With broadcasters like Turner experimenting with shorter ad loads in order to improve premium video ad experiences, what is the commercial break anymore – and what is the optimum length of an ad?

Suddenly, all bets are off – and answers to those questions are becoming necessary.

That’s why the FreeWheel Council for Premium Video, the ad-tech company’s advocacy group comprising 45 members, commissioned research to understand the impact of varying ad length.

In this video interview with Beet.TV, FreeWheel global agency, brand and industry relations VP James Rothwell details two key findings from Realeyes’ nearly-5,000-participant survey

Six after 30: “Six second ads worked incredibly well across certain metrics like engagement, brand recall, purchase intent when placed after a 30 second ad from the same campaign. It’s a smart use of, effectively, frequency and reinforcement that helps to drive better metrics and better results for advertisers.”

Fifteen is the sweet spot: “15 second ads were found to be almost twice as effective as 6 second ads and 30 second ads when used exclusively in short-form content. 15 second ads seem to be the right balance of being able to tell a story, but not be too intrusive to the user.”

What’s the takeaway from all this? Context is key, and variance is crucial.

“Understanding how to apply … a lighter ad load in certain environments, I think, is very important,” Rothwell adds.

Next up for FreeWheel’s council? A growing membership base, and a research roster that will extend to the topic of attribution, as FreeWheel aims to examine “how TV can reinforce and ultimately push people down the funnel towards action and outcomes for advertisers”.