SBS highlights effectiveness of advertising in uncluttered environments

New market-first research, done in conjunction with Samba.tv and Insighten, gives fresh insight into how ad loads compare across linear and live streaming platforms.

National broadcaster SBS has used its Upfront 2026 to highlight the effectiveness of media spend on the network amid an increasingly crowded and cluttered TV streaming landscape.

In market-first research, SBS commissioned Samba.tv and Insighten to showcase new insights on the ad load experience by consumers in live TV viewing environments across all the free-to-air commercial players.

“Across both linear and live streaming environments, Australians are exposed to an average of up to 16 minutes of ads per hour on some networks. In contrast, SBS has no more than five minutes per hour, giving audiences a better viewing experience and brands a clearer voice,” said Keiran Beasley, National Sales Manager – Digital and TV, SBS Media.

Beasley also connected this new research with a recent updated study by Ehrenberg-Bass which reinforces the power of shorter and fewer advertising breaks.

“The latest meta study from Ehrenberg-Bass reinforces why ad loads matter – because they demonstrate the clear connection between lower ad load and better recall,” he said.

“This research suggests that SBS’s low clutter environment delivers between 32 and 47 per cent better recall than our free-to-air competitors. Shorter ad breaks remain a cornerstone of SBS’s premium standout environment.”

SBS also committed to updating the ad load research in 2026 to include all streaming players in the Australian market.

“Early next year, we’re expanding this research further to include ad-supported SVODs and YouTube — helping agencies and clients understand clutter across the entire Total TV ecosystem,” he said.

“In a world where attention is scarce, smart marketers ensure their message stands out — not lost in the noise — and drives measurable results.”

Yasmin Sanders, Vice President APAC at Samba.tv, stressed the importance of this research in bringing further transparency to the sector.  

“The media sector has requested more transparency on ad loads, particularly in streaming, as well as insights based on the real experience of viewers. With Samba.tv data, SBS has been able to deliver a combined live total TV view to further provide accuracy and transparency into how audiences engage across live and streaming,” said Sanders.

Gagan Batra, Director of Insighten, highlighted the future value of this work.

“This has been a novel use of Samba.tv data in the Australian context. It has required forensic examination of the data to model the viewing experience; however we are now in a great position to expand the analysis to the full range of BVOD and SVOD services.”

SBS also used the Upfront event to showcase a partnership with the South Australian Tourism Commission on a summer campaign that highlighted South Australia as a top holiday destination to viewers in New South Wales and Victoria.

“We know SBS offers a premium audience and world-class ad environment.  We’re also working hard to prove the return on investment,” said Beasley.

“South Australian Tourism worked with us to prove that SBS viewers exposed to their campaign drove an uplift in foot traffic. Partnering with Azira and Merkle to measure precise footfall attribution, their campaign on SBS On Demand delivered a 42% uplift in foot traffic and over 12,000 verified visits.

“For the first time, they could measure cost per incremental visitor — and prove exceptional return on ad spend with SBS.”

For a pdf copy of this media release, click here.