After a dip in the second quarter as spending paused in the early days of the pandemic, advanced TV ad impressions rebounded as 2020 went on, according to a report from Google.
Advanced ad impressions fell 18% in the second quarter, despite a 14% increase in viewing. By the third quarter, advanced TV ad impressions were up 40% from the second quarter lows and continued to increase in the fourth quarter.
Google said that 2020 marks a shift of TV ad impressions from the web to in-app viewing, with more people watching advanced TV content on streaming apps as they adopt connected TV devices.
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Ads were being purchased through programmatic transactions at a faster rate. In the fourth quarter, programmatic impressions grew by more than 70%.
Ad impressions in content served live to audiences increased 85% in the fourth quarter.
“Advanced TV continues to gain momentum with CTV leading the way with the largest share of ad impressions globally,” the Google report said.
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“For the first time ever, in-app viewership outperformed the web as consumers adopted new emerging OTT apps and CTV devices to watch content. While traditional reservations still lead advanced TV inventory sales, programmatic is advanced TV’s fastest growing deal type,” the report said. “And while live events decreased in 2020, they were on the upswing again by Q4—live impressions grew much faster than VOD in 2020, with CTV as the preferred device as people kept up with the excitement on their big screens.”
