South Korean viewers of ad-supported streaming are open to seven minutes of advertising for every hour they watch, according to a survey Magnite published on October 26, 2026. The study, titled Streams & Screens: South Korea, polled 905 adults in the third quarter of 2026 and is the latest in a run of country reports the sell-side advertising company has issued across Europe and Asia this year.

The 23-page report describes a market in which the phone carries viewing through the day and the television takes over in the evening. According to Magnite, 78% of respondents stream on mobile devices and 69% stream on connected TV or IPTV, 52% say they are streaming more than a year ago, and the average streamer uses five different services. Seventy-two percent watch live streams at least once a month, and 95% watch some form of vertical video.

For advertisers, the most material numbers concern the living room. According to the report, 82% of those who stream on CTV or IPTV do so in a shared space at home, 69% always or often watch with other people, and they watch with three others on average. Those are the conditions Magnite, which sells streaming television inventory, uses to argue for pairing television placements with mobile ones. The findings are self-reported, and the report was produced for a company with a direct commercial interest in the inventory it describes.

In Short

Magnite, a company that sells advertising space on streaming TV and apps, asked 905 people in South Korea who watch streaming video with ads how they watch and how they react to ads. Most watch on their phones all day, but TV streaming jumps in the evening, when families often watch together, and that shared viewing is what Magnite highlights to advertisers. The numbers are what people said in a survey Magnite paid for, not measured behavior, so they show attitudes 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." The report says the firm's platform "ensures high-quality, reliable data from engaged, representative audiences." Respondents were adults aged 18 and over who watch ad-supported streaming, and the sample was split evenly between men and women.

By age, 9% of respondents were 18 to 24, 23% were 25 to 34, 26% were 35 to 44, 21% were 45 to 54 and 21% were 55 or older. The methodology page describes the sample as "over 900 respondents"; the sample box gives the exact count as 905.

The regional breakdown is less straightforward. The report lists five areas: Gyeongsang (27%), Chungcheong (24%), Jeolla and Jeju (23%), Gyeonggi (17%) and Gangwon (10%). Seoul and Incheon do not appear in the table, and the report does not say whether respondents from those cities were grouped under Gyeonggi, the province that surrounds them. Even if they were, the capital region would account for 17% of the sample. According to Statistics Korea census data reported by The Korea Times on July 28, 2026, the greater Seoul area held 26.38 million of the country's 51.82 million residents in 2025, or 50.9%. The report does not say whether responses were weighted to correct for that difference.

The report also estimates that "approximately 20 million people in South Korea are streaming ad-supported video," citing "Census Bureau, Statista" without a year or a specific dataset. The same two-source attribution appeared in Magnite's Spain edition, which put Spanish streamers at about 35 million. No margin of error is published, and several percentages in the deck describe respondents as "more likely" to do something without stating the comparison.

More services, more viewing

According to the report, 52% of South Korean streamers say they are streaming more this year than last, and 50% expect to stream more next year than this. Streamers use five services on average. Forty-five percent say they are open to trying new services, and 35% plan to sign up for a new one within the next year.

Ad-supported tiers are already the norm in the sample. According to Magnite, 67% of streamers "use ad-supported services and accept 7 minutes of ads per hour." The same seven-minute figure appears elsewhere as a general statement that streamers are "open to 7 minutes of advertising per hour of streaming." The report does not explain how the figure was derived, whether it is an average or a median, or how the question was put. Among streamers not currently using an ad-supported tier, 37% plan to subscribe to one. The key takeaways page places that within "this year," while the detail page says "in the next year."

Seven minutes is the same tolerance Magnite reported in Hong Kong. Its Hong Kong edition, fielded in the first quarter of 2026 with 920 respondents and also run with Bounce Insights, found the same seven minutes and an average of four services rather than five. For live content specifically, Magnite's United States study put the equivalent figure at 8.7 minutes, with 7.9 minutes in Australia and 7.6 in New Zealand.

A platform reach chart shows YouTube used by 71% of streamers, against 99% for "all streaming (excluding social)," which the report defines as total unduplicated OTT reach. The report names no Korean streaming service, broadcaster or IPTV operator. YouTube is the only platform it names. The Spain edition used the same framing, with 99% for addressable streaming platforms against 58% for YouTube.

One figure stands apart from the rest of the survey. According to the deck, 86% "of people with internet access are active on the open web (streaming, gaming, listening to podcasts/music) outside of walled gardens." The sample consists of streamers, not all internet users, and the report does not say how the figure was produced or whether YouTube is counted inside or outside a walled garden.

