Programmatic advertising has evolved from a tactical delivery method into a strategic growth engine for premium video. In the first half of 2025, year-over-year programmatic ad view growth surged by +29% in the U.S. and +44% in Europe – emphasizing its expanding role in unlocking scale, efficiency, and diversifying demand sources across the streaming ecosystem.
These findings come from the newly released FreeWheel Video Marketplace Report (VMR) for the first half of 2025. Published twice a year, the VMR tracks how premium video publishers are monetizing ad-supported streaming content across the U.S. and Europe. This edition offers fresh data and perspective on the evolving role of programmatic in the premium online video ecosystem – illuminating three key trends that signal where the industry is headed next.
Expanding Access: Programmatic Opens the Door to New Advertisers
Programmatic is increasingly democratizing access to premium video, enabling a broader range of advertisers – including small and medium businesses (SMBs) and retail media buyers – to enter the ecosystem. In 1H 2025, the number of net new advertisers delivering programmatically increased by +14% year-over-year, while ad views for these new programmatic advertisers rose by +29% when compared to the same period in 2024 – underscoring the expanding reach of automated transactions.
This diversification of demand has tangible benefits for the viewer experience. According to FreeWheel research, 66% of U.S. viewers and 55% of European viewers experience overexposure to the same ads. By expanding the advertiser pool, programmatic helps reduce ad fatigue and improve sentiment.
Live Goes Programmatic: Tentpole Events Lead the Way
Live content is increasingly being delivered programmatically, especially in Europe. As of 1H 2025, the U.S. usage of programmatic remained consistent for live and overall delivery, while Europe’s programmatic share in live overtook its usage across live and VOD combined by 10 percentage points, at 29% and 19% respectively.
This shift is already playing out at scale. During the 2024 Paris Olympics, FreeWheel and NBCUniversal partnered to leverage programmatic technology, opening up live inventory to a broader range of advertisers – resulting in a +90% increase in participating advertisers and delivering the highest advertising revenue in the history of the Games.
With next year bringing major events like the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, the Super Bowl, and 2026 political coverage, new opportunities will arise for publishers to leverage programmatic in high-engagement environments.
Looking Ahead: Programmatic + AI = The Future of Premium Video
As publishers continue to invest in programmatic delivery, the next frontier revolves around artificial intelligence. The integration of AI will transform automation in ad tech – enabling near real-time measurement, sophisticated decision-making, and seamless cross-platform operations.
Programmatic is already expanding reach, improving performance, and enhancing the viewer experience. With the addition of AI, the potential for smarter, more inclusive, and more efficient advertising is greater than ever. For more information on programmatic’s next chapter, download the 1H 2025 FreeWheel Video Marketplace Report.
