Vast majority of UK Internet users open to 'pre-roll' online video advertising

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A YouGov survey – commissioned by Utarget Networks, a major UK online advertising and publishing company – suggests that a massive 93% of UK Internet users are open to the idea of ‘pre-roll’ online video advertising, providing that it doesn’t last for more than 15 seconds.

The changing face of the Internet, largely brought about by broadband and Web 2.0 sites such as YouTube and MySpace, means that UK consumers now spend twice as much time online browsing purely for entertainment than they do for carrying out specific tasks, and that gap is expected to widen by 25% next year.

Consumers spend an average of 3.5 hours online every day, with the 18-24 year olds spending 10% of their online time watching video.

Phil Cooper, CEO of Utarget, said, “A huge amount of time online is now being spent doing the equivalent to TV channel hopping, where the consumer is surfing with an open mind, actively looking for new experiences and stimulation. “This is completely different to the task-orientated behaviour that search marketing closely targets.””

Online video, particularly of increasingly professional and higher definition quality, costs a lot of money to produce and host, and advertising in this way could be the best way of paying for it.

Andy Merrett
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