Benchmarks
YouTube Ads Benchmarks 2026: View Rate, CPM Trends & CTR
Last updated: November 2026 · Data period: Q2 2025 (North America benchmarks) and Q3 2025–Q3 2026 (US cost trends)
YouTube is no longer just "video on the side". In 2026 it is a TV channel, a short-form feed and a performance network rolled into one. Most advertiser money now runs on the living-room screen, Shorts takes a growing slice, and Demand Gen campaigns push YouTube inventory toward clicks and conversions.
At the same time, YouTube is one of the few major channels where reach has been getting cheaper. That makes it worth a fresh look, but only if you judge it with the right yardstick.
For this guide we compiled the most reliable 2025–2026 YouTube benchmark sources: view rates and cost trends by format, CPM and connected TV (CTV) data, Demand Gen results, plus practical playbooks per vertical. We also explain why the "YouTube benchmarks by industry" tables you'll find elsewhere don't belong in a 2026 plan. Looking for last year's version? See the 2025 edition.
Key takeaways
Skippable in-stream YouTube ads had a 74.0% view rate in North America (mainly US) in Q2 2025, with skippable CPV down 6% year over year, according to the Strike Social Q2 2025 YouTube Benchmark Report.
As of Q3 2026, US YouTube CPM had not risen year over year for 17 consecutive quarters, and it was down 3% year over year in Q2 2026 (Tinuiti Q3 2026; Tinuiti, via Digital Applied).
TV screens took 75% of US YouTube video spend in Q2 2026, according to Tinuiti, via Digital Applied.
Connected TV completion rates (~77%) beat mobile (~62–65%) in North America in Q2 2025, according to Strike Social.
Demand Gen campaigns reached a 1.80% CTR in Q2 2025 in Strike Social's independent data, while Google claims +30% conversions or conversion value from H2 2025 improvements based on its own internal data (PPC Land).
Data caveat: no credible 2025–2026 dataset with YouTube view rates or costs by industry exists; the industry tables that circulate come from Strike Social's 2018 report, as Store Growers documents.
Why do YouTube Ads benchmarks matter in 2026?
Benchmarks help you work out where a campaign is losing value before you change budgets. Use them to answer questions like:
Am I paying too much for reach (CPM or CPV out of line with the market trend)?
Is my creative holding attention (view rate or completion rate lagging)?
Am I on the right screens (mobile vs TV vs Shorts)?
Am I judging YouTube on the wrong metric (last-click ROAS for an awareness campaign)?
The biggest mistake: killing a YouTube campaign because of a weak last-click ROAS, when the campaign was never built to close the sale.
What are the key YouTube Ads metrics (and how do they connect)?
View rate: views ÷ impressions
CPV (cost per view): spend ÷ views
CPM (cost per 1,000 impressions): spend ÷ impressions × 1,000
Completion rate: completed views ÷ impressions (key for bumpers and non-skippables)
CTR (click-through rate): clicks ÷ impressions
CPA and ROAS: spend ÷ conversions, and conversion value ÷ spend (most relevant for Demand Gen)
Why format changes what "good" looks like
Bumpers and non-skippable ads are bought for reach and completion; clicks are rare. Skippable in-stream sits in the middle and is judged on view rate and CPV. Demand Gen is built for action, so CTR, CPA and ROAS matter there. Compare each format only with itself.
YouTube Ads benchmarks by industry (2026)
Skippable in-stream YouTube ads had a 74.0% view rate and Demand Gen a 1.80% CTR in North America (mainly US) in Q2 2025, according to the Strike Social Q2 2025 YouTube Benchmark Report. An honest note, though: the YouTube industry tables that circulate widely (average view rate, CPV and per-industry figures) come from Strike Social's 2018 benchmark report, as Store Growers documents. That data is outdated: it predates Shorts, CTV dominance and Demand Gen. We don't use it.
We found no credible 2025–2026 dataset with YouTube view rates or costs by industry. What does exist is solid data by format, device and trend. Those are the tables below.
Table 1 - YouTube benchmarks by format (Q2 2025)
Format | Metric | Value |
|---|---|---|
Skippable in-stream | View rate | 74.0% |
Skippable in-stream | CPV change | −6% YoY |
Video View Campaigns (VVC) | CPV change | −64% YoY, −47% QoQ |
Bumper | CPM change | −7% YoY |
Non-skippable in-stream | CPM change | ~−30% YoY (+19% QoQ) |
Demand Gen | CTR | 1.80% (CPC −8% QoQ, +4% YoY) |
Source: Strike Social Q2 2025 YouTube Benchmark Report. North America (mainly US), adults 18+, Q2 2025. Weighted averages across Strike Social-managed campaigns, so this is an agency panel, not the whole market.
