Internet Video Ads Skyrocket, Hulu Runs 1 Billion

by Wayne Friedman , July 15, 2011

Internet video ads keep growing.

Some 5.3 billion video ads were viewed in June -- 15% more than in May which had 4.6 billion, per comScore Video Metrix.

Video online commercials reached 49.2% of the U.S. population in June, up from 45.4% in May. Total ad minutes climbed to 2.3 billion from 2.01 billion. Video ads per viewer rose to 38.8 from 33.7 a month before.

Looking at the video ad networks, Tremor Media Video Network was first with 753 million ads (and in second place overall to Hulu, which had 1 billion). Other video ad networks: BrightRoll Video Network had 629 million. Specific Media was at 422 million, Undertone was at 322 million, and SpotXchange video ad network was at 282 million.

Ad exchange Adap.tv bested all other exchanges at 678 million, according comScore. In terms of reach for the total U.S. population, Tremor Media was 44.3%, BrightRoll Video Network, 38.5% and Break Media, 37.6%.

Video ads surveyed include streaming-video advertising only and other types of video monetization such as overlays, branded players, matching banner ads, home page ads, etc.

The digital research company says time spent watching video ads totaled more than 2.2 billion minutes during the month, with Tremor Media Video Network delivering the longest duration of video ads -- 429 million minutes.

Video ads reached 49% of the total U.S. population an average of 35.6 times during the month. Hulu had the highest frequency of video ads to its viewers with an average of 38.8 over the course of the month.

advertising, streaming, video

3 comments about "Internet Video Ads Skyrocket, Hulu Runs 1 Billion".

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Jeff Einstein from The Brothers Einstein, July 18, 2011 at 10:54 a.m.
Advertising nowadays -- both on and offline -- is like the proverbial tree that falls in the forest when no one is around to hear it.
Just because 5.3 billion online video ads were delivered in June hardly means 5.3 billion online video ads were viewed. What it more likely means is that .3 million online video ads were viewed while 5 billion online video ads were served but thoroughly ignored.
Life just isn't fair. Both TV and online video deploy the same failing advertising-as-intermediary model, yet TV CPMs continue to rise while online video CPMs continue to tank, despite the rapid erosion of TV reach and the equally rapid growth of online inventory. The reason for the persistent discrepancy is simple: TV can still deliver a modicum of scalable reach -- the only non-discretionary line item in any big brand spend -- while digital can't.
The online folks made their digital beds way back in the mid-1990s when they foolishly declared the presumed ability to target the audience to be somehow more important and valuable to big advertisers than the proven ability to reach the audience. The same self-defeating declaration explains why digital branding spends remain just a miserly fraction of their TV counterparts today, a full generation later.
Predictably, performance is the industry red herring while scalable reach remains the real objective -- at least if the media sales numbers are any indication.
That said, online video already has the innate ability and platform to deliver scalable brand reach that readily eclipses primetime network TV. We just have to get out of our own way and realize first and foremost that the very same advertising-as-intermediary model that currently earns more for less on TV will continue to earn less for more online. Neither serves the advertisers anymore. Time for a working alternative...
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Jeff Lekieffre from Casale Media, July 18, 2011 at 10:05 p.m.

Small detail: comScore's "video ads "do NOT include other
types of video monetization, such as overlays etc."

Adam Schorr from Self, July 21, 2011 at 3:04 p.m.

"Time for a working alternative... ". Please continue, Jeff!