🎯 Contextual targeting unlocks news streaming for advertisers

The compiled data challenges long-standing market stereotypes, demonstrating that modern, scene-level content analysis technologies enable brands to confidently and accurately purchase premium inventory without reputational risks.

According to Wurl, news channels generate approximately 8.6% of total FAST viewing time in the US, drawing a highly engaged audience to screens. Furthermore, there is a unique segment of users—accounting for 7.4% of total viewing time across all genres—who watch news almost exclusively. Despite this, many advertisers still rely on blunt keyword filters and completely exclude the “News” category from their campaigns, sacrificing massive reach and undermining their overall return on investment (ROI).

Key insights from the Wurl study include:

• Over a third of news airtime is completely safe: 35.7% of analyzed news scenes fully comply with the strict brand safety criteria established by the IAB classification.
• Granular analysis technologies change the game: Instead of blocklisting an entire channel, Wurl’s algorithms evaluate the specific scene immediately preceding an ad break, allowing brands to integrate into neutral segments within news broadcasts.
• Risks are predictable and localized: The vast majority of “unsafe” flags in news are concentrated within a narrow spectrum of topics: violence, military conflicts, and disasters. Meanwhile, many other content categories that traditionally deter brands are virtually non-existent in live broadcasts.
• The core audience demonstrates high loyalty: The bulk of news consumption (over 80%) is driven by just 6.4% of total connected devices. These are hyper-engaged viewers who are extremely difficult to reach through other media genres.

As the report’s authors note, detailed contextual analysis at the scene level allows advertisers to abandon sweeping restrictions in favor of agile campaign management on Connected TV screens.