A new report from eMarketer is predicting that by the end of 2017 there will be 86.6 million people using ad blocking software in the US. This is a 24% increase from the current levels according to the company. This is a huge number, and it is expected to grow further over time. Of course, marketers are quite concerned with this because almost everything online (and in other places) is funded by advertising dollars.
The report states, “90.5% of ad blocking users will block ads on desktops and laptops, while just 29.7 percent will do so on smartphones.” Of course, that number will go up as ad blocking becomes easier on the smartphones and people continue to learn about this option.
Some reports predict that if the current rate of ad blocking continues, publishers will lose up to $35 billion in annual revenue by 2020. While some marketers and ad networks are taking steps to try to make ads less intrusive and less annoying, many people will still want to block them. It is very likely that there will need to be some type of option in the future where sites, apps and services can detect that ads are being blocked, and put some type of limitation on.
Just like many apps today display ads unless someone pays for a premium version, the future could have limited features for people using ad blockers. Of course, this type of service would need to be developed well to make it effective and unobtrusive for both marketers and visitors.
Whatever the future holds, ad blocking is certainly a big concern today and this report from eMarketer is showing just how big it has become.
You can see the full eMarketer report HERE.
