching together most often. Those three Disney shows were joined by a regular darling on our lists, AppleTV’s Ted Lasso, which placed season 1 and season 2 on our Top 5. 

See Full List
Chicken Squad (S1).jpg

Chicken Squad (S1)

Turner & Hooch

Turner & Hooch (S1)

Ted Lasso (S1)

Ted Lasso (S1)

Monsters at Work

Monsters At Work (S1)

Ted Lasso (S2)

Ted Lasso (S2)

Top CTV Programs, by Binge Rate

Binge Rate measures the percentage of episode views where the viewer has watched 3 or more episodes in a single session.

Everyone loves a good binge-worthy new program. Our binge rate identifies the shows which are viewed most often as part of a binge session, meaning three or more episodes were viewed in a single sitting. Cowboys and Zombies topped our lists in September 2021. 

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How to Be a Cowboy (S1).jpg

How to Be a Cowboy (S1)

S.O.Z. Soldiers or Zombies (S1).jpg

S.O.Z. Soldiers or Zombies (S1)

Car Master

Car Masters: Rust to Riches (S3)

Luke Bryan My Dirt Road Diary (S1).jpg

Luke Bryan: My Dirt Road Diary (S1)

Titletown High

Titletown High (S1)

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Top CTV Programs, by Attention Index

Attention Index measures how effectively a specific program keeps a viewer’s eyes on the TV screen while the viewer is in the room with the TV on. These were the top Streaming shows for Attention this month.

Attention to visible measures how attentive viewers are while in the room when content is being streamed. The list of top CTV shows for Attention in September 2021 is a who’s who of top quality content, and a few surprises that are driving high engagement from dedicated fans. 

The action-packed, edge-of-your-seat intrigue of the thriller “Hit and Run” on Netflix had viewers engaged best in September. The highly promoted “Reservoir Dogs” and “Only Murders in the Building” on Hulu also captured attention. Emmy darling Ted Lasso on Apple TV also engaged viewers.

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Top CTV Programs, by Attention Index
Hit & Run (S1).jpg

Hit & Run (S1)

Reservation Dogs (S1).jpg

Reservation Dogs (S1)

Gone for Good (S1).jpg

Gone for Good (S1)

TITANS

Titans (S3)

The White Lotus (1)

The White Lotus (S1)

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The TV and CTV Attention Report