Omnichannel Measurement
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Unlocking Video’s Full Potential: An Attention-Based Analysis of YouTube’s Premium Ad Solutions
Introduction
According to Adelaide’s AU Score, YouTube’s Premium Video Ad Solutions Capture Outsized Attention.
YouTube has long been recognized as a leading video platform, but how do its premium ad solutions perform when evaluated using attention metrics?
Leveraging Adelaide’s AU metric—a predictive measure of a placement’s ability to capture attention and drive outcomes—this research quantifies YouTube’s premium ad solutions’ ability to capture attention compared to other streaming platforms and their similar high-impact ad placements.
By investing in media that commands heightened viewer attention and leveraging outcome-based attention metrics, advertisers can make more strategic investment decisions to optimize business results.
Attention Metrics and Advertiser Use Cases
What Are Attention Metrics?
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) defines attention metrics as measures or predictions of a person’s focus on an ad, typically derived from one or more of the following approaches: visual/audio tracking, physiological and/or neurological observations, data signals, and survey-based methods. Given the complexity of attention, the IAB notes that combining multiple data signals is often more informative than relying on any single input.
Adelaide’s Perspective
Adelaide’s AU is an outcome-based attention metric that draws from all four IAB-defined measurement approaches. It combines exposure data, eye-tracking and physiological research, and full-funnel outcome data—from brand lift surveys to lower-funnel conversions—to assess media quality.
How Advertisers Use Attention Metrics
Strategic Media Planning
Incorporate attention data and benchmarks into planning tools.
Real-Time Optimization
Identify opportunities to shift budgets toward higher-quality inventory.
Programmatic Activation
Use attention-based pre-bid segments, private marketplaces, and custom bidding to prioritize high-quality placements and avoid underperforming media dynamically.
Leveraging AU, this study examines how YouTube’s premium ad solutions perform through the lens of attention, highlighting key investment opportunities for advertisers to maximize impact.
AU Measurement Methodology
AU is a media quality score generated by a machine-learning model that evaluates placements using three core data sources:
Eye-Tracking Data
Understanding How Media Drives Attention
Eye-tracking studies offer direct insights into how people consume ads across different environments, helping to identify the impact of hundreds of characteristics that make placements more or less likely to capture and sustain attention. On the web, for instance, eye-tracking data emphasizes the importance of signals like ad coverage, page clutter, placement position, duration, and page velocity. But attention drivers vary by channel. Adelaide’s AU models for CTV, for example, prioritize variables such as app, genre, pod position, and time of day.
Adelaide uses eye-tracking data collected in a privacy-friendly manner through fully opted-in panels and research, either licensed from third-parties or conducted in-house. This data helps assess the likelihood of any attention occurring and its context within the surrounding media environment.
Placement Data
Measuring Media Characteristics at Scale
Adelaide collects placement-level data reflecting the media characteristics shown in preliminary research to influence the probability of attention. Adelaide then uses this data to develop a tailored AU algorithm for each media channel.
Outcome Data
Connecting AU to Business Results
Adelaide trains its AU models using full-funnel outcome data sourced from partnerships with survey and attribution providers, as well as measurement conducted alongside advertisers. These outcomes—ranging from brand awareness to sales—ensure AU scores accurately predict real-world advertising success. Each placement receives a 0–100 AU score based on its ability to capture attention and drive business outcomes, making AU a reliable proxy for bottom-line impact.
About the Study
YouTube is widely regarded as a leader in video, and Adelaide took a deeper look at its premium video ad solutions’ ability to drive attention and impact using AU.
Study Scope
This study, commissioned by Google, analyzed YouTube’s premium video ad solutions between 2022–2024, measuring AU across:
395
US Campaigns
149
Advertisers
30
Verticals & Placement Types
32B
Impressions
This research gives advertisers concrete insights into YouTube’s premium ad solutions’ ability to capture attention compared to other premium video platforms and similar high-impact ad placements.
YouTube’s Premium Video Ad Solutions Offer Higher Attention Potential on TV Screens Than Other Streaming Platforms and Similar High-Impact Placements
YouTube's premium video ad solutions 1) boost brand association with the most popular creators, content, and moments on YouTube and 2) capture attention by standing out to deeply engaged audiences. YouTube's premium video ad solutions can be activated in two ways:
1
YouTube Select allows advertisers to align with the top 1% of creators, most popular content, and biggest cultural moments to drive brand association.
2
High-Impact Placements enable advertisers to capture attention during key moments and ensure their brand is front and center (including the YouTube Masthead, First Position, and Pause Ads).
According to Adelaide, on average, YouTube Select is ranked #1 most likely to capture attention on the TV screen—outperforming 9 of the largest streaming platforms by 19%.
