New Conviva Data Shows Significant Drop in Ad Demand Despite Quality Improvements; Streaming Growth Normalizing After Pandemic Peak
6.8.2020 16:00:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Conviva, the leader in global streaming media intelligence, released its quarterly State of Streaming report for Q2 2020 today, showing streaming video advertising saw a sharp decline in the past quarter with ad attempts in Q2 down 28% globally and 22% in the U.S. as compared to Q1 2020. The report also details the impact of COVID-19 with expanded regional benchmarks illustrating that while streaming continues to grow overall, it slowed in May and June as compared to its height in April when shelter-in-place orders drove streaming viewing up 81% year over year.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200806005191/en/
Conviva's State of Streaming Q2 Report (Graphic: Business Wire)
Ad Demand Drops while Quality Improves
While advertising demand dropped in Q2, due in part to a lack of sports, streaming ads saw significant improvements in overall quality. Viewers spent 38% less time waiting for an ad to start in Q2 as compared to Q1 and as a result, pre-ad viewer-initiated exits dropped 22%. Ad picture quality also improved, with bitrate up 53%.
Despite quality improvements, nearly 45% of ads represented missed opportunities. The most common advertising issue continues to be the lack of demand as publishers try to fill ad slots, but no relevant ad is available.
“Shelter-in-place mandates skyrocketed streaming viewership in April, led by Europe which saw a 174% increase year over year,” said Bill Demas, CEO, Conviva. “Unfortunately advertising moved in the opposite direction with global demand significantly reduced due to COVID-19. We expect advertising to bounce back in the coming quarters as the industry and viewers acclimate to a ‘new normal’ including streaming being part of the everyday routine.”
Streaming Device Growth: TV Sees Triple Digit Increase
Conviva uncovered significant increases in viewing as people tuned in natively within their smart TVs. Global share of smart TV viewing more than doubled as viewing time increased 239% year over year. Also bolstering television viewing were connected TV devices (Roku, Amazon Fire TV, etc.) which saw a 61% increase and game consoles a 55% increase in time spent streaming year over year.
Global device share in Q2 2020 included:
- Smart TVs: Samsung commanded half of all viewing time via smart TV, followed by LG TVs with 23%, Vizio TVs with 11%, Android TVs with 8% and Amazon Fire TVs with 7%.
- Connected TV Devices: Roku remained the leader among connected TV devices, capturing half of the total viewing time for the category. Amazon Fire TV captured 29%, Apple TV 8.7%, Chromecast 7.3%, Android TV 3.6% and Humax 1.3%.
- Gaming Consoles: PlayStation bested Xbox in streaming viewership at slightly over 50% of viewing time versus Xbox’s 47%.
Connected TV devices had the largest share of viewing time in both North America (56%) and Europe (32%). In South America smart TVs (40%) has the largest share of viewing time, while in Asia (49%) and Africa (43%) desktops remain the primary streaming device.
Viewers Embrace YouTube on Bigger Screens
YouTube is primarily watched on mobile devices which captured 59% share of time spent in Q2 2020. However, the trend towards TVs also impacted YouTube as viewing on connected TVs and consoles accounted for a 25% share of YouTube viewing in Q2 2020, a 69% increase from 16% share the prior Q2.
Socializing Sports with No Sports
On social media, North American professional sports bottomed out in June, with social engagements by sports teams down more than 71% from their 2020 low in January while European professional sports teams increased their social engagements by 64% in June as compared to their 2020 low in April. A notable bright spot for North American leagues on social was the NFL Draft in late April, as the NFL teams surpassed NBA teams in total engagements for the only time during the year.