Table 2 - Completion rate by device and CTV share (Q2 2025)
Metric | Value |
|---|---|
Video completion rate, CTV | ~77% |
Video completion rate, overall | ~73.4–74.2% |
Video completion rate, desktop | ~64% |
Video completion rate, mobile | ~62–65% |
CTV share of spend / impressions / views | 74.7% / 75.8% / 79.1% |
Source: Strike Social Q2 2025, North America (mainly US), Q2 2025.
Table 3 - YouTube cost and screen trends (US)
Metric | Q3 2025 | Q2 2026 |
|---|---|---|
Spend YoY | +12% | +15% |
Impressions YoY | +30% | +19% |
CPM YoY | −14% | −3% |
TV-screen share of video spend | 65% (38% a year earlier) | 75% |
Shorts share of segmented spend | 23% | n/a |
Sources: Tinuiti Q3 2025; Tinuiti Q2 2026 via Digital Applied. US, Tinuiti client data. As of Q3 2026, YouTube CPM had not risen year over year for 17 consecutive quarters (Tinuiti Q3 2026).
What this data is really telling you
YouTube reach keeps getting cheaper. Seventeen quarters without a YoY CPM increase in Tinuiti's US data is rare among major channels. Tinuiti points to extra supply from Shorts and CTV as the driver.
YouTube is now a TV buy. TV screens took 75% of US video spend in Q2 2026 (Tinuiti) and ~75% of Strike Social's spend. If your creative is built for a phone, you're designing for the minority screen.
TV viewers watch longer. CTV completion (~77%) beats mobile (~62–65%) in Strike Social's data. That is good for storytelling, but TV viewers click less, so plan measurement accordingly.
Old benchmarks mislead. A 74.0% skippable view rate in Q2 2025 looks nothing like the 2018 figures still quoted online. Planning off those old tables will make your campaigns look either brilliant or broken for the wrong reasons.
Last-click ROAS undersells video. Focus Digital puts median Video campaign ROAS at 0.52x (Mar 2025–Apr 2026, region not stated), but on a last-click basis that doesn't capture brand effects. Treat it as directional and as a reminder to measure lift, not just clicks.
For CTR by format, Pixability data quoted by Store Growers (Nov 2025, region not stated) gives directional ranges: in-feed 1.0–3.0%+, skippable 0.5–2.0%, Shorts 0.1–0.5%, non-skippable below 0.3% and bumpers below 0.1%. The methodology isn't disclosed, so use these as a rough sense of scale only.
Europe and the Netherlands: what's different?
There is no public YouTube cost benchmark for Europe or the Netherlands. The market signals point in one direction, though:
European advertisers are adding YouTube. In a matched cohort of European advertisers tracked by Billy Grace, YouTube investment grew 15% between H1 2025 and H1 2026, and advertisers added YouTube 3.5 times for every time they dropped it (PPC Land).
Video is the growth engine of European digital ads. IAB Europe's AdEx Benchmark 2025 puts video at ~€34B (+19.6%), now over half of display, with social video up 25.7% (PPC Land, IAB Europe).
Use US numbers as direction, not as targets. All the cost and view-rate data above is North American. Build your own European baseline over the first 30 days.
Trends 2025–2026 and new features worth using
1) CTV is the main YouTube screen
The TV-screen share of US video spend jumped from 38% to 65% in a year by Q3 2025 and reached 75% in Q2 2026 (Tinuiti). Creative that works with sound on, at full screen, from a couch, is now the default brief.
2) Shorts is a real budget line
Shorts took 23% of segmented US YouTube spend in Q3 2025 (Tinuiti). Vertical, fast-hook creative is no longer optional if you want full reach.
3) Demand Gen replaces Video Action Campaigns
Demand Gen replaced Video Action Campaigns in 2025 and runs across YouTube, Shorts, Discover, Gmail and the Google Display Network. The following figures are Google's own claims, based on Google internal data and not independently verified (PPC Land):
According to Google, improvements in H2 2025 delivered +30% conversions or conversion value (Google Internal Data, Global, H2 2025), after +20% in H1 2025.
Google says creator partnerships ("creator boost") gave a +20% conversion lift (Jan 2025–Jan 2026).
Google reports that 46% of Demand Gen conversions come from net-new customers (US, Jan 2025–Mar 2026).
For an independent reference point, Strike Social measured a 1.80% Demand Gen CTR in Q2 2025 (Table 1).
4) Asset Studio for video creation
Google's Asset Studio added multimodal video creation, announced at Google Marketing Live on 20 May 2026 and generally available in 2026. No performance data has been published. It is useful for producing format variants (horizontal, vertical, short cuts) quickly; review the output before it runs.
Industry playbooks: what should you do differently by vertical?
Because no current industry data exists, these playbooks are practical guidance rather than benchmarks.
Retail & Ecommerce: how do you make video sell?
Use Demand Gen with a product feed for the lower funnel, and skippable or CTV ads for reach.
Show the product in use in the first seconds, with price or offer on screen.
