How many ad breaks are acceptable from FASTs?

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Key stat: The majority (65%) of US consumers say that two or three ad breaks per 1 hour of free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) are acceptable, according to a ViewNexa survey.

Beyond the chart:

• The same survey showed 33% of respondents think ad breaks should be under 30 seconds and 23% think they should be under 15 seconds.
• As of this year, more than 100 million people in the US are FAST viewers, with The Roku Channel being the most popular platform, according to our forecast.
• As FASTs become more popular and connected TV ad spend rises, viewers could grow fatigued with an overwhelming number of ads.

Use this chart:

• Evaluate optimal ad loads.
• Assess viewer comfort with FASTs.

More like this:

• Sizing up Netflix's, YouTube's, and Amazon's streaming viewing and advertising
• Strategies for getting the most out of CTV advertising, from Warner Bros. Discovery, Tubi, and more
• See which platforms are canceling shows at the highest rate
• What does the narrowing range of streaming service CPMs mean for advertisers?

Note: Respondents were asked "How many ad breaks do you think is acceptable for a one-hour long program on 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.