Pixalate, the global authority in ad fraud prevention and compliance analytics, has released its Q3 2025 North America Programmatic Ad Viewability Benchmarks, and the results are telling: mobile in-app ads lead the region with a 72% viewability rate, outpacing both desktop (63%) and mobile web (60%).
The report—covering billions of open programmatic ad impressions across the U.S. and Canada—highlights a growing divide between mobile app environments and traditional web placements. In Canada, for instance, mobile app ads maintained a strong 71% viewability rate, while desktop and mobile web sat at 63% and 66%, respectively.
The findings position mobile in-app as the most viewable environment for advertisers in North America, reflecting the industry’s broader migration toward mobile-first experiences and app-based engagement.
Global View: North America Still Leads, LATAM Rising
Pixalate’s global benchmark comparison adds perspective:
- Desktop Web: Global average 63%; North America matches the global mean.
- Mobile Web: Global average 60%; North America aligns, suggesting a plateau in web ad performance.
- Mobile App: Global average 67%; North America leads at 72%, followed closely by LATAM at 67%.
While North America maintains the edge, LATAM’s steady rise in mobile app viewability indicates maturing programmatic ecosystems and improved ad quality controls in emerging markets.
Why It Matters: Viewability Is Now the New Baseline
Viewability—the percentage of ads that actually appear on-screen long enough to be seen—is no longer a “nice-to-have” metric; it’s table stakes for performance measurement. With programmatic spending expected to surpass $200 billion globally by 2026, marketers are pushing platforms to demonstrate not just reach, but genuine visibility.
Pixalate’s data, derived from 39 billion global open programmatic impressions, underscores how regional disparities still persist. APAC and EMEA continue to lag behind North America, with 58–62% mobile app viewability averages—likely due to fragmented markets, varying ad quality standards, and device diversity.
The Broader Context: Transparency and Trust in AdTech
Pixalate’s continued focus on transparency ties directly to industry-wide pressures around privacy, fraud prevention, and supply chain accountability. As regulators tighten oversight—particularly across the U.S. and EU—marketers are seeking metrics that quantify not just exposure, but quality and compliance.
With MRC accreditation for detecting Sophisticated Invalid Traffic (SIVT), Pixalate remains a key reference point for advertisers and platforms aiming to measure authentic engagement across Connected TV (CTV), mobile, and desktop ecosystems.
Bottom Line
The Q3 2025 data reinforces a clear trajectory: mobile app advertising is where real visibility—and likely real ROI—is happening. Desktop and mobile web still play a role, but the shift toward app ecosystems appears irreversible.