The phone by day, the television at night

Mobile is the most widely used streaming device in the sample. According to Magnite, 78% use mobile for streaming and 69% use CTV. A daypart chart, which carries no data labels and does not define its vertical axis, shows the two devices diverging after the afternoon. Read against its gridlines, the CTV line sits at roughly 10% to 12% before 5pm, then rises to just under 50% in the evening (5pm to 9pm) and stays close to that level after 9pm. The mobile line climbs more gradually, from about 15% in the early morning to about 21% in the afternoon, 31% in the evening and 35% late at night. Those readings are PPC Land's and are approximate.

The slide headline says CTV commands "the most attention during prime time." The chart itself plots when each device is used. The report contains no attention measurement, such as eye tracking or panel data, to support the attention claim.

The report carries one outside quote. Junsu Bae, Associate Vice President, Media Solutions, Korea, at WPP Media, said: "In South Korea, streaming has become a truly cross-screen behavior. Mobile keeps audiences connected throughout the day, while CTV brings higher attention during premium, primetime viewing moments. For brands, the opportunity is not to choose one screen over another, but to understand the role each plays in the consumer journey and build integrated strategies that connect reach, relevance and engagement. Magnite's research highlights why cross-screen planning is becoming essential to creating more effective streaming advertising experiences in Korea."

The living room

The strongest numbers in the report relate to where television streaming happens. According to Magnite, 82% of CTV and IPTV streamers watch in a shared space at home such as the living room, against 33% in a private space such as a bedroom, 6% at a friend's house, 4% at school or work and 3% in a public location such as a cafe or mall. Sixty-nine percent of those who stream on CTV or IPTV always or often watch with other people, and the average CTV streamer watches with three others.

Co-viewing matters to buyers because a single device-level impression can reach several people. Magnite asked respondents how shared viewing changes their reaction to ads. Thirty-eight percent say they pay more attention to ads while co-viewing, 44% think ads are more memorable, 42% think they are more relevant and 46% discuss ads with others while watching together.

Platforms have started to count those extra viewers. Google Ads started counting co-viewers in its reach metrics on June 2, 2026, switching to a "Total Co-view" definition built on CTV panel data and surveys across more than 100 countries.

The Korean co-viewing numbers sit slightly below those Magnite reported for Hong Kong, where 72% of CTV viewers often or always watched with others and 88% streamed in shared home spaces. The average group size, three other people, was the same in both markets.

Second screens

Shared viewing on the television does not mean the phone is put away. According to Magnite, 58% of South Korean viewers always or often use a second screen, such as a smartphone, while streaming on a TV. Over a third, 36%, use that second screen to shop online. Social media (43%), messaging (37%) and internet browsing (34%) are the other uses the report lists.

Magnite presents the second screen as a route to "actionable" ads, formats that let a viewer act on a television ad through a QR code or a click. The key takeaways page goes further, describing the 58% as "interacting with ads in real time." The survey figure itself measures second-screen use while streaming, not interaction with ads.

Live streams

According to the report, 72% of South Korean viewers live stream content such as sports and events at least once a month, and 40% always or often watch live sporting events with others. Forty-six percent say they are more likely to remember brands that advertise during live streams. Magnite's landing page adds "compared to on demand content" to that statement, a comparison the report itself does not spell out.

There is a second wording gap. The report's detail page says 39% are "more likely to take an action based on an ad they saw during a live stream." The key takeaways page presents the same 39% as "more likely to purchase from an ad shown during a live stream." Purchase is one possible action among several, so the two descriptions are not equivalent.

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 global live sports ad spend up 56% year on year.

South Korean respondents live stream more often than Hong Kong's, 72% monthly against 66%, but score lower on what follows. In the Hong Kong edition, 57% said they recalled brands from live streams, 48% said they were more likely to act on a live-stream ad and 50% co-viewed live sports. The South Korean figures are 46%, 39% and 40%.

Vertical video and microdramas

Short-form vertical video is close to universal in the sample. According to Magnite, 95% watch some form of vertical video, 72% watch short-form factual content such as news clips and sports highlights, 67% watch user-generated short videos and 48% watch short-form scripted series such as microdramas.

Daily use is high. Eighty percent watch some vertical video at least once a day, 59% watch news, 55% watch entertainment or celebrity content, 43% watch sports and 41% watch microdramas daily.

