--- title: 6-second TV ads command more attention per second than traditional spots description: Short-form, six-second ads on TV capture 8% to 11% more attention per second than longer ads, according to new research by the Advertising Research Foundation and TVision Insights provided to Marketing Dive. Short-form ads drove 6% of impressions, despite only accounting for 3% of ad placements. image: https://www.tvisioninsights.com/hubfs/6-second%20TV%20ads%20command%20more%20attention%20per%20second%20than%20traditional%20spots.jpg --- [![TVision Logo](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/hs-fs/hubfs/TVision%20Brand%20Guidelines/TVision_logo_color_rgb_whiteText.png?width=1804&height=202&name=TVision_logo_color_rgb_whiteText.png "TVision Logo")](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/) News # 6-second TV ads command more attention per second than traditional spots June 15   |   News By Erica Sweeney Originally published in [Marketing Dive](https://www.marketingdive.com/news/6-second-tv-ads-command-more-attention-per-second-than-traditional-spots/525770/) #### Dive Brief: - Short-form, six-second ads on TV capture 8% to 11% more attention per second than longer ads, according to new research by the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF) and TVision Insights provided to Marketing Dive. Short-form ads drove 6% of impressions, despite only accounting for 3% of ad placements. - Three-quarters of impressions came from the top 10 networks, which ran 45% of these shorter ads. Overall, 70 networks served short-form ads during a six-month period. About half of impressions were during primetime programming, even though just over one-third of short-form ads ran during that time slot. - Thirteen percent of short-form ads ran along with a long-form ad during the same program. Advertisers running short-form ads with long-form ads or during the same program saw a 10% lift in attention. #### Dive Insight: Marketers continue to see positive results as they experiment with extra-short video ads, which were popularized online, on platforms like YouTube and Snapchat, but [only made the leap to TV](https://www.marketingdive.com/news/fox-brings-first-6-second-ads-to-tv-with-big-brands-on-board/448406/) around last year. While formats like six-second ads often perform well independently, pairing them with more traditional 15-, 30- or 60-second ad content can provide an additional boost, per the ARF and TVision Insights study. This blend could open opportunities for storytelling and brand-building, with the short ad or bumper teasing the rest of the creative that's then fleshed out later in a longer-form spot. It might also address some of marketers' concerns that [extra-short ads stifle creativity](https://www.marketingdive.com/news/report-are-super-short-video-ads-stifling-creativity/447105/) and narrative possibilities. Growing interest in extra-short ads among advertisers and networks comes as TV [watching habits and attention spans are changing](https://www.marketingdive.com/news/google-watch-time-for-youtube-sports-highlights-jumps-80/516281/). Viewers more frequently consume content in snippets, record shows or stream them online. A five-to-six-second ad might hit the sweet spot for reaching millennials, in particular, [according to comScore](https://www.cnbc.com/2017/07/21/comscore-ceo-millennials-need-5-to-6-second-ads-to-hold-attention.html). ARF and TVision Insight attributed the success of short-form ads to strong pod position and structure, connecting to longer-form content, cutting through clutter and placement with premium content and primetime spots. Short-form ads also draw a larger share of attention per second from light TV viewers compared to heavy ones. Though the short-form ads still make up a small share of TV ad placements, marketers will likely [increase their investment in the format](https://www.emarketer.com/Article/Advertisers-Warming-Short-Form-Pre-Roll-Video-Ads/1015839). The report's results signal that consumers prefer shorter ads regardless of platform. Marketers additionally value shorter-form ads because they can be easier to run across multiple platforms and re-purposed to fit a specific audience. Yoplait, in a campaign run last year, [created 32 different six-second ads](https://www.marketingdive.com/news/campaign-trail-how-yoplait-boosts-brand-interest-samsungs-artsy-feature/512065/) to send retargeted messages to people who watched longer videos. One challenge for marketers experimenting with the format is creating a campaign that can make an impact in a short time frame. Research shows short-form ads might work better for immediately [recognizable brands](https://www.marketingdive.com/news/why-brands-will-go-to-extremes-lengthwise-with-digital-video-in-2018/514098/), which don't necessarily need to lay the groundwork of what they offer. [![TV and CTV Attention Report](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3023204/5eeec174-ffb8-4a4a-81d3-9e747704521a.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3023204/5eeec174-ffb8-4a4a-81d3-9e747704521a) ![LinkedIn](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/hubfs/Assets%202018%20-%20S2/illustrations-icons/linkedin-icon.png) ![Twitter](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/hubfs/Assets%202018%20-%20S2/illustrations-icons/twitter-icon.png) ![Facebook](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/hubfs/Assets%202018%20-%20S2/illustrations-icons/fb-icon.png) ## More resources from TVision [blog](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/resources/tag/blog) [TVision's New TV Attention and Creative Impact Report](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/resources/tvisions-new-tv-attention-and-creative-impact-report) Today TVision, the company measuring every second of TV and CTV viewer engagement, released the H2 2025 State of Streaming Report. The semi-annual State of Streaming Report is the industry's best resource for insight into attention and engagement with streaming apps, content and ads. [Read More](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/resources/tvisions-new-tv-attention-and-creative-impact-report) [blog](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/resources/tag/blog) [TVision Insights Enters Definitive Agreement to Be Acquired by Viant Technology](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/resources/tvision-insights-enters-definitive-agreement-to-be-acquired-by-viant-technology) Today TVision, the company measuring every second of TV and CTV viewer engagement, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Viant Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: DSP), a leader in CTV and AI-powered programmatic advertising, in a transaction valued at $40 million. The deal, expected to close in Q2 2026, brings TVision's second-by-second, person-level attention data, co-viewership signals, and in-room presence measurement directly into Viant's buying platform. [Read More](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/resources/tvision-insights-enters-definitive-agreement-to-be-acquired-by-viant-technology) [blog](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/resources/tag/blog) [TVision's New State of Streaming Report Reveals How Context, Pod Position and More Impact Viewer Engagement](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/resources/tvisions-new-state-of-streaming-report-h2-2025) Today TVision, the company measuring every second of TV and CTV viewer engagement, released the H2 2025 State of Streaming Report. The semi-annual State of Streaming Report is the industry's best resource for insight into attention and engagement with streaming apps, content and ads. [Read More](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/resources/tvisions-new-state-of-streaming-report-h2-2025) [![The TV and CTV Attention Report](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3023204/6b181378-6650-4289-8bad-aa2394689443.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3023204/6b181378-6650-4289-8bad-aa2394689443) ### Find Your Brand's TV Performance Or try these: [Geico](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/search-results?brand=Geico), [Amazon](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/search-results?brand=Amazon), [Progressive](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/search-results?brand=Progressive), [State Farm](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/search-results?brand=State%20Farm), [T-Mobile](https://www.tvisioninsights.com/search-results?brand=T-Mobile) ## Get in Touch Need more info, have a question or want a demo? Tell us a little bit more and we'll respond shortly. ## Stay Up to Date The TV landscape is changing quickly. 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