Ad loads grow on network TV

American TV viewers were exposed to an average of more than one hour of TV ads each day in 2013 and the proportion of ads aired during each hour of programming has steadily risen over the past five years, a new study has shown.

The latest "Advertising and Audiences" report from research firm Nielsen disclosed that commercials accounted for 14 minutes and 15 seconds of each hour's worth of network TV programming in 2013, up 50 seconds since 2009.

Ads on cable TV secured even higher rates, the study found, averaging 15 minutes and 38 seconds during each hour of programming last year, although this was down from the 16 minutes and 11 minutes recorded in 2011.

With Americans estimated to watch about five hours of TV each day, the report calculated that advertising accounted for about one-quarter of the total – or more than one hour's exposure a day – Marketing Charts reported.

In addition to the increased broadcast time allocated to ads, Nielsen also identified another trend for ads to be shorter in length.http://www.warc.com/LatestNews/News/EmailNews.news?ID=32977&Origin=WARCNewsEmail&CID=N32977&PUB=Warc_News&utm_source=WarcNews&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WarcNews20140516