Adelaide Meta Analysis: YouTube Select’s Average AU vs. Other Streaming Platforms
Source
Adelaide US attention meta analysis commissioned by Google in 2024; Research spanned 30 placement types representing over 32B impressions from 395 US campaigns across 149 advertisers from 30 verticals between 2022-2024; Adelaide’s attention metric AU measures the likelihood of a placement to effectively capture attention and generate impactful outcomes; % attention lift of YouTube Select vs. Streaming Platforms on the TV screen; 19.0% attention lift vs. top 9 competitive set inclusive of Amazon, Hulu, Netflix, Peacock, HBO Max, Paramount+, Disney+, Tubi, and Roku.
According to Adelaide, on average, YouTube Mastheads are 46% more likely to capture attention than similar premium ad placements.
Adelaide Meta Analysis: YouTube Mastheads' Average AU vs. Similar Premium Ad Placements
Source
Source: Adelaide US attention meta analysis commissioned by Google in 2024; Research spanned 30 placement types representing over 32B impressions from 395 US campaigns across 149 advertisers from 30 verticals between 2022-2024; Adelaide’s attention metric AU measures the likelihood of a placement to effectively capture attention and generate impactful outcomes; % attention lift of YouTube Mastheads vs. Similar Premium Ad Placements; Similar premium ad placements inclusive of CTV and non-CTV formats.
Attention is the world’s most valuable resource, with finite supply and ever-increasing demands. Creating genuine opportunities for storytelling requires a true understanding of where quality can be found in the current Attention Economy. Adelaide’s attention metrics provide insight into the quality of attention, without the subjectivity of the medium. And the current trend towards quality attention in the YouTube ecosystem, including on CTV, is unparalleled.”
Joe Marchese, Executive Chairman, Human Ventures
(Former President, Advertising Revenue, Fox Networks Group)
(Former President, Advertising Revenue, Fox Networks Group)
In the face of the ‘attention recession,’ viewers crave authenticity, emotional resonance, and connection—and YouTube delivers. This resonates in advertising effectiveness, with Adelaide’s research underscoring the power of YouTube’s premium video ad solutions in capturing outsized attention.”
Shannon Trainor Stark, Managing Director, Solutions and Thought Leadership, Google
Proving the Power of Attention: Real-World Results From High-AU Media
Adelaide has consistently demonstrated that high-AU media delivers stronger results—and YouTube’s premium video ad solutions are no exception.
Case Study: High-AU YouTube Premium Video Ad Solutions Fuel Conversions for a Leading Brand
EssenceMediacom partnered with Adelaide to assess media quality and its impact on lower-funnel performance for a major advertiser. AU measurement across media partners, formats, and channels revealed a strong link between high-AU placements and improved conversion rates, with YouTube Select and YouTube Mastheads emerging as top performers.
High-AU OLV Media Boosts Conversions
High-AU placements consistently drove stronger outcomes than low-AU placements, including a 5.6x higher conversion rate for OLV overall.
Adelaide Correlation Analysis: Conversions by Average AU Grouping
Source
Source: Adelaide conversion analysis measuring the impact of high-AU media on key performance indicators; The analysis evaluated one US campaign, live from February through April 2025, and included 438M impressions across devices—over 58M of which were OLV; Adelaide's attention metric AU was used to quantify each placement's probability of attention; The correlation between AU scores and the client’s KPIs was assessed using conversion data provided by EssenceMediacom and its client.
YouTube Select and YouTube Mastheads Outperform Across Devices
18%
YouTube Select was 18% more likely to capture attention on the TV screen than the 8 premium streaming platforms active in the campaign.
57%
YouTube Mastheads outperformed Adelaide’s AU benchmark for similar premium placements by 57% on desktop and 37% on TV.
This study reinforces AU’s role as a powerful predictor of lower-funnel success, proving that high-AU placements—especially YouTube Select and YouTube Mastheads—drive greater impact for advertisers.
There’s a strong correlation between a media placement’s ability to capture attention and its impact on KPIs. With Adelaide, we’re applying these insights to invest in higher-AU formats and placements—like YouTube’s premium video solutions—while also leveraging Adelaide’s AU across programmatic channels to elevate media quality and drive better outcomes for clients."
Adam Shlachter, US, Client President, EssenceMediacom
YouTube’s Premium Video Ad Solutions as a Strategic Attention Investment
The Adelaide study reinforces that not all platforms drive attention equally.
Key Takeaways for Advertisers
1
YouTube Select Outperforms Other Streaming Platforms in Capturing Attention on TV:
With a higher likelihood of driving attention on TV screens, YouTube Select stands out as a high-value investment for advertisers.
2
High-Impact Placements Like YouTube Mastheads Offer a Competitive Edge:
YouTube Mastheads lead in predicted attention compared to similar premium ad placements, making it an effective option for maximizing brand impact.
Advertisers can unlock better business outcomes by prioritizing high-attention placements like YouTube’s premium video ad solutions and using outcome-based attention metrics like AU to inform strategic media investments.