Measure with lift or holdout tests, not only last-click ROAS.
B2B SaaS & Tech: how do you avoid paying for the wrong viewers?
Use customer lists and custom segments built on competitor and problem searches.
Lead with the problem, not the logo; short demos and customer stories work well.
Retarget engaged viewers with a trial or demo offer on other channels.
Finance & Insurance: how do you build trust at scale?
Use CTV for credibility and reach; keep one clear message and visible disclaimers.
Pair awareness flights with Search campaigns and watch branded search volume.
Education: how do you reach people while they're deciding?
Time flights around enrollment windows.
Student and alumni stories in Shorts format fit how younger audiences watch.
Use Demand Gen to drive brochure or open-day sign-ups.
Entertainment, Media & Gaming: how do you turn views into installs or tickets?
Lead with the most exciting moment; trailers built for the big screen suit CTV.
Use bumpers for release-date reminders in the final week.
Local services & Automotive: how do you connect reach to visits?
Use location targeting tightly and show the place, people and offer.
Follow up video reach with Search and local campaigns to capture the demand you create.
Actionable recommendations
1) Diagnose with the CPM → view rate → CTR → CVR → CPA ladder
High CPM or CPV: audience too narrow or placements too restricted → broaden targeting, allow CTV and Shorts.
Low view or completion rate: creative problem → stronger first five seconds, brand and message earlier.
Low CTR (Demand Gen or in-feed): weak call to action or wrong format → clearer offer, test vertical vs horizontal.
Weak CVR or high CPA: landing page or audience intent → fix the page, then tighten audiences.
2) Run a 30-day YouTube test plan
Week 1: set a baseline per format (view rate, CPV, CPM) for your own region.
Week 2: test screen mix (CTV-heavy vs mobile and Shorts).
Weeks 2–3: creative matrix of 3–4 hooks, each in horizontal, vertical and bumper-length cuts.
Week 4: add Demand Gen for retargeting and compare CPA with your other channels.
3) Measure YouTube where it actually works
Track branded search, direct traffic and cross-channel conversions alongside in-platform results.
Run a brand or conversion lift study before deciding to cut budget.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good view rate for YouTube ads in 2026?
The most recent reference point is a 74.0% view rate for skippable in-stream ads in North America (mainly US) in Q2 2025, according to the Strike Social Q2 2025 YouTube Benchmark Report. Ignore the much older 2018 industry figures that still circulate online.
How much do YouTube ads cost?
No reliable current CPM or CPV benchmark in absolute terms exists in the data we reviewed, but the trend is clear: US YouTube CPM was down 3% year over year in Q2 2026 (Tinuiti, via Digital Applied) and had not risen year over year for 17 consecutive quarters as of Q3 2026 (Tinuiti Q3 2026). Build your own CPM and CPV baseline per format in the first 30 days.
What is a good CTR for YouTube ads?
Demand Gen reached a 1.80% CTR in North America in Q2 2025, according to Strike Social. Directional Pixability ranges quoted by Store Growers (November 2025, region not stated) are 0.5–2.0% for skippable ads, 0.1–0.5% for Shorts and below 0.1% for bumpers.
What is a good ROAS for YouTube ads?
Focus Digital puts the median Video campaign ROAS at 0.52x (March 2025–April 2026, region not stated), but that is last-click and doesn't capture brand effects. Treat it as directional and measure YouTube with lift or holdout tests instead.
Is Demand Gen worth testing on YouTube?
Yes, as a controlled test: Google reports +30% conversions or conversion value from H2 2025 improvements, but that is Google internal data (PPC Land). The independent reference point is a 1.80% Demand Gen CTR in Q2 2025 from Strike Social.
Are there YouTube Ads benchmarks for Europe or the Netherlands?
No public YouTube cost benchmark exists for Europe or the Netherlands, so use the North American data as direction only and build your own baseline. European advertisers are adding YouTube: in a matched cohort tracked by Billy Grace, YouTube investment grew 15% between H1 2025 and H1 2026 (PPC Land).
Conclusion: what "good" YouTube Ads performance looks like in 2026
Forget the 2018 industry tables. Current data tells a clearer story:
Reach is getting cheaper: US YouTube CPM hasn't risen year over year for 17 quarters (Tinuiti).
The TV screen dominates spend, and viewers there finish more ads.
Skippable view rates of 74.0% (Strike Social, Q2 2025) are today's reference point, not the old 2018 figures.
Demand Gen is promising, but Google's uplift figures are Google's own; test them in your account.
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More 2026 ad benchmarks
Comparing channels? See all headline numbers side by side on our Ad Benchmarks 2026 hub, or jump to another guide in the series:
Sources
PPC Land – Demand Gen gains 30% on Google's own internal test data
Store Growers – YouTube ads benchmarks (directional; documents the 2018 origin of industry tables)
Focus Digital – Average ROAS for Google Ads (directional)
