New research finds pause ads capture 92% visual attention and drive strong brand connection, favorability and purchase intent
New York, NY — October 14, 2026 — As streaming gives viewers greater control over how and when they consume content, new commissioned research from Omnicom Media Partner Intelligence and Amazon Ads finds that pause moments can create a valuable opportunity for brands to capture attention and drive measurable business outcomes.
The new Partner Intelligence study, The Power of the Pause, examines the anatomy of the pause and finds that attention is inherently embedded in the behavior itself. When viewers pause their content, they naturally return their focus to the screen as they prepare to resume viewing, creating an opportunity for brands to connect without interrupting the viewing experience.
The study found that pause ads captured a 92% visual attention rate, outperforming :30‑second video ads at 87% and :15‑second video ads at 76%. The format also generated statistically significant lifts across brand connection, favorability, search intent and purchase intent.
The findings reinforce the strategic thinking behind Omnicom Media and Amazon Ads’ first‑to‑market Prime Video Pause Ads innovation, showing that viewer‑initiated pause moments create an opportunity for brands to deliver relevant messaging within a moment consumers control themselves.
“This research gives marketers a data‑backed framework for understanding the role pause ads can play within the broader streaming experience,” said Kara Manatt, EVP, Partner Intelligence, Omnicom Media. “What’s particularly interesting about the pause is that attention is built into the behavior itself. Viewers naturally return their focus to the screen as they prepare to resume content, giving brands an opportunity to show up in a moment of heightened attention without competing with the content audiences came to watch.”
Attention is built into the pause
Pause ads captured 9.9 seconds of attention, 38% more than :15‑second video ads, while 98% of solo viewers looked at the pause ad when resuming their content.
Even brief exposure can have an impact. Among viewers who gave pause ads five seconds or less of attention, the format still outperformed video‑only conditions on brand connection metrics.
Pause and video work together across the funnel
The research shows that pause ads can complement traditional video advertising across the consumer journey. When pause ads were paired with video, the combination produced a statistically significant 11‑point increase in brand connection, an outcome that video‑only conditions did not achieve.
Contextual relevance further amplified the impact. When pause ad creative aligned with the content viewers were watching, the format generated a 29‑point increase in search intent and 20‑point increase in purchase intent, while also driving a 15‑point increase in perceptions of the advertiser as a “premium brand” compared with video‑only conditions.
Relevance also increased receptivity to repeated exposure: 53% of viewers said they would not mind seeing contextual pause ads multiple times, compared with 39% for standard call‑to‑action executions.
The format was particularly effective among existing customers, who spent 43% more time viewing pause ads than other consumers, averaging 12.9 seconds compared with 9.0 seconds, and recorded a 24‑point increase in both brand favorability and search intent.
“Prime Video pause ads create an opportunity for brands to connect with audiences during moments of high, natural attention,” said Amazon Ads. “This research with Omnicom Media quantifies what makes those moments so valuable and gives advertisers new insight into how pause ads can complement their broader streaming strategies.”
Together, the findings demonstrate that the value of pause advertising extends beyond capturing attention. By pairing the right creative with a moment consumers choose to pause content on their own terms, brands can create a more additive streaming experience while building stronger connections and driving measurable outcomes across the marketing funnel.
Methodology: The “Power of the Pause” study recruited 183 Prime Video streamers (A18+) into a naturalistic living room setting where they selected their own content to watch on a living room TV with access to personal devices and snacks. Visual attention was tracked using computer vision technology at 30 frames per second, generating over 1.3 million data points across 574 measured ad exposures. Post‑exposure surveys measured brand metrics including aided recall, brand connection, favorability, search intent, and purchase intent across multiple brand verticals (Financial Services, Quick Service, Consumer Technology). All statistically significant results are reported at ≥90% confidence.