Ad tech platform provider Freewheel has released research showing a premium video marketplace where companies are redefining ad loads and a marked decrease in the number of ads included within breaks over the last seven years.
Now in its second year, the latest edition of The Delicate Art of Balancing Ad Load report explores premium video ad load for the first half of 2022 in Europe.
Among the key findings were that overall, European audiences viewed ads on a selection of screens and devices such as set-top-box VOD (30%), mobile (29%), CTV (26%), and desktop (15%). Nearly four-fifths of ad views occurred on premium VOD, with 68% of VOD ad views taking place within long-form content. The report also found a significant uptick in ad views on live TV (20%), up from 10% in 2020.
Between 2016 and 2022, the number of ads per ad break has dropped by 40% while ad completion rates for long- and mid-form content stood at an unparalleled 94%. Long-form premium video-on-demand now accounts for almost 80% of ad views and ad views for live have risen 10% since 2020.
Since 2016, the number of ads included within an ad break has decreased, dipping from an average of approximately five to three. The ad break duration has also decreased slightly, in particular for mid-form. Meanwhile, the report found that this measure typically spanned 52–90 seconds for long-form content; 42–83 seconds for mid-form content; and 18–27 seconds for short-form content.
Looking further, FreeWheel noted that premium video environments were delivering impact. In addition to the strong performance for long- and mid-form content, short-form content achieved a rate of 80%. In the research, a 70% completion rate is considered “good” for online video advertising. Less than a quarter of viewing interruptions happened during the ad, meaning drop-offs mainly take place in the content instead.
“As the television ad landscape continues to evolve and viewership habits shift, we need to prioritise and pay even more attention to protecting and ensuring a quality viewer experience, and ad load is a critical component of that,” commented FreeWheel general manager Mark McKee. “As you can see from these report findings, consumers really value and appreciate a quality, premium ad environment, and we need to keep this in mind as we continue to innovate and drive the industry forward.”
Among the key findings were that overall, European audiences viewed ads on a selection of screens and devices such as set-top-box VOD (30%), mobile (29%), CTV (26%), and desktop (15%). Nearly four-fifths of ad views occurred on premium VOD, with 68% of VOD ad views taking place within long-form content. The report also found a significant uptick in ad views on live TV (20%), up from 10% in 2020.
Between 2016 and 2022, the number of ads per ad break has dropped by 40% while ad completion rates for long- and mid-form content stood at an unparalleled 94%. Long-form premium video-on-demand now accounts for almost 80% of ad views and ad views for live have risen 10% since 2020.
Since 2016, the number of ads included within an ad break has decreased, dipping from an average of approximately five to three. The ad break duration has also decreased slightly, in particular for mid-form. Meanwhile, the report found that this measure typically spanned 52–90 seconds for long-form content; 42–83 seconds for mid-form content; and 18–27 seconds for short-form content.
Looking further, FreeWheel noted that premium video environments were delivering impact. In addition to the strong performance for long- and mid-form content, short-form content achieved a rate of 80%. In the research, a 70% completion rate is considered “good” for online video advertising. Less than a quarter of viewing interruptions happened during the ad, meaning drop-offs mainly take place in the content instead.
“As the television ad landscape continues to evolve and viewership habits shift, we need to prioritise and pay even more attention to protecting and ensuring a quality viewer experience, and ad load is a critical component of that,” commented FreeWheel general manager Mark McKee. “As you can see from these report findings, consumers really value and appreciate a quality, premium ad environment, and we need to keep this in mind as we continue to innovate and drive the industry forward.”
