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Instant Intelligence: 82% of consumers spend more time on properties with premium ad environments

Amid growing competition for audiences’ attention, new research shows that premium ad environments significantly extend engagement.

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Publishers are under growing pressure as AI-driven discovery threatens to further undercut web traffic. Media publishers predict the shift to drive a 40% dip in search traffic over the next three years, according to a recent Reuters Institute report.1 At the same time, free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) apps continue to gain traction, with more than two-thirds of Gen Z and millennial viewers subscribing to FAST subscriptions, per a 2025 Deloitte digital media trends study.2

For publishers, these factors compound the fight for audiences’ attention, making the temptation to increase ad load feel like a necessary trade-off. But a 2026 Jounce Media benchmarking report warns that padding ad loads risks a “downward spiral” of degraded user experience and accelerated audience churn.3

That insight is supported by new research from PA Consulting and The Trade Desk Intelligence, published in The Premium Payoff report, which finds that disruptive ad formats can erode trust and harm publisher traffic.4 Comparatively, audiences are signaling a clear preference for quality over quantity and rewarding publishers that invest in premium ad environments with deeper engagement, the study reveals.

What we found: In fact, 82% of consumers surveyed say that premium ad experiences, such as ads that are well integrated, not overly interruptive, and complementary with the content they accompany, are likely to encourage them to spend more time on a channel, app, or website.

By contrast, the study finds that negative environments, like cluttered or disruptive ad experiences that slow down the content, risk suffering from 20% lower brand equity versus publishers with more premium experiences.

Additional signifiers from the study show publishers with a poor ad environment are seen as:

%
less trustworthy
%
less credible
%
less able to deliver consistent quality
%
less likely to know what it stands for as a brand

Meanwhile, premium ad environments encourage 81% of consumers surveyed to trust advertisers more, with 2 in 5 consumers agreeing that premium media drives stronger advertiser consideration. Plus, the study found that ads seen in premium media are 60% more effective at driving consumer perceptions of a brand as popular or successful compared to less premium media. Crucially, the research shows exposure to premium placements lifts purchase intent by 40%, with these ads being 30% more effective in driving action than ads in lower-quality environments.

What it means: At a moment when short-term trade-offs can have long-term consequences, the data is clear: Premium ad environments keep audiences around, and that time spent is worth protecting. Publishers that invest in thoughtful, high-quality ad experiences are better positioned to build and maintain credibility with audiences. 

Sources:
1. Journalism, media, and technology trends and predictions, Reuters Institute, January 2026.
2. Digital Media Trends Report, Deloitte, March 2025.
3. 2026 Bellwethers Report, Jounce Media, January 2026.
4. The Value of Premium, PA Consulting and The Trade Desk Intelligence, U.S., U.K., France, June 2025.