• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, November 20, 2024

Advertising sales have been declining for countless publishers -- but not because digital ads are being blocked. 

On the contrary, viewability rates have gone up, judging by DoubleVerify’s Quarterly Benchmarks report for the third quarter of 2024. 

Mobile apps lead the way when it comes to display ad viewability.

Apps achieve an 85% authentic viewability rate, versus 71% for desktops, 67% for the mobile web and 71% overall, an increase of 1% YoY. 

Authentic viewability denotes that as brand suitable, fraud free and served in the intended geography.

Video viewability produces a different device ranking: 

• Desktop — 83% 
• Mobile app — 79% 
• Mobile web — 77% 

One set of metrics has improved: those showing block and fraud rates. The block rate now stands at 4%, down 20% from Q3 2023. The Fraud/SIVT Violation Rate is only 1%, declining by 14% YoY.

Fraud and SIVT violations reflect “requests and incidents that served or were prevented from being served because they were recorded as bot fraud, site fraud, nonhuman data center traffic and/or injected ad events,”  the report explains. 

On a regional basis, Latin America has the highest authentic viewability rate — 76%. 

In contrast, North America scores a 72% authentic viewability rate and 77% video viewable rate. 

On a global basis, brands have an average 79% video completion rate, a 20% audible rate and a 12% Audible and In-View on Completion Rate. The latter metric is based on “measurable impressions that were audible and at least 50% of the pixels were in view when the video reached completion.”