Viewers of ad-supported streaming in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar say they are open to eight minutes of advertising for every hour they watch, according to a survey Magnite published today. The study, Streams & Screens: Middle East, polled 1,184 adults in September 2026 and is the latest in a run of country reports the sell-side advertising company has released this year across Europe and Asia.

Eight minutes is a minute more than Magnite reported in its Hong Kong and South Korea editions. The Gulf responses run higher on almost every other measure as well. According to the 23-page report, 79% of respondents say they are streaming more than a year ago, 83% of those who stream on connected TV always or often watch with other people, and 88% live stream content such as sports at least once a month. Between 67% and 76% say they are likely to engage with each of three newer ad formats Magnite tested, more than twice the South Korean share for every one of them in the edition Magnite released a week ago.

The figures are self-reported, and the report was produced for a company that sells the streaming inventory it describes. The one question that tests memory rather than attitude produces a far lower number than those around it: 34% of respondents could clearly remember details of an ad from their last viewing session.

In Short

Magnite, a company that sells advertising space on streaming TV and apps, asked 1,184 people in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar who watch streaming video with ads how they watch and how they feel about ads. Most say they are streaming more, often watch TV with family or friends, like local Gulf programming, and say they are fine with about eight minutes of ads an hour. These are answers to a survey Magnite paid for, not measured behaviour, so they show what people say rather than proof that any ad format works.

How the survey was built

Magnite ran the study with Bounce Insights, which the report describes as "a global research technology firm." According to the report, the firm's survey platform "ensures high-quality, reliable data from engaged, representative audiences." Magnite's landing page for the study does not name the research partner.

Respondents were adults aged 18 and over who watch ad-supported streaming. By country, 38% were in Saudi Arabia, 37% in the UAE and 25% in Qatar, which works out to roughly 450, 438 and 296 people respectively, by PPC Land's calculation. No other country in the region is included, so the "Middle East" of the title is in practice three Gulf states. Qatar, much the smallest of the three by population, supplies a quarter of the answers, and the report does not say whether results were weighted by country.

The sample skews male and young. Men made up 63% of respondents and women 37%. By age, 13% were 18 to 24, 38% were 25 to 34, 30% were 35 to 44, 15% were 45 to 54 and 4% were 55 or older. The report does not say in which languages the survey was fielded or whether respondents were citizens or foreign residents, two points that bear directly on its questions about "local" content and same-language advertising in countries with large expatriate populations. No margin of error is published, and no base sizes are given for the subgroups behind individual charts.

More services, more viewing

According to Magnite, 79% of streamers say they are streaming more this year than last, 78% are open to trying new services and 72% plan to sign up for a new one in the next year. Respondents already use four services on average. The key takeaways page puts the point in commercial terms: "Despite already using 4 services, 72% of streamers plan to sign up for another one."

Ad-supported viewing is the norm in the sample. According to the report, 74% of streamers watch ad-supported services, and the group as a whole is "open to 8 minutes of advertising per hour of streaming." As in previous editions, the report does not explain how the eight-minute figure was derived, whether it is an average or a median, or how the question was worded.

A platform reach chart shows YouTube used by 56% of respondents, against 95% for "all streaming (excluding social)," which the report defines as total unduplicated OTT reach. YouTube is the only platform the report names. It does not mention any regional streaming service or broadcaster.

Price appears to matter. According to the report, 52% say they are most likely to sign up for a new service that offers lower-cost subscription plans with ads, and 49% for one with access to live sports and events. The report's list of the top five "unmet needs" begins with more family-friendly content, followed by lower-cost subscription plans with ads, better ad experiences such as "fewer repetitive ads, more relevant ads," more locally produced original series and films, and more content reflecting local culture and traditions. Unlike almost every other chart in the deck, the unmet needs list carries no percentages.

The phone by day, the television at night

The slide headline says viewers "are evenly split across devices," and the numbers support it. According to Magnite, 78% use mobile for streaming and 77% use CTV. Daily use is similar: 85% of mobile users and 82% of CTV users stream at least once a day. Satisfaction is high on both, at 92% for mobile and 95% for CTV.

