Reddit is giving advertisers a little more time to hold someone’s attention.
The platform has introduced a new 15-second Engaged Video Views optimization goal, giving brands another option beyond its existing six-second video view objective. Instead of focusing only on fast impressions, advertisers can now optimize campaigns toward users who are more likely to stay with a video for longer.
The feature is now available in public beta to advertisers globally. Reddit is also tying the format to a billing model built around what it considers a meaningful video view.
Reddit’s New Video Goal Focuses on Longer Attention
The idea behind the update is simple. Reddit wants its ad system to identify users who are more likely to spend real time watching a video instead of scrolling away after a few seconds. For videos running 15 seconds or less, Reddit counts the view when someone watches the full clip. For longer videos, the engaged view is recorded once a viewer reaches at least 15 seconds of watch time.
That gives brands more room to communicate something useful. A very short view might confirm that someone noticed an ad, but 15 seconds is enough time to introduce a product, explain a benefit, show part of a demonstration or establish a stronger brand message.
Six-Second Video Views Are Still Part of Reddit’s Strategy
Reddit is not replacing its existing six-second video view goal. Instead, the platform is positioning the two options around different campaign needs. Shorter video optimization still makes sense for ads built around quick awareness, simple offers or creative where the main message appears almost immediately.
The 15-second option is better suited to campaigns that need more breathing room. Reddit points to areas such as film and television trailers, gaming content, product demonstrations, feature explainers, testimonials and brand storytelling as examples where longer viewing could be more valuable.
For advertisers, the choice becomes more specific. Rather than simply asking whether someone watched an ad, marketers can think about how long a viewer actually needs to stay before the creative has a chance to work.
Advertisers Only Pay for Qualifying Engaged Views
The new video objective also changes how advertisers can think about cost. Under the 15-second Engaged Video Views goal, advertisers pay when Reddit records a qualifying engaged view rather than simply charging around broader exposure.
Reddit is also supporting automated bidding through Lowest Cost and Cost Cap options. That gives advertisers more flexibility when managing campaigns and reduces the need to constantly adjust manual cost-per-view bids.
This reflects a larger shift across social advertising. Reach still matters, but brands increasingly want stronger signs that people actually paid attention. A view that lasts 15 seconds can offer a much clearer engagement signal than a fleeting impression.
Reddit Says Early Tests Improved Video Completion
Reddit says early testing of the new objective produced stronger video engagement. During alpha testing between May and July 2026, advertisers using the 15-second optimization goal reportedly saw an average 51% increase in 15-second view-through rate and a 71% increase in video completion rate, based on Reddit’s internal data.
Those numbers come directly from Reddit, so results will vary between advertisers, audiences and campaign types. Still, they show why the company is expanding the feature into a wider public beta.
The Times was among the advertisers that tested the new format. According to Reddit’s case study, the campaign generated a 91% increase in video completion rate, a 32% improvement in click-through rate and a 33% reduction in cost per completed view.
The cost figure may be particularly important for marketers. Longer watch time is useful, but only if advertisers can achieve it without making campaigns significantly more expensive.
Brands Can Compare Six-Second and 15-Second Performance
Reddit is also allowing advertisers to directly compare the two video objectives rather than simply choosing one and hoping it performs better. Through Reddit’s Split Testing tools, brands can test six-second video views against 15-second Engaged Video Views and examine metrics such as view-through rate, completion rate and cost per view.
Reddit recommends running eligible tests at the ad-group level for at least two weeks. Automated bidding should remain enabled, with Lowest Cost bidding preferred, while campaigns should stay active throughout the testing period.
That comparison matters because longer video is not automatically better. A sharp six-second ad with a clear message could easily outperform a longer clip that takes too much time to reach its point. The new option gives advertisers another way to test that difference using actual campaign data.
Longer Video Could Suit Reddit’s Community-Led Environment
The launch also fits the way people already use Reddit. Users often spend time reading discussions, comparing opinions, checking recommendations and exploring niche communities in more depth than they might on faster-moving social feeds.
Video gives advertisers another way to enter those conversations, especially when a product, service or idea is difficult to communicate through a static image alone. A product demo, trailer, customer story or feature walkthrough can sometimes make more sense when the viewer has enough time to understand what is being shown.
Reddit already supports video ads that can run much longer than 15 seconds, although the platform generally encourages advertisers to keep creative focused. The new optimization goal is less about making ads longer and more about helping brands identify viewers who are willing to stay engaged.
Reddit Is Expanding Its Video Advertising Toolkit
The 15-second Engaged Video Views objective does not completely change Reddit advertising, but it does give marketers more control over what kind of attention they want from users.
Brands with simple messages can continue optimizing around six-second views. Advertisers running trailers, testimonials, product demonstrations or more detailed brand stories now have another option built specifically around longer engagement.
On social media, an extra nine seconds can matter more than it sounds. If those seconds lead to stronger completion rates, better click-through performance or lower campaign costs, Reddit’s new video objective could become a useful addition for brands testing deeper video engagement.
Sources
Social Media Today — Reddit launches 15-second video views ad goal
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/reddit-launches-15-second-video-views-ad-goal/829375/
Reddit for Business — Capture attention that lasts with 15-second Engaged Video Views
https://www.business.reddit.com/blog/15-second-engaged-video-views
