
According to gemiusAdReal data, one in seven ads displayed to Polish internet users is larger than 242,500 pixels. For comparison:
- In Romania, large-format ads make up 9% of the market,
- In Germany, they account for 8%,
- In France and Ukraine, only 5%.
At the same time, Poland ranks among the top countries where internet users block ads using ad-blockers. One in three internet users in Poland blocks ads, and according to data from 2017 published by Page Fair:
- 11% of internet users worldwide use ad-blockers,
- In 2017, ad-block usage increased by 30% worldwide.
Large-format ads have become a topic of public debate taken up by IAB Poland regarding setting visibility standards for online ads. In October of last year, viewability measurement recommendations were updated with specific guidelines for large display ads.
- The viewability standard for formats exceeding 242,500 pixels is 30% of the ad being visible for at least one continuous second.
- This is a lower threshold compared to other display and video ads, which must be at least 50% visible to be considered viewable.
Ad Visibility in Polish Online Space Declines
Meanwhile, as shown by Meetrics’ quarterly ad visibility studies, published for Q4 2017, visibility rates for display ads in Poland significantly declined. Compared to Q3, the display ad visibility rate fell by five percentage points, reaching 50% in Q4 (down from 55% in Q3). The average interaction time with display ads dropped to 20.7 seconds in Q4 (from 27.5 seconds in Q3).

- The drop in visibility rates clearly shows that while demand is rising dynamically, display ad resources are proving insufficient. Developing ad resources with greater viewability potential is a critical issue for the growth of the digital advertising market in Poland - commented Tomasz Piątkowski, Country Manager Poland at Meetrics. - It’s worth noting that 50% viewability means that exactly half of digital budgets were spent inefficiently in Poland in Q4.
The Future of Large-Format Ads
The future of large-format ads will also be affected by Google’s initiative to block ads in the Chrome browser that do not meet the standards set by the Coalition for Better Ads. This aims to enhance user comfort while browsing. Additionally, it is expected to reduce the demand for external ad-blocking software that blocks all ads on a given website.
- Changing standards in the online advertising market may certainly impact the viability of large-format ads. 2018 will show whether there is a place for them in this new landscape - comments Marta Wiercińska from Gemius.
Forecasts for the entire online advertising market aren’t always optimistic. The authors of the TMT Predictions 2018 report by Deloitte predict that by the end of 2018, half of all adults in developed countries will have at least two media subscriptions online. Consequently, some publishers are already viewing attempts to generate revenue from online ads as a waste of time.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
New articles in section Marketing and PR
More AI bots in customer service. However, Poles want people
Andrzej Sowula
Over three quarters of Poles (75.9%) have already had contact with a bot in a customer service department and nearly one in four is satisfied with this service. This means an increase of 7.7% over the past two years. At the same time, only 8.1% of Poles fully trust the bots serving them.
Foreign online stores face distrust in Poland. See TrustMate Report
KFi
Poland’s e-commerce market is booming, yet foreign online stores still struggle to earn consumer trust. Why do Polish shoppers prefer local sellers? A new report uncovers the roots of this distrust and reveals what international brands must do to bridge the gap.
Online advertising 2024/2025 report by IAB Poland
KFi
Online ads now consume 57% of all budgets. Companies spent 1.62 billion PLN on video formats alone. After leaner years, the numbers are rising sharply. Digital advertising grew by 20% in a year. Traditional formats are slowly fading.
See articles on a similar topic:
SEO and AI in Polish e-commerce 2025. Harbingers analysts’ report
Krzysztof Fiedorek
Although 44.56% of e-commerce traffic comes from organic results, over half of online stores are not seeing growth. The biggest surprise? A staggering 9.5 million monthly visits lost due to dead content. On top of that, 38% of companies still don’t appear in AI-generated answers - a new and growing source of visibility.
Dietary Supplements. How to Distinguish Information from Marketing
Ewa Zygadło-Kozaczuk
Where can you find reliable information about dietary supplements, and how can you distinguish factual information from advertising? The answer is not straightforward. In fact, additional doubts arise.
Large Online Ads vs. AdBlock. Poland Leads in Both Metrics
BARD
Large-format online ads make up 14% of Poland's online market, according to analyses by Gemius. This is the highest percentage among all surveyed markets. Paired with data on the rising popularity of ad-blocking - done by one-third of Polish internet users - it raises questions about the future of these ads.
What to do when your child lies? Advice from a pedagogue
patronat Reporterzy.info
Does your little one invent outrageous stories, and you’re unsure how to react? Does your child tell friends that you’ve traveled the world and that your dog speaks with a human voice? A pedagogue explains how to handle such situations and avoid them in the future. The weekly Reporterzy.info is the media patron of the series.