Nine out of 10 (92%) European consumers think that changes need to be made to current online video advertising in order to improve the viewer experience, according to a new survey of 4,000 consumers in the UK, France and Germany, which was commissioned by online video solutions provider, Brightcove Inc.

According to the report, The Ad-Verse Consumer: European Video Advertising Tolerances in a Digital Age, when asked to pinpoint their specific objections to video advertising, consumers cited irrelevancy, volume and poor delivery – with 67% choosing to stop watching their selected content as a result of one of these issues.

The majority (82%) of respondents claimed to know what an ad blocker is and more than half of the consumers surveyed (51%) said they have downloaded, used or are currently using an ad blocker, with 23% reporting that they are contemplating using one. The top reasons given by those who had downloaded an ad blocker were that ads are too long (56%), not targeted and irrelevant (45%), and not interactive (20%).

Other key findings about European consumers’ experience with digital video advertising include:

• 73% have experienced poor video ad delivery (i.e. buffering, failing to load)
• More than half (51%) are frustrated by the number of online video ads
• 74% have had a negative experience with the content of an online video ad
• Over a third (36%) rarely or never see an ad relevant to their personal interests
• Two thirds (66%) of surveyed consumers reported that the length of the content that they want to view affects whether they are willing to watch an online ad in order to get it
• 50% of consumers say that they are not willing to pay for any type of online video content

According to Brightcove’s findings, the good news for publishers is that the majority of consumers said that they understand the necessary trade-off between online ads and free content and — here is the crucial bit — feel that it is fair. This was especially the case in the UK where almost eight in ten consumers (76%) agreed with the ad-supported model.

While this is encouraging, the report points out that “this goodwill will only stretch so far before it snaps,” with many consumers opting to look elsewhere for content rather than tolerate poor ad experiences. Given the growing specter of ad blocking, the findings suggest that publishers need to carefully consider their approach to monetizing online video content or risk losing out on viewers and associated revenue.