US Internet users received a record 1.1 trillion display ads* during the first quarter of 2010, up 15% from a year earlier, with Facebook the top display-ad publisher and AT&T the top advertiser, according to comScore's Ad Metrix.
Total US display ad spending reached an estimated $2.7 billion for the quarter, with the average cost per thousand impressions (CPM) equal to $2.48.
Facebook Top Display-Ad Publisher
Facebook led all online publishers, accounting for 16.2% of market share during the quarter, with 176 billion display ad impressions. Yahoo Sites ranked second, with 132 billion impressions (12.1%), followed by Microsoft Sites with 60 billion impressions (5.5%) and Fox Interactive Media with 53 billion impressions (4.9%).
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AT&T Top Display Advertiser
AT&T was the top online display advertiser, accounting for 2.4% of display ads during the quarter, with 26.3 billion impressions. Verizon was second, with 21.9 billion ads (2.0%), followed by Scottrade with 16.4 billion (1.5%), Experian Interactive with 15.6 billion (1.4%), and Sprint Nextel with 10.1 billion (0.9%).
"Following a severe ad recession that began in late 2008 and continued through the first three quarters of 2009, we've been seeing a strong resurgence in the online display ad market," said Jeff Hackett, comScore SVP.
"The first quarter of 2010 posted strong volume in online display ads, coinciding with increasing expenditure from advertisers and higher CPMs for publishers. This pickup in activity should bode well for the online advertising industry as we move forward in 2010."
*Display ads include static and rich media ads; they exclude video ads, house ads, and very small ads (< 2,500 pixels in dimension).