On advertising, 78% say the short-form content they watch contains ads and 71% say ads are as memorable as sponsored content. Twenty-two percent regularly click links in vertical video ads, and 18% say they have made a purchase from one. Magnite's landing page phrases the 22% as viewers who "regularly act on ads," a broader description than the clicks the report measures.

The key takeaways page carries a different headline number for vertical video: 83% "regularly watch addressable short-form vertical video." The detail page gives 95% for any vertical video and 80% for daily viewing. The report does not reconcile the 83% with either figure, and does not say what makes a vertical video addressable.

The microdrama figure is where South Korea departs most from Hong Kong. In the Hong Kong edition, 76% of respondents watched short-form scripted series, against 48% in South Korea. Purchases from vertical video ads were close in both markets, 20% in Hong Kong and 18% in South Korea.

Cross-device recall

The report's case for combining screens rests on three numbers. Asked whether they can clearly remember details of an ad from their last viewing session, 42% of CTV viewers and 39% of smartphone viewers said yes. Fifty-eight percent say they regularly see the same ad across multiple devices, and 56% say they are more likely to take an action if they see an ad across multiple devices.

The recommendations page at the end of the deck cites a different figure: "Repeating campaigns on both mobile and CTV increases likelihood of engagement among 55% of streamers." The report does not explain the one-point difference. The three-point gap in recall between CTV and smartphone is self-reported, and the report does not say how many respondents answered for each device.

Generative AI in ads

According to Magnite, 83% of South Korean streamers say commercials made with generative AI would not negatively affect their perception of a brand, and only 19% are uncomfortable watching ads created with AI. Fifty-two percent are open to brands using AI to make the ad experience more personalized. Magnite's landing page describes the same 52% as open to AI being used to "create and personalize" ad content, which is wider than the report's wording.

Fewer are convinced on effectiveness. Forty percent believe ads made with generative AI can be as engaging as traditional ads. Seventy-five percent would prefer brands to disclose when an ad has been created with generative AI.

That disclosure preference lands as the industry writes its own rules. 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%. 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.

South Korean respondents are less enthusiastic than Hong Kong's on most of these questions. In Hong Kong, 89% said AI-made commercials would not hurt brand perception, 16% were uncomfortable and 58% thought AI ads could be as engaging. The disclosure preference ran the other way: 72% in Hong Kong against 75% in South Korea.

Awareness of new formats is still low

Magnite tested three streaming formats it calls innovative: actionable ads, CTV homescreen ads and pause ads. Awareness ranges from 30% to 37% of respondents:

  • Actionable ads, which let viewers click or scan a code to buy a product or visit a website: 30% aware, 35% likely to engage
  • CTV homescreen ads, promotional thumbnails or banners in a streaming app's interface or a TV's home screen: 37% aware, 31% likely to engage
  • Pause ads, which appear when a viewer pauses content: 34% aware, 31% likely to engage

Pause ads draw less interest in South Korea than in Hong Kong, where Magnite reported 37% awareness and 47% likelihood to engage. On both measures, the format reaches about a third of South Korean respondents.

Among those already aware of each format, the report tracks a purchase funnel. For in-stream targeted ads, 50% say they searched for or discussed a product, 29% saved a product or clicked a link, and 28% added to cart or purchased. Actionable ads score 50%, 43% and 42%. Pause ads score 39%, 28% and 23%. Tile ads score 46%, 34% and 31%.

Those funnel numbers come from subsets. If the awareness percentages apply to the full sample of 905, the pause ad funnel rests on roughly 308 respondents and the actionable ad funnel on roughly 272, by PPC Land's calculation. The report does not publish base sizes. Nor does it explain the label change from "CTV Homescreen Ads" on the awareness slide to "Tile Ads" on the funnel slide, or include in-stream targeted ads in the awareness question.

The formats are moving toward standardisation. IAB Tech Lab finalized signaling guidance for six CTV ad formats on July 22, 2026, covering pause, menu and home screen, overlay, screensaver, in-scene and squeezeback units. Magnite rolled out pause ads across DIRECTV, DISH Media and Fubo in August 2025, and Philo added the format in June 2026 with Magnite among eight supply partners.