Methodology
Data for Conviva’s State of Streaming report was primarily collected from Conviva’s proprietary sensor technology currently embedded in three billion streaming video applications, measuring in excess of 500 million unique viewers watching 150 billion streams per year with 1.5 trillion real-time transactions per day across more than 180 countries. Year-over-year comparisons were normalized at the customer level for accurate representations of industry growth. The social data is comprised of data from over 1200 accounts, over 5 million posts and over 7 billion engagements across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
About Conviva
Conviva is the leader in streaming media intelligence, powered by its real-time platform. More than 250 industry leaders and brands – including CBS, CCTV, Cirque Du Soleil, DAZN, Disney+, HBO, Hulu, Sky, Sling TV, TED, Univision, and WarnerMedia – rely on Conviva to maximize their consumer engagement, deliver the quality experiences viewers expect, and drive revenue growth. With a global footprint of more than 500 million unique viewers watching 150 billion streams per year across 3 billion applications streaming on devices, Conviva offers streaming providers unmatched scale for continuous video measurement, intelligence, and benchmarking across every stream, every screen, every second.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200806005191/en/
Contact information
Paula Winkel
pwinkel@conviva.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Helical Fusion Launches Helix Program “Official Partners” to Build Japan’s Industrial Coalition for Commercial Fusion Energy28.4.2026 06:00:00 EEST | Press release
Helical Fusion Co., Ltd., a fusion energy company developing a Helical stellarator power plant, today announced the launch of Helix Program Official Partners, a new strategic partnership framework designed to bring together long-term industrial collaborators committed to advancing fusion from laboratory progress to real-world fusion power deployment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260427596284/en/ Helical Fusion’s Integrated Demonstration Device, “Helix HARUKA,” currently under construction (photographed at the company’s dedicated workspace within the National Institute for Fusion Science in Gifu, Japan) The Helix Program is Helical Fusion’s core initiative to realize commercially viable fusion energy in the 2030s. Rather than starting from a reactor concept alone, the program works backward from the three essential requirements for commercial fusion power: net electricity, continuous operation, and high main
Investor Supporting Japan’s Entertainment Industry, Yoshihiro Shimamura, to Visit France Workshop to be Held During the Cannes Film Festival28.4.2026 05:00:00 EEST | Press release
Shimamura Yoshihiro Film Planning Inc. (Head Office: Osaka, Japan; CEO: Yoshihiro Shimamura), a company engaged in film production and investment, will host a workshop in France during this year’s Cannes Film Festival, as part of its commitment to further advancing the entertainment industry. The company invests in leading entertainment-related businesses in Japan and places strong emphasis on long-term value creation. It identifies the cultural and entertainment sectors as high-growth areas and is actively involved in international co-productions as a core part of its film production activities. As a recent investment, the company acquired 2,000,000 shares of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, Inc.—a major Japanese entertainment conglomerate known for producing content enjoyed across generations—and became a major shareholder (as of March 25, 2026). Through such investments, the company aims to support the global expansion of Japanese entertainment while exploring synergies with its own interna
Alsym Energy Announces Na-Series Battery Success Developed With Physics-Informed AI Platform27.4.2026 22:25:00 EEST | Press release
Alsym Energy, a pioneer in non-flammable, high-performance sodium-ion batteries, today announced details of the proprietary physics-informed AI platform used to develop the company’s recently launched Na-Series sodium-ion batteries. By integrating fundamental physics models with AI, autonomous testing and proprietary molecular diagnostics in a closed-loop system, Alsym is accelerating the design of safer, inexpensive, commercialized batteries through all phases of the development cycle. As global demand for electricity surges, the limitations of lithium-ion batteries have become increasingly apparent, particularly around safety and supply chain constraints. Lithium-ion chemistry presents inherent challenges, including flammability and reliance on constrained global supply chains—issues that become more acute in large-scale energy storage, where higher energy densities considerably increase fire risks, and growing demand across sectors further strains the supply chain and imperils energ
Backed by Investments Exceeding $1 Billion, PCI Pharma Services Announces Major Expansion of US Sterile Fill-Finish and Drug-Device Delivery Combination Capabilities27.4.2026 17:00:00 EEST | Press release
PCI Pharma Services (“PCI”) – a world-leading integrated global contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) focused on innovative biologic and small molecule therapies – announced a series of major infrastructure investments that substantially deepen its sterile fill-finish and advanced drug delivery capabilities. As pharma manufacturers and their development partners increasingly prioritize US supply chain resilience, PCI’s latest investments come as part of a broader commitment exceeding $1 billion across the CDMO’s US and European operations, reinforcing its ability to provide seamless support for drug product development and manufacturing, clinical trial supply and drug-device combination assembly from clinical stages through commercial launch – all underpinned by global capacity, technical expertise, deep scientific knowledge, and an industry-leading quality and regulatory track record. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.
Pure Lithium Appoints Renowned Battery Expert Dr. Yuan Gao to Board of Directors27.4.2026 16:53:00 EEST | Press release
Pure Lithium Corporation, a vertically integrated lithium metal battery technology company, is pleased to announce that world-renowned inventor and battery expert Dr. Yuan Gao has joined the company’s Board of Directors. Dr. Gao has been an invaluable member of Pure Lithium’s Scientific Advisory Board since October of 2023. "We are thrilled to have Dr. Gao join our board as we focus on rapidly scaling our technology in the most capital efficient manner possible,” said Pure Lithium Founder, Chairman and CEO Emilie Bodoin. “Dr. Gao is a brilliant scientist who also has deep commercial expertise, a rare combination. He is also unique in the industry because his experience spans the entire battery materials value chain, including all of Pure Lithium’s verticals. His insights over the years have been critical in advancing our technology, and his experience as a director of public companies will strengthen our board.” Dr. Gao commented: “I am thrilled to join the board of Pure Lithium Corpor
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom