ExtremeReach Video Ad Impressions by Length Mar2021

Source: www.marketingcharts.com, March 2021


It wasn’t too many years ago that 15-second ads comprised the largest share of video ad impressions. Now, 30-second ads account for about 4 in 5 video ad impressions, per a report [download page] from Extreme Reach.

Back in 2017, 15-second ads accounted for the majority (62%) of video ad impressions, while 30-second ads only accounted for one-third. However, the scales tipped in favor of 30-second ads in 2018 and by 2020, 15-second ads only accounted for one-fifth (21%) of video ad impressions, compared to the 79% accounted for by 30-second ads.

The average time spent viewing video ads has remained steady over the past 4 years. The average time spent with 30-second ads in 2020 was 26 seconds, while viewers stayed with 15-second ads for an average of 13 seconds.

As far as devices are concerned, CTV appears to account for the largest share (38%) of video ad impressions in 2020. However, although the report now breaks up impressions on mobile between mobile in-app and web, when those two categories are added together, they account for a near equal share (39%) of impressions. This also highlights the growth in the share of impressions for mobile over 2019.

When it comes to the average video completion rate (VCR), 2020 witnessed this metric drop overall, going from 89% in 2019 to 80% in 2020 — the lowest it’s been since 2017, when the average VCR was 70%. As in years past, VCR is highest among premium publishers (88%) in comparison to media aggregators (69%) – and the shift in impressions last year to media aggregators likely influenced the overall VCR.

Furthermore, while VCR is relatively consistent between 15-second (81%) and 30-second (80%) ads, this rate is higher on CTV (95%) than on mobile apps (74%) and the mobile web (67%).

To read more, the full report can be found here.

About the Data: Findings are based on the aggregate performance metrics for impressions served from AdBridge™, Extreme Reach’s video-first asset management platform for marketing creatives.