While it may seem like viewers prefer an ad-free streaming experience, new data from eMarketer shows that the number of people streaming ad-supported video is growing. Close to half of all US internet users report streaming ad-supported video, an increase from 21.5% of users in 2018. That number is expected to rise to over 53% by 2025.
People are spending more time in streaming video as well, which may contribute to the number of AVOD users. This year, US residents will spend 80 minutes per day with subscription over-the-top (OTT) video, up 8.7% over the previous year.
The report also shows that about two-thirds of the US population use a connected TV (CTV) at least monthly, and the majority of those are young people. More than 80% of those age 25-54 use a CTV, almost double that of senior citizens with four in 10 of them CTV users.
Viewers being willing to watch ads is a huge win for advertisers. Net ad revenues from Roku, YouTube, and Hulu will account for half of all US CTV ad revenues this year.