Connected TV and set-top video ad views rise as desktop declines

Premium video ad views in Europe increased by 10% year-on-year in Q3 2019. driving advertiser investment in connected TV and mobile platforms, according to a report by ad technology outfit FreeWheel, which also found that targeting was on the up.

According to Comcast-owned FreeWheel’s Video Marketplace Report, combined connected TV and set-top viewing accounted for 43% of ad views overall, with set-top boxes’ share of ad viewing increasing by 28% year-on-year.

Mobile was also popular, accounting for 34% of ad viewers, while the share of premium video ads viewed on desktops fell by 15% year-on-year to 15%.

The report found that targeted ad views increased 54% year-on-year, with completion rates for viewing such ad 74% higher than non-targeted commercials.

Other findings from the report include that the majority of ads are executed through direct deals with direct deals’ share of ad views increasing 32% year-on-year to 85%, and that the olume of video ads viewed on distributor, rather than publisher, platforms increased 18% year-on-year, with distributor share of ad views reaching 84%

Thomas Bremond, general manager, international, FreeWheel, said: “As Nielsen’s GM, Kelly Abcarian recently said, measurement is a team sport, so it’s fantastic to see collaboration between commercial competitors driving the progress of addressable TV and the continued expansion of premium video. Adoption of ATSC 3.0 and HbbTV 2.0 is still relatively low, but ultimately these new standards will enable advertisers to execute addressable advertising at device or household level more effectively than ever before.”