Online ad viewability levels in the UK dropped from 54 per cent to 47 per cent in the second quarter of 2016, the lowest level for 18 months, according to a new report from ad verification company Meetrics. The last time viewability was lower was in Q4 2014, when it hit 46 per cent. The fall means that the UK trails other European countries in terms of viewability levels. Austria stands at 69 per cent, France at 62 per cent and Germany at 60 per cent.

“Viewability in the UK is more volatile than other major European markets due to the higher penetration of programmatic and automated ad buying,” said Anant Joshi, Meetrics’ director of international business. “The surge in ads bought programmatically contributed to the decline in viewability, which was compounded by publishers upping the speed at which ads are re-loaded or auto-refreshed to raise inventory levels and revenue. Around 20 per cent of ads weren’t viewable because they weren’t in the frame for long enough – the highest rate we’ve seen due to this reason for some time.”

Based on the IAB/PwC’s Adspend figures, Joshi estimates the 53 per cent of banner ads not viewable in the UK equates to around £700m being wasted annually on non-viewable ads. An ad is considered viewable if it meets the IAB and Media Ratings Council’s recommendation that 50 per cent of it is in view for at least one second.

The impressive figures for the Austrian market come off the back of an agreement by the majority of publishers to move to billing by viewable impressions by selling their inventory based on an independent viewability definition agreed by a dozen leading advertisers.
“The Austrian market was one of, if not the, first to try such an initiative and the benefits in terms of far higher viewability rates are plain to see,” said Joshi.