A daypart chart, which has no data labels and does not define its vertical axis, shows the two devices trading places during the day. Read against its gridlines, the mobile line starts at about 25% before 9am and rises to about 41% in the evening, while the CTV line starts lower, at about 16%, overtakes mobile in the late afternoon and peaks at roughly 50% between 5pm and 9pm. Those readings are PPC Land's and are approximate. According to the report, streamers are "'always on' with Mobile viewing common throughout the day and CTV peaking during primetime."

Local programming and the broadcaster

The report gives local content a central place. According to Magnite, 80% of streamers watch locally produced content and 78% watch Gulf, or Khaleeji, content. Seventy-seven percent say they appreciate the local content provided by broadcaster-led streaming services, a category the trade often calls BVOD, and 66% think international streaming services do not provide enough local content.

The advertising claims built on that are stated as likelihoods. According to the report, 72% are "more likely to trust ads shown during locally-produced content," 78% say they "have a stronger connection to ads aligned with local culture/content," 80% say ads delivered in the same language as the content are more effective, and 83% "are more likely to pay attention to ads targeted towards their interests." None of the "more likely" statements names the comparison.

One sentence pulls in a different direction. The same slide states that "Streamers in the Middle East place most importance on services carrying global content produced outside of the region," but no figure accompanies it. The genre chart beside it ranks comedy first at 71%, followed by action and adventure (66%), sports (64%), romance (57%), lifestyle, travel and food (57%), horror and thrillers (56%), science fiction and fantasy (52%), documentaries (51%), anime and animation (48%) and international drama (46%). The report does not define "international drama" or reconcile the global content statement with its local viewing figures.

The living room, and beyond it

The co-viewing figures are among the highest Magnite has reported in the series. According to the report, 83% of those who stream on CTV always or often watch with other people, and the average CTV streamer watches with four others. Shared viewing matters to buyers because a single device-level impression can reach several people, and platforms have started to count them. Google Ads began counting co-viewers in its reach metrics on June 2, 2026, switching to a "Total Co-view" definition.

Where Gulf viewers watch differs from Magnite's Asian samples. Sixty-four percent stream on CTV in a shared space at home such as the living room, but 52% also do so in a private space such as a bedroom, 28% at a friend's house, 19% in a public location such as a cafe or mall and 13% at school or work. In the South Korean edition, 82% streamed in a shared home space and only 6% at a friend's house.

Magnite asked how watching together changes reactions to advertising. According to the report, 65% pay more attention to ads while co-viewing, 75% think ads are more memorable, 71% think ads are more relevant and 71% discuss ads with others while watching together. The equivalent South Korean figures were 38%, 44%, 42% and 46%.

Second screens

Watching together does not mean the phone is put down. According to Magnite, 68% of viewers always or often use a second screen, such as a smartphone, while streaming on a TV. Forty-three percent use it to shop online, which the report calls "prime candidates for actionable ads." Social media (64%), messaging (58%) and internet browsing (48%) are the other uses listed.

The key takeaways page goes further than the data on this point, describing the 68% as "interacting with ads in real time." The survey figure measures second-screen use while streaming, not interaction with ads. The same wording appeared in the South Korean edition.

Live streams

Live viewing is close to universal in the sample. According to the report, 88% of viewers live stream content such as sports and events at least once a month, and 71% always or often watch live sporting events with others. Seventy-seven percent say they are more likely to remember brands that advertise during live streams, and 70% say they are more likely to take an action based on an ad seen during a live stream. Neither statement says what the comparison is.

Live inventory has been a growth line for Magnite. The company said in September that more than 5,800 advertisers bought live sports inventory on its platform for the first time between January and July 2026, with live sports ad spend up 56% year on year. Its United States live viewing study put tolerance for live content at 8.7 minutes of ads per hour, with 7.9 minutes in Australia and 7.6 in New Zealand.

Recall, and the case for two screens

The report's argument for combining CTV and mobile rests on three numbers. Asked whether they can clearly remember details of an ad from their last viewing session, 34% of smartphone viewers and 34% of CTV viewers said yes. Seventy-two percent say they regularly see the same ad across multiple devices, and 73% say they are more likely to take an action if they see an ad across multiple devices.

