With surge in viewership on TV screens, YouTube plans for further ad push

San Francisco, May 8 (IANS): There’s been an 800 per cent (year-on-year) increase globally in the number of people watching ad-supported and purchased movies on the Google-owned YouTube, with 125 per cent jump in TV shows and 250 per cent growth in live content.

While overall watch time has jumped 80 per cent (YoY) in social distancing times, YouTube is seeing different user behaviour when people engage with YouTube on the TV screen, the company said in a statement.

“It is often enjoyed with others, unlike the more individual experience on the mobile device. In a recent custom Nielsen study commissioned by Google, we found that 26 per cent of the time, multiple 18+ viewers are watching YouTube together on the TV screen, compared to 22 percent on linear TV,” said Debbie Weinstein, Vice President, Global Video and YouTube Solutions.

Buyoed by the growing usage, YouTube on Thursday announced number of tools – including Brand Lift measurement on the TV screen and more flexible formats for content casted onto the TV screen – to help advertisers navigate this rapidly changing environment.

“As people spend more time at home, we’re seeing major shifts in streaming viewership. A recent Comscore report highlighted that over 70 million US households are now streaming content on their connected TV screens,” Weinstein added.

People are also gravitating to the consistently new and fresh content YouTube creators put out every day.

In fact, over 60 per cent of signed-in viewers of YouTube on TV screens watched a video published in the last 7 days.

YouTube said it is accelerating the launch of Brand Lift for YouTube on TV screens.

For viewers, this means surveys are now optimized for the big screen and interactivity with a TV remote, so people can easily respond or skip the survey.

“This will enable marketers to make informed decisions about ad performance, and better optimize streaming campaigns in real time whether they are using Google Ads or Display & Video 360 for both reservation and auction campaigns,” said YouTube.

Brand Lift that will help make budgets go further will be available in the coming weeks for the YouTube app, and in early Q3 for YouTube TV.

“As viewers spend more time watching YouTube on the TV screen, we are continuing to evolve to help advertisers better reach their customers where they are,” said the company.

Late last year, it launched the YouTube Masthead on TV screens to help advertisers drive awareness with a large audience in a single moment.

“This year, we’re also bringing more format flexibility to streaming by introducing the popular skippable ad format for content that is casted onto the TV screen,” the company said.

As casting watch time soared by over 75 per cent year over year, this provides advertisers a new way to reach their audience as they embrace the evolving ways consumers are watching their favourite content, YouTube added.