COLOGNE — Digital entertainment technology company Rovi has rolled out connected TV ad units in Germany on TVs from Samsung, Panasonic and Toshiba, says Jeff Siegel, Senior VP Worldwide Advertising at Rovi. Beet.TV’s correspondent Ashley Swartz caught up with Siegel in this video interview taped at the DMEXCO conference for a discussion on connected TV advertising in Europe.
Rovi powers about 23 different ad units for connected TVs, many of which live around apps, he says. The connection rates are higher in Western Europe than in the United States, Siegel tells Beet.TV. The connection rates in the US are around 25% to 30%, but in Germany and Western Europe the connection rates are closer to 67% to 68%, driven by gaming consoles, he says. Rovi’s field research has indicated that consumers are using music, film and movie apps on their smart TVs as well as for TV watching. In addition to the pre-installed TV apps, most connected TV users in Germany download about 6 additional apps, according to Rovi’s research. That’s promising for marketers because apps are one of the places on connected TVs where ads are running. In general, connected TV users are among the most highly engaged with ads.
Siegel adds that Rovi has seen a 30% to 40% increase in impressions on connected TVs worldwide so far this year. “I’m encouraged by that,” Siegel says.
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