Video ad impressions by device were redistributed in 2020 vs 2019 according to Extreme Reach’s new Video Benchmarks Report which is based on ad serving data from the company’s AdBridge platform. The biggest changes included video ad impressions on desktop increasing from 16% share in 2019 to 22% share in 2020, while video ad impressions on CTVs dropped from 49% share in 2019 to 38% share in 2020. ER said the redistribution occurred as “work from home became the norm” due to the pandemic.

Despite CTV’s reduction in share it remained by far the biggest source of impressions. CTV gained in 2020 as more ad-supported streaming TV services launched and consumption increased. In Q4 2020 according to ER, CTV ad impressions stayed roughly flat at 35% compared with 39% in Q3. Other devices were roughly flat in Q4 vs Q3 as well; desktop nudged up from 21% to 23%, mobile app was slightly down to 24% from 26% and mobile web increased to 16% from 13%.

A big change that occurred from 2019 to 2020 was that “Media Aggregators” (which ER defines as sellers of inventory from multiple sources including programmatic, such as ad networks, DSPs and agency trade desks) increased their share of impressions from 19% to 42% while Premium Publishers (which ER defines as direct sellers of inventory, such as broadcast networks and content providers) saw their impressions drop from 81% to 58%. Back in Q2, ER said the shift to Media Aggregators suggested that as advertisers reduced their budgets due to Covid, more premium inventory became available on exchanges.

Meanwhile, 30-second ads increased their share of impressions to 79% in 2020 from 67% in 2019, as 15-second spots dropped from 31% share to 21% share. 30-second ads had their highest share in the 5 years ER has been publishing the Video Benchmarks Report, up from just 38% in 2016. No doubt this reflects the increased consumption of longer-form TV shows and movies on CTVs which in turn has attracted more traditional TV ad buyers and their 30-second ads.

The average video completion rate dropped from 89% in 2019 to 80% in 2020, reversing the prior 4 years where the rate had increased. Media Aggregators’ completion rate dropped from 80% to 69%, while Premium Publishers’ completion rate dropped from 91% to 88%. The completion rate for CTV continued to lead in 2020 at 95% (flat from 96% in 2019) with desktop next at 89% (flat from 88% in 2019). Mobile web’s completion rate was the lowest at 67%.

There is plenty of additional data in the report which is available as a complimentary download.