The slide that presents those numbers is headlined "While Strong Individually, CTV and Mobile Can Be Even More Effective Together." A recall rate of about one in three sits well below the 65% to 77% who say ads are more memorable or attention-grabbing when watched together or live, and below the South Korean edition, where 42% of CTV viewers and 39% of smartphone viewers said they could recall an ad clearly.

The 73% also changes meaning as it moves through Magnite's material. On the detail slide it covers ads seen "across multiple devices." The recommendations page restates it as evidence that "Repeating campaigns on both mobile and CTV increases likelihood of engagement among 73% of streamers," and Magnite's landing page describes it as repeated exposure across both screens. The question as reported does not single out CTV and mobile, and a stated likelihood is not a measured increase.

Newer formats score high

Magnite tested three formats it calls innovative: actionable ads, CTV homescreen ads and pause ads. Awareness is far higher than in the Asian editions, and so is stated willingness to engage:

  • Actionable ads, which let viewers click or scan a code to buy a product or visit a website: 59% aware, 76% likely to engage
  • CTV homescreen ads, promotional thumbnails or banners within a streaming app's interface: 49% aware, 71% likely to engage
  • Pause ads, which appear when a viewer pauses content: 48% aware, 67% likely to engage

In South Korea, awareness ranged from 30% to 37% and likelihood to engage from 31% to 35%. Pause ads in Hong Kong drew 37% awareness and 47% likelihood to engage.

Among respondents aware of each format, the report tracks a purchase funnel. For in-stream targeted ads, 62% say they searched for or discussed a product, 56% saved a product or clicked a link, and 57% added to cart or purchased. Actionable ads score 56%, 58% and 55%. Pause ads score 58%, 48% and 48%. Tile ads score 59%, 58% and 51%. The report does not give a time frame for those actions or link them to any ad exposure.

The funnel rests on subsets. If the awareness shares apply to the full sample, the actionable ad figures come from roughly 699 respondents, the homescreen figures from about 580 and the pause ad figures from about 568, by PPC Land's calculation. In-stream targeted ads are not part of the awareness question, so their base is unknown. As in the South Korean deck, the format called "CTV Homescreen Ads" on the awareness slide becomes "Tile Ads" on the funnel slide without explanation.

The formats are moving towards standard definitions. IAB Tech Lab finalised signalling guidance for six CTV ad formats on July 22, 2026, covering pause, menu and home screen, overlay, screensaver, in-scene and squeezeback units. Home screen inventory is also tied to Magnite's own technology. LG Ad Solutions extended its partnership with Magnite by three years on October 14, 2026, and Samsung opened its Smart TV home screens to programmatic buying in June 2026 with Magnite's SpringServe as ad server. The Gulf report names neither manufacturer.

Generative AI in ads

Gulf respondents are relaxed about AI-made advertising, according to the report, but want to be told. Eighty-nine percent say commercials made with generative AI would not negatively affect their perception of a brand, and only 13% are uncomfortable watching ads created with AI. Seventy-three percent are open to brands using AI to make the ad experience more personalised, and 72% believe ads made with generative AI can be just as engaging as traditional ads. Even so, 81% would prefer brands to disclose when an ad has been created with generative AI.

The disclosure preference is the highest of the three editions. It stood at 75% in South Korea and 72% in Hong Kong. The industry's own rules are narrower. The IAB published version 2 of its AI Transparency and Disclosure Framework on August 18, 2026, which requires a label only when AI involvement could materially mislead consumers, and which cited an NYU Stern finding that telling consumers an ad was AI-made cut click-through rates by 31.5%. Advertisers have also tended to overestimate consumer comfort. IAB research published in January 2026 found that 82% of advertising executives believed Gen Z and Millennial consumers felt positive about AI-generated ads, against 45% of those consumers.

