A new report from FreeWheel indicates that Connected TV (CTV) now accounts for 53% of premium video ad views in Europe, with programmatic ad views across the region growing 44% year-over-year. The data highlights a significant shift toward live programming and increased adoption of automated buying by advertisers.
The dominance of CTV in Europe indicates that broadcasters have successfully integrated linear and digital inventory to meet advertiser demand for automated buying. This shift toward programmatic execution, particularly in France, suggests that the traditional manual sales model is rapidly losing ground to data-driven efficiency. As live sports continue to migrate to streaming platforms, the surge in live ad views validates the co-viewing appeal of CTV for high-impact events. The broader ecosystem must now prioritize interoperability and data transparency to maintain these 90% completion rates. Watch for whether European broadcasters can scale these programmatic strategies fast enough to compete with global platforms as AI-driven media buying becomes the industry standard.
Connected TV (CTV) now represents 53% of premium video ad views in Europe, according to FreeWheel. This growth is fueled by a 44% year-over-year increase in programmatic ad views and a rise in live sports streaming. This shift highlights a move toward data-driven, automated inventory buying over traditional manual sales models.
According to FreeWheel's latest Video Monetisation Report, CTV accounts for 53% of premium video ad views in Europe.
Programmatic ad views across Europe saw a 44% year-over-year increase, driven by automated inventory buying and live sports programming.
Live programming ad views in Europe rose to 32% in the first half of 2026, an increase from 25% in the previous six-month period.
Completion rates for premium video ads have exceeded 90% across the three most popular CTV sub-devices.
Programmatic CTV ad views in France grew 46% year-over-year, now accounting for 47% of total premium video delivery in that market.
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