The data: Streaming ad consumption saw considerable growth in Europe in H1 2026, per FreeWheel.

• Ad views on connected TV (CTV) devices increased 33% YoY, while overall streaming ad views grew 20%.
• CTV devices dominated viewing platforms, with 53% of total streaming ad views. Mobile devices made up 24% of views and set-top box video-on-demand (STB VOD) reached 16% share.

VOD outpaced live content for streaming ad delivery, accounting for 68% of total ad views. In contrast, VOD held a minority share (43%) of streaming ad delivery in the US. While ad consumption for live viewing grew 8% YoY in Europe, it was likely boosted by viewership for the Winter Olympics and the FIFA World Cup.

What it means: Europe is maturing as a destination for streaming advertisers. Viewers in the region are highly interested in streaming services, and that appetite is paving the way for more ad consumption.

There’s an opportunity here for advertisers to expand their reach to new streaming audiences, particularly those engaging with CTV devices and VOD content. New data solutions from companies like Samsung could also help advertisers address viewing fragmentation.

In addition, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Europe released a framework for improving measurement transparency in CTV advertising, which could improve the quality of CTV ad metrics. The framework offers baseline expectations around disclosure of measurement limitations, support for client-initiated data collection, and granular reporting. However, adoption of the framework is voluntary.

Implications for advertisers: Track ad-consumption trends to determine if they continue to climb in Europe before increasing spend and focus on creative variety to drive engagement as consumers are exposed to more ads.

Streaming advertisers will also need to employ different spending priorities for Europe versus the US given differences in ad consumption. Ad spend mix should be weighted toward VOD content in Europe to capture the most attention.

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