The Web browser continues to cede valuable ground to other digital platforms amid growing usage of OTT devices, smartphones, and even cable-supplied set-top boxes, FreeWheel, the Comcast-owned ad-tech company, found in its latest quarterly report.
“Propelled by 76% growth across OTT (Roku, Apple TV, Chromecast, Gaming Consoles, and Smart TVs) and 92% on smartphone devices, as well as the inclusion of STB VOD, which amounted to 10% of total delivery, never again will the browser be the first stop for digital video content,” FreeWheel noted in its Q4 2015 Video Monetization Report.
.
With respect to ad views by device type, desktops/laptops still led all categories with 40% share, but was up only 0.1% year-over-year. OTT devices, meanwhile, scored a 22% share (up 76%), followed by smartphones (19%, up 92%), set-top VOD (10%), and tablets (9%, up 40%).
Among OTT devices, Apple TV held court with a 44% share of ad views, followed by Roku (34%), gaming consoles (15%), Google’s Chromecast adapter (5%), and smart TVs and the Amazon Fire TV (1% each).
FreeWheel’s study also offered an update on the momentum of authenticated TV Everywhere services.
Authenticated viewing for long-form and live content accounted for 65% of monetization in Q4 2015, up from 56% in the year-ago period.
“While we saw very strong progression in video ad views across authenticated content at 142% year-over-year, looking back at the previous four quarters of growth there is a notable decline across the top-line, especially when comparing to the staggering 591% rate we reported in Q4 2014,” FreeWheel said.
Entertainment content was top category for TVE with respect to video ad views, rising 202% year-on-year, followed by sports (46%, up 69%), news (6%, up 98%), and kids fare (5%, up 2,073%).
Among other findings, long-form on-demand and live streams were the fastest growing content areas – up 56% and 129% year-over-year, respectively. Authenticated ad views also accounted for more than 65% of all long-form and live programmer monetization, FreeWheel said.