Korean content, Korean calendar

Local programming leads the viewing list. According to the report, 70% of streamers watch Korean drama, 50% news and current affairs, and 49% live sports. Action and adventure (47%), lifestyle, travel and food (47%), comedy (46%), science fiction and fantasy (45%) and romance (42%) follow. Further down are anime (39%), documentaries (35%), horror and thrillers (35%), reality and competition shows (33%) and video podcasts (27%). Asian drama produced outside Korea draws 21%, international drama from outside Asia 20%, and live events such as award shows 20%.

Fifty-seven percent say ads delivered in the same language as the content are more effective, 55% say they feel a stronger connection to ads aligned with local culture, and 63% say they are more likely to pay attention to ads targeted to their interests.

Travel and tourism is the most common interest at 69%, followed by food and cooking (61%), personal finance (55%), health and fitness (54%), entertainment (49%), beauty and skincare (46%), fashion (46%), gaming (39%), sports (38%), technology and gadgets (32%), home interior and design (26%) and automotive (26%).

Asked to pick up to three holidays when they spend most, 58% chose Seollal, the Lunar New Year, and 51% chose Chuseok, the autumn harvest holiday. Christmas and New Year's drew 48% and May's Family Month 47%. The Korea Sales Festa shopping event was picked by 14%. Outside video, 58% listen to music or podcasts, 56% watch linear TV, 39% play video games and 28% read.

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, CTV contribution ex-TAC grew 36% to $97.1 million, 51% of the company's total contribution ex-TAC, and revenue from international sellers rose 23% to $50.4 million, against 8% growth in the United States. A report that frames the South Korean living room as shared, premium and under-served by awareness of new formats supports the inventory Magnite sells.

Two of the world's largest television makers are South Korean, and both are tied to Magnite's technology. Samsung opened its Smart TV home screens to programmatic buying in June 2026, with Magnite's SpringServe as the underlying ad server and a global rollout starting in the third quarter. LG Ad Solutions extended its partnership with Magnite by three years on October 14, 2026, keeping SpringServe as its exclusive CTV video ad server and making LG home screen inventory available through Magnite's Seller Agent. The South Korea report mentions neither company, and the homescreen format it tests is defined generically.

The report closes on its commercial purpose. The final slides direct readers to a Magnite account representative and a regional address, and list five "targetable audiences": males, females, affluent, gamers and travel enthusiasts.

Magnite's own recommendations follow from the data it gathered. According to the report, CTV's "shared, premium environment" can increase reach and boost memorability while "leaving the second screen free for further brand engagement." It calls for a "unified cross-screen strategy," says live streaming and new formats "increase CTV's potential," and says vertical video combines "high-frequency viewing with active ad engagement."

What the survey does not show is just as relevant. It measures what 905 people said, not what they did, and it does not link any response to an exposure log or a sale. It publishes no base sizes for its subgroups, no weighting method and no margin of error, and its regional table does not name the capital. It does not reference an earlier South Korea edition, so the "streaming more" figures rest on respondents' own recollection rather than a prior wave. Several numbers shift slightly between the key takeaways, the detail slides and Magnite's landing page.

The series format does allow comparison. Read side by side, the South Korean and Hong Kong editions describe two markets with the same stated ad tolerance and the same co-viewing group size, but with lower South Korean interest in pause ads, microdramas and AI-made creative. Whether those gaps reflect the markets or the samples is a question neither report answers.

Timeline

Summary

Who: Magnite, the sell-side advertising company, with research firm Bounce Insights. The report quotes Junsu Bae, Associate Vice President, Media Solutions, Korea, at WPP Media. The respondents were 905 South Korean adults who watch ad-supported streaming.

What: Streams & Screens: South Korea, a 23-page survey report on streaming habits and ad attitudes. It finds that streamers are open to 7 minutes of ads per hour, use 5 services on average, stream on mobile (78%) and CTV (69%), co-view heavily on television (69% always or often, with 3 others on average), and show low awareness of pause, homescreen and actionable ads (30% to 37%). Seventy-five percent want AI-made ads disclosed.

When: Magnite published the report on October 26, 2026. Fieldwork took place in the third quarter of 2026.

Where: South Korea. The regional breakdown lists Gyeongsang, Chungcheong, Jeolla and Jeju, Gyeonggi and Gangwon, and does not name Seoul or Incheon.

Why: Magnite sells CTV and mobile inventory and uses the survey to argue for cross-screen buying and newer CTV formats. Its CTV business accounted for 51% of contribution ex-TAC in the second quarter of 2026, and South Korean TV makers Samsung and LG both run home screen advertising on Magnite technology. The figures are self-reported and come without base sizes, weighting details or a margin of error.