AccuStream Research: Online Pre-Roll Video Forecast at $758 mil. In '10; Inventory Growth Outpacing Media Spend

SEASIDE, Calif., July 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Pre-roll video advertising billed against an expanding supply of online inventory is forecast at $758 million in 2010, an increase of 25.2% over 2009, according to a report issued by AccuStream Research.

The report, Pre-Roll Video 2010 – 2012: Inventory Growth and Media Spend Analysis, presents a rigorous, analytics based appraisal of pre-roll inventory growth, video views, insertion frequencies, sellout rates, CPMs and total market value.

Extensive AccuStream data indicate pre-roll inventory grew by 74% last year, while ad spend improved by 42%, the first year in a three-year cycle (currently expected to stretch into 2011) where excess supply exerts downward pressure on CPMs.

Inventory and media spend is analyzed by content category (entertainment, news, sports, music, television, movies and hosted/upload networks such as YouTube, MySpace and Metacafe), site and aggregated brand, as well as paid placements made through video advertising networks.  

The supply of pre-roll inventory has outpaced demand due to aggressive publishing activity and exploitation strategies. Insertion frequency increased from 1.5 content plays per unit in '08 to 1.4 across all inventory in '09, and trending higher.  

Moreover, pre-roll inventory is widely available and sold on hosted/upload networks (particularly inside premium partner channels), along with expanding video publishing initiatives undertaken by major offline brands on destination sites designed in part to synchronize CPMs with broadcast counterparts.

Combined with an array of online syndication partners such as Yahoo, offsite exploitation of branded content (i.e. Hulu, Fancast, TV.com), print properties adopting the ad unit, and more inventory allotted on highly trafficked kids' sites, including Viacom and Disney properties are all forecast to boost market growth, but at a lower cost per unit.  

The online pre-roll market is projected to adjust toward supply/demand equilibrium in 2012. Pre-roll spend is forecast to increase 18% in 2011, and 21% in 2012.  

Advertising networks (including Adap.tv, BBE, Brightroll, Scanscout, Tremor Media and YuMe) accounted for 34% of pre-roll media spend in 2009, a figure anticipated to reach 36% in 2010 and peak at 38% in 2011.

AccuStream Research (http://www.accustreamresearch.com) is an online and mobile video, audio, download, subscription, CDN, OVP, video advertising network and broadband advertising research firm.

SOURCE AccuStream Research