New Video Marketplace Report from FreeWheel Shows Ad Views in 1H2020 Grew Over 32% Compared to the Same Time Last Year
October 15 2020 - 12:30PM
Business Wire
73% of ad views during the first half of the
year were on the big screen, as viewers were less mobile due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
Today, FreeWheel, A Comcast Company (Nasdaq: CMCSA), released
the latest edition of its U.S. Video Marketplace Report, an
industry benchmark report that explores viewership trends across
the industry. The latest report delves into the first half of 2020,
an incredibly unique six-month period for media consumption, given
the changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home
orders.
The report found that video viewing soared as consumers were
forced to hunker down at home. In fact, premium video ad views the
first half of 2020 grew over 32% compared to the same time last
year, driven by a 17% year-over-year increase in video views.
The first half of 2020 also revealed that, when at home,
Americans preferred the best viewing experience possible: “the big
screen.” As people were stuck inside during this unique period,
they turned to their television sets for entertainment and
information rather than their mobile devices. In the U.S., ad views
on set-top box (STB) and connected TV (CTV) comprised 73% of total
views during the six-month period. In fact, when compared to 2019,
ad views on CTV increased by 42%.
“In the first half of 2020, we observed that the lockdown
restrictions related to COVID-19 proved to be an accelerant for
changes among both audiences and advertisers,” said David Dworin,
Head of Advisory Services, FreeWheel. “Viewers are turning to
premium video more than ever, and, when given the choice, they are
choosing to watch it in a lean-back, engaged way on their
television sets. Despite a challenging year for the media industry,
the power and popularity of premium TV is as clear as ever, and we
expect this trend to continue even after the pandemic is behind
us.”
During this period, live viewing also showed no sign of slowing
down. The report revealed that live viewing grew +38% despite an
absence of sports, a phenomenon fueled particularly by interest in
news and the growth of free virtual channels. This finding again
proved that people still like the linear-like viewing experience –
even on digital platforms.
The data set used for FreeWheel’s Video Marketplace Report is
one of the largest available on the usage and monetization of
professional, rights-managed video content worldwide. The figures
are based on aggregated and anonymized advertising data collected
through the FreeWheel platform.
To read the full report, click here.
About FreeWheel FreeWheel, A Comcast Company, empowers
all segments of The New TV Ecosystem. We are structured to provide
the full breadth of solutions the advertising industry needs to
achieve their goals. We provide the technology, data enablement,
and convergent marketplaces required to ensure buyers and sellers
can transact across all screens, across all data types, and all
sales channels, in order to ensure the ultimate goal – results for
marketers.
With offices in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, London, Paris,
Beijing, and across the globe, FreeWheel, A Comcast Company, stands
to advocate for the entire industry through the FreeWheel Council
for Premium Video. For more information, please visit
freewheel.com, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
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Elaine Wong 929-388-9098 elaine_wong@comcast.com
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