CTV ad views rose significantly year-over-year in Europe with +31% and by +8% in the US, making CTV the primary channel for ad consumption – driving programmatic adoption, a new study finds.
According to the latest edition of the FreeWheel Video Marketplace Report, in the first half of 2025, these rising ad views on CTV devices cements CTV as a primary device for premium video ad consumption. Overall ad viewership grew year-over-year (YOY) in Europe* and the US, 27% and 6% respectively, reflecting the continued power of streaming in engaging audiences.
Ad view distribution remained consistent with 2H 2024 figures. The majority (56%) of ad views in the US occurred on live content, partly due to the popularity of live sports and FAST channels. In contrast, Europe’s ad views were predominantly (76%) on free broadcaster VOD content. However, the share of live ad views in the region is growing as services expand their FAST offerings.
Programmatic now represents 30% of overall ad delivery in the US, while in Europe it stands at 19%. The report indicates a significant year-over-year increase in programmatic ad views, +44% in Europe and +29% in the US Programmers are continuing to embrace programmatic, leading to a +14% rise (YOY) in the number of unique advertisers leveraging automated ad delivery. In 1H 2025, new-to-programmatic advertisers achieved 29% more ad views than those who entered the market in the first half of 2024. Additionally, the share of programmatic for live in Europe significantly increased by 10 points from 19% to 29%, demonstrating the dynamic FAST environment.
Programmatic adoption is further influencing publishers’ targeting strategies, with behavioural targeting accounting for the majority of programmatic audience targeting in both the U.S. (51%) and Europe (58%), says the report.
“The growth of programmatic and ad views on CTV shows that publishers’ investments in monetisation and technology are paying off,” says Emmanuel Josserand, Senior Director, Brand, Agency and Industry Relations, Comcast Advertising. “However, there’s plenty of room to further extend automated delivery across VOD and live inventory. This will enable premium video publishers to diversify strategies, capture new advertiser spend, and drive more efficiency. The viewer experience will also benefit as a result, as improvements in ad frequency and relevancy will reduce ad fatigue, creating more engaging streaming experiences.”
Find the full report here: www.freewheel.com/insights/reports/freewheel-video-marketplace-report-1h-2025
*European countries assessed in the report included: Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
