Online Video Breaks Ad, Viewer Records
- by Gavin O'Malley @mp_gavin, July 18, 2012
While Google and YouTube continue to rule video advertising, a group of properties have come to underpin the broader marketplace.
Indeed, each of the top five video ad
properties, including BrightRoll, Hulu, Adap.tv, and TubeMogul, as well as YouTube, delivered more than 1 billion video ads last month, according to the new data from comScore.
Following Google’s prized property -- which ranked first with 1.41 billion ads -- the BrightRoll Video Network accounted for nearly 1.39 billion ads; Hulu was responsible for 1.33 billion ads;
Adap.tv chalked up 1.15 billion ads; while the TubeMogul Video Ad Platform recorded 1.04 billion ads.
Continuing to break records, more than 180 million U.S. Web users viewed 33
billion pieces of video content -- and 11 billion ads -- in June, according to comScore.
Driven primarily by video viewing at YouTube.com, Google sites ranked as the top online video
content property in June with 154 million unique viewers, followed by Yahoo Sites with 51 million, Facebook.com with 49 million, VEVO with 46 million and Viacom Digital with 39 million.
Last month, time spent watching video ads totaled 4.6 billion minutes, with BrightRoll Video Network delivering the highest duration of video ads at 805 million minutes.
Overall,
video ads reached 53% of the total U.S. population an average of 68 times during the month.
Hulu, for its part, delivered the highest frequency of video ads to its viewers with an
average of 52, while ESPN delivered an average of 34 ads per viewer.
Looking specifically at YouTube’s partners, video music channel Vevo attracted 45.1 million viewers, while
Warner Music drew 26.1 million viewers.
Trailing both, gaming channel Machinima ranked third with 23.6 million viewers, followed by Maker Studios with 21.2 million and FullScreen with
16.2 million.
Among the top 10 YouTube partners, Machinima demonstrated the highest engagement -- 76 minutes per viewer -- followed by Vevo -- 50 minutes per viewer.
Among all YouTube partners, Vevo streamed the most videos -- 567 million -- followed by Machinima -- 447 million.
"Overall, video ads reached 53% of the total U.S. population an average of 68 times during the month."---------------
So, half the country saw two ads a day? BFD.
Darrin, don't forget that the data relates to video ads being served (i.e. the start of a stream - were they all completed?). Also, server-side metrics assume that content served is (i) to the active browser (many people use multiple browsers) (ii) that the page that it was served to was the active tab in the active browser (iii) that it was served in the viewable portion of that screen, and (iv) that an person was at that computer (auto-play anyone?). So Darrin, the 'real' viewership rate (both the reach and the frequency) was probably some degree lower.
In 1955, roughly 60% of homes had a TV set. But in 1954 TV advertising exceeded Print and Radio.
This is a BFD for a variety of reasons, because primarily it indicates digital video is reaching critical mass.
Another, and more interesting, point is that it is taking online video revenues longer to grow from its point of introduction than it took TV. We have had online video, in some form, for at least 13 years. It took TV 13 years from the first Bulova ad to become the dominant advertising tool.
As impressed as we are with how quickly digital and video have 'grown up', we still have to consider that the fractured market, the ability to find outlets for advertising revenue, have slowed and reduced digital video's role as a major advertising tool, comparatively speaking.
Growth in this category will also be driven by innovative video units developed specifically for mid and long tail passion point websites that primarily feature text rather than video editorial content. Video ads on traditional "non-video" sites and mobile platforms are going to be part of solution for brands looking to connect with their target demographic.
Griffin Davis
VP Marketing- AdExcite/Q1Media