Streaming Service Ads Explode in First Half of 2020

Situation

COVID-19 threw television for a loop during the first half of 2020. But the disappearance of live sports and other primetime programming also led to a greater opportunity for streaming services to earn the attention of audiences. Coupled with a bevy of new entrants into the market, TV advertising for streaming services has never piled up more impressions.

Key Takeaways

• Impressions for streaming service ads more than doubled — up 120.6% year over year 
• Media value for streaming service ads topped $1 billion in the first half of 2020 (up 205% from the same period in 2019)
• New services like HBO Max, Quibi and Peacock accounted for nearly 10% of ad impressions for streaming services in 2020

Why It Matters

Streaming has been growing for years, but the first half of 2020 significantly sped up the opportunity for these services to acquire subscribers. Without much in the way of tentpole programming on linear TV, streaming was able to change its value proposition toward the primary place for new, premium content.