• by Wayne Friedman , March 1, 2022

According to MediaRadar, the Paramount Global-owned platform had an average of 17 ads per show and 23.8 per hour.

The research did not reveal total advertising time per show or per hour. Linear TV network advertising/promotion time can run anywhere between 13 minutes and 17 minutes per hour of programming content.

Over the last several years, Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS) has posted some of the heaviest advertising loads among all major TV network groups when it comes to its linear TV channels.

NBCUniversal’s Peacock comes in with lowest streaming ad messages, at 4.6 ads per show and 8.7 commercials per hour.

HBO Max runs a close second -- with 4.4 ads per show and 9.3 ads per hour.

Discovery+ comes in at 7.2 ads per show and 12.0 ads per hour. Hulu is next for its original content -- at 7.4 ads per show and 12.0 ads per hour. Library-licensed programming content on Hulu comes in at 10.1 ads per show and 13.8 ads per hour.

MediaRadar noted that almost all ads running on any of the services' advertising options are either 15  or 30 seconds long. For example, two-thirds of Peacock and Hulu commercials are 30-seconds long, while one third are of 15-second durations. Discovery is at 50-50 for 15- and 30-second ads.

HBO Max has some of the shortest-duration commercials. Nearly half of its ad are 15 seconds long, while one-third are 30 seconds long; and the remaining are five to 10 seconds in length.

Premium video streaming advertising spending in 2021 grew to $1.3 billion in 2021, with Discovery+, HBO Max, Hulu, Paramount+, and Peacock accounting for the bulk share of those ad dollars.

In the fourth quarter, Discovery+, HBO Max, Hulu, Paramount+, and Peacock accounted for 65% of total tracked OTT advertising spend, which was just under $438 million.

The media research company says the measure for OTT advertising came from streaming platforms as well as digital TV Anywhere viewing from top linear networks.