Who is watching

Food and cooking is the most common interest in the sample at 75%, followed by travel and tourism (74%), technology and gadgets (70%), health and fitness (70%), entertainment (66%), skincare (64%), sports (63%), fashion (62%), gaming (55%), personal finance (54%), automotive (52%) and home interior and design (48%). According to Magnite, gaming is "significantly more popular" among 18 to 24 year olds than any other age group, and personal finance is a top interest in Qatar but not in Saudi Arabia or the UAE. No country-level figures are published.

Outside video, 75% listen to music or podcasts, 61% play video games, 52% watch linear TV and 41% read.

How the Gulf compares

Read side by side with Magnite's editions for South Korea and Hong Kong, the Gulf sample gives more positive answers on nearly every attitude question.

Measure Gulf (Sept 2026, 1,184) South Korea (Q3 2026, 905) Hong Kong (Q1 2026, 920)
Ad minutes per hour accepted 8 7 7
Services used on average 4 5 4
CTV users who always or often co-view 83% 69% 72%
Average number of co-viewers 4 3 3
Live stream at least monthly 88% 72% 66%
More likely to act on a live-stream ad 70% 39% 48%
Clearly recall last CTV ad 34% 42% not stated
Want AI-made ads disclosed 81% 75% 72%

Why would Gulf viewers be so much more positive than Korean ones? The report does not discuss the gaps, which are large and consistent. It does not say whether the differences reflect behaviour or the way respondents in different markets answer agree-or-disagree style questions, and the one recall question, where respondents had to say whether they could remember specifics, runs the other way. The Gulf edition does not refer to an earlier wave for the region, so the "streaming more" figure rests on respondents' recollection of the previous year.

Why the report matters for the market

Magnite is a supply-side platform whose business now leans on television. In the second quarter of 2026, its CTV contribution ex-TAC grew 36% to $97.1 million, 51% of the company's total, and revenue from international sellers rose 23% to $50.4 million against 8% growth in the United States. A report that presents Gulf viewers as heavy, social and receptive streamers supports the international expansion that number describes.

The report closes on its commercial purpose. Its recommendations call on advertisers to "Leverage CTV's shared, premium environment," to "Adopt a unified cross-screen strategy," to treat viewers as "open to CTV innovation" and to "Lean into local content that embraces regional values." On formats, it says "those that begin investing in these capabilities now may be well positioned as the opportunities scale," and on local content that ads presented "in a culturally sensitive way, may improve trust, awareness and overall effectiveness." The final slide directs readers to a Magnite account representative.

For buyers planning Gulf campaigns, the report offers a set of stated preferences rather than evidence of outcomes. It measures what 1,184 people said, not what they did, and it links no response to an exposure log, a sale or a named service. It publishes no weighting method, no subgroup base sizes and no margin of error, and it never names a streaming platform in the region other than YouTube. Whether eight minutes of advertising an hour, or the 70% who say they would act on a live-stream ad, would hold up in campaign data is a question the survey cannot answer.

Timeline

Summary

Who: Magnite, the sell-side advertising company, with research firm Bounce Insights. The respondents were 1,184 adults in Saudi Arabia (38%), the UAE (37%) and Qatar (25%) who watch ad-supported streaming. The report quotes no named individuals.

What: Streams & Screens: Middle East, a 23-page survey report on streaming habits and attitudes to advertising. It finds that respondents are open to 8 minutes of ads per hour, use 4 services on average, stream on mobile (78%) and CTV (77%) in near-equal numbers, co-view heavily on television (83% always or often, with 4 others on average) and watch local (80%) and Khaleeji (78%) content. Stated willingness to engage with actionable, homescreen and pause ads runs from 67% to 76%, while 34% can clearly recall details of their last ad. Eighty-one percent want AI-made ads disclosed.

When: Magnite published the report today. Fieldwork took place in September 2026.

Where: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. No other country in the region is covered, despite the "Middle East" title.

Why: Magnite sells CTV and mobile inventory and uses the survey to argue for cross-screen buying, live streaming, newer CTV formats and ads placed in local content. CTV accounted for 51% of its contribution ex-TAC in the second quarter of 2026. The Gulf answers run well above Magnite's South Korean and Hong Kong editions on nearly every attitude question, and the report publishes no weighting method, subgroup base sizes or margin of error to help explain why.