Pre-Roll Online Video Ads Work, Break Media Study Shows

The vast majority of online video viewers are watching pre-roll and overlay ads, a study released today by Break Media and Panache shows. Completion rates for 15-second pre-roll ads were 87 percent, and 77 percent viewed campaigns with overlay ads for at least 15 seconds.

Break Media used Break.com's monthly audience of 17 million 18-34-year old men as guinea pigs for the 11-week study, and advertisers Honda, T-Mobile, and truTV ran the test campaigns. The three advertisers chosen represent a cross-section of the different brands on the web, hopefully making the study results relevant to an even broader array of advertisers, Break Media CEO Keith Richman says.

Panache, a video advertising delivery platform, placed the ads and supplied the technology to measure engagement.

The study tested the success of the four standard formats for in-stream video advertising established by the Interactive Advertising Bureau in May: pre-roll, interactive pre-roll, non-overlay ads and overlay ads.

The study demonstrated that all of the ads are effective and have different value for the advertisers, Panache president Steve Robinson says.

--Kelsey Blodget, Associate Producer

Update: Tremor Media announced today that 80 percent of its viewers are completing 15 and 30 second pre-roll ads. Michael Learmonth at SAI just published a post analyzing the numbers from both studies.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• break
• media
• panache
• pre-roll
• tremor

[BoobsAndBooks]

Pre-rolls are a forced throatjob. I believe there is a better way:

BoobsAndBooks[dot]com/pre-roll­-ads-a-real-throatjob

(Sorry about the URL format, a real URL gives the dreaded "Error, Try Again." Yeah, real helpful, youtube.)

[DustinDolby]

atleast have a skip add button

[crm0922]

I hope they kill Youtube too, this is just awful.

[plusplusplusplusp]

Welcome to capitalism. Someone, in order to make lots of money and enjoy all the good stuff that comes with money, makes things less pleasurable for someone else. I'm not taking sides here, this is just how I see it.

[goosetoffoh]

FUUUUUUUUCK YOOOOOOOOOU.

Pre-roll ads are a pain in the ass. Your only options are to watch them or watch nothing.

13% of the demographic would rather watch nothing then sit through your 15 seconds of shit.

But man, as long as you keep making money, who fucking cares, right?????

[LanceCampeau]

Give me a break... a pre roll ad is the EXACT same thing as a fucking pop up ad... I can't close the page fast enough. I will NEVER sit through ANY pre roll ads. I come to the net to be in control of what I'm watching. I fucking hate TV and its bullshit ads ads ads.... youtube with pre roll ads = massive loss of interest and appeal

[LeuerDuSoleil]

for me it depends on the vid. If I'm not absolutely dying to see the clip, I won't sit through the ad either. Of particular note is how long the video itself is, I will not sit through a 30-second ad on a 2-10 minute video regularly.

[apeacock]

87% of people HAD to watch them, did you ask what the perception of the pre-roll was. You can sit through one, and still be annoyed. Pre-Roll will kill YouTube.

You are wrong, and do not know what you are talking about regardless of how many blue blazers you wear.