How long should FAST ad breaks be?

For more insights and key statistics on the biggest trends in today’s most disruptive industries, subscribe to our Chart of the Day newsletter.

Key stat: 56% of US adults think ad breaks on free-ad supported streaming TV (FAST) services should be under 30 seconds, according to an August 2023 ViewNexa survey.

Beyond the chart:

• Nearly 40% of US digital video viewers will be FAST viewers in 2024, according to our forecast.
• To save money, 29% of US households with internet are canceling their video streaming subscription services, per a Parks Associates study.
• According to the same ViewNexa survey, 65% of US consumers say two or three ad breaks per hour are acceptable for FASTs.

Use this chart:

• Strategize optimal FAST ad inventory.
• Focus ad-buying strategy on FASTs.

More like this:

• How are CTV ads bought and sold?
• Consumer attention and ad spend are mismatched. Where does that leave advertisers?
• YouTube TV subscribers jumped nearly 50% in a year thanks to Sunday Ticket
• Amazon, Walmart turn to shoppable TV ads to shorten the path to purchase

Note: Respondents were asked "How short would ad breaks need to be in order for you to watch a free streaming service?"

Methodology: Data is from the October 2023 ViewNexa report "How to Follow the Audience." 1,000 US consumers ages 18+ were surveyed online during August 2023 by Sapio Research.