Premium Video Outperforms YouTube
A new analysis comparing audience data across 17 premium streaming platforms and YouTube found that premium video delivers stronger engagement for marketers. The report from VAB and TVision, which analyzed platforms like Disney+, Netflix, and HBO Max, evaluated metrics including co-viewing, time spent with eyes on the screen, and overall viewing duration.
- The analysis, which ran from July 2024 to June 2025, found that co-viewing on premium platforms is 33% higher than on YouTube, giving advertisers more exposures per impression. - TVision's measurement methodology uses an opt-in panel of 5,000 U.S. homes with computer vision technology that tracks who is in the room and if their eyes are on the screen on a second-by-second basis. - In a primetime comparison, premium streaming applications like Netflix and Disney+ earned a 26.2% "attention" score, defined as the proportion of ad impressions where a viewer's eyes were on the screen for two or more seconds, while YouTube scored 17.6%. - The report also found that premium video platforms are 18% more likely to "convert," a metric based on the "presence to active," "attention to presence," and "attention to duration" indexes. - When evaluating sustained time spent with "eyes on screen," YouTube ranked 14th among the platforms analyzed. - While YouTube has a larger overall viewing time share (21% in the second half of 2025), premium services like Netflix (14%), Hulu (9%), and Prime Video (9%) collectively hold a significant portion of viewer time. - The VAB defines premium video by five pillars: high-quality content, emotional engagement, a brand-safe ad environment, cross-platform buying capabilities, and transparent ad placements.
