Losses Would Have Potentially Hit $116bn If Mitigations Solutions Were Not Available; Uptick in Acceptable Ads Users Confirms Value of Ad Filtering for Consumers and Publishers
COLOGNE (November 20, 2023) – eyeo, an ad-filtering technology group, and its subsidiary Blockthrough, have released the 2023 eyeo Ad-Filtering Report. Formerly called the PageFair Adblock Report, this annual study provides a global overview of ad filtering and ad blocking trends and user insights. This year’s research projects that publishers around the world will lose $54 billion in ad revenue due to ad blocking in 2024, representing roughly 8 percent of total global ad spend. The losses would be significantly higher – $116 billion – if, for example, ad-filtering tools that give users the ability to only see nonintrusive ads did not exist.
As noted in the report, the number of users opted into Acceptable Ads, a leading standard for nonintrusive digital ad experiences, has dramatically increased by 42 percent between Q1 2022 and Q2 2023, crossing the 300M mark.
“This report shows that users are annoyed with clutter and intrusive online ads and are reclaiming control of their online experience, said Jan Wittek, CRO at eyeo. “The growth of Acceptable Ads users is a testament to the fact that users are open to nonintrusive ads, thereby supporting publishers and creators for their efforts. It’s a mistake to assume that they do not respect the value exchange with publishers – if their legitimate need for a better experience is considered. It’s time the entire industry recognizes that user-centricity doesn’t just benefit users, but publishers and advertisers as well.”
The overall number of active ad-blocking users worldwide jumped to 912 million, an 11 percent uptick from Q1 2022 to Q2 2023. Since the last report, the research shows that ad blocking on desktop rose after a long plateau, buoyed by the move to work-from-home. Ad blocking on mobile crossed desktop by the end of Q2 2023, and is expected to continue its long-term growth trend into the future.
The report concludes with predictions for the future of ad filtering, including issues such as the potential impact of AI and machine learning, as well as the consumer perspective and impending regulations on sustainability
To download the complete report including detailed methodology, go to: https://eyeo.com/adfiltering-report