Reddit 15-Second Engaged Video Views: What It Is and How to Use It
On September 1, 2026, Reddit launched 15-second Engaged Video Views, a new optimization goal and billing option for video ads. It’s now in public beta for all advertisers worldwide. Instead of paying for people who scroll past your video, you pay for viewers who stay for at least 15 seconds or watch the whole thing.
Early results are strong. In Reddit’s alpha tests, advertisers saw an average +51% 15-second view-through rate (VTR15) and +71% video completion rate (VCR).
If you run video on Reddit, or are thinking about it, this changes how you should plan creative, bidding and measurement. Below, we explain how the model works, how it differs from Reddit’s 6-second goal, which campaigns it suits, and how to set one up and test it properly.
What Are 15-Second Engaged Video Views on Reddit?
15-second Engaged Video Views is a campaign optimization goal and a billing option in Reddit Ads Manager. Reddit shows your video ads to the users it predicts are most likely to keep watching. You’re charged per engaged view, not per impression or per brief play.
What counts as an engaged view depends on how long your video is:
Videos 15 seconds or shorter: a completed view counts as an engaged view.
Videos longer than 15 seconds: an engaged view counts once someone watches at least 15 seconds.
Reddit highlights three main benefits:
Deeper attention. Reaching people likely to watch for 15 seconds or more gives your message time to land.
Video spend that works harder. You only pay for meaningful views, so your budget goes to people who show real interest.
Simpler campaign management. Automated bidding (Lowest Cost and Cost Cap) means you don’t have to keep adjusting manual cost-per-view bids.
Proof It Works: The Times
The Times was one of the first brands to test the new goal using Reddit Split Testing. The 15-second optimization improved every key video metric. The Times saw higher view and completion rates and a better click-through rate. Its cost per completed view fell by 33%, according to Reddit Ads Manager data.
15-Second vs. 6-Second Video Views: Which Should You Use?
The 15-second goal doesn’t replace Reddit’s 6-second Engaged Video Views. Each one measures a different kind of attention.
A 6-second view shows that someone noticed your ad. Use it when you want attention at scale and your message lands almost immediately, or your creative is short.
A 15-second view shows that someone stayed long enough to absorb your story, product value or brand message. Use it when your campaign needs more time to persuade.
A simple way to remember it: 6 seconds is for reach, and 15 seconds is for attention that lasts.
Reddit also still offers standard video views, which optimize for 2-second plays. That option is best for the cheapest possible reach.
How it compares to other platforms: the 15-second threshold matches Meta’s ThruPlay, which counts a view at 15 seconds or completion. It’s shorter than YouTube’s skippable in-stream standard of 30 seconds. That makes it easier to reuse the same mid-length videos across platforms and compare cost per engaged view on equal terms.
Use Cases: When 15-Second Views Make Sense
Reddit recommends the 15-second goal for creative that benefits from longer watch time:
Film, TV, gaming and entertainment trailers
Product demos
Feature explainers
Testimonials
Brand storytelling
Longer creative where the key message builds over time
Here’s how that looks in real campaigns.
Film, TV and streaming. Run a 30-second trailer in r/movies, genre subreddits or fan communities. Optimizing for 15 seconds favors viewers who reach the hook. You can then retarget people who finished it with a ticket or subscribe offer.
Gaming. Gameplay footage needs time to show how a game plays. Target subreddits for the game and its platform with a 20–30 second gameplay video. Then use the people who watched as a starting audience for wishlist or install campaigns.
SaaS and B2B tech. Reddit’s technical communities want to know how a product actually works. A 15–30 second demo or feature explainer that shows one real workflow from start to finish beats a logo animation every time.
Consumer products and DTC. Use unboxing, before-and-after or how-to-use videos. A 15-second view means the viewer saw the product doing its job, not just the packaging.
Finance, health and other considered purchases. Testimonials and explainers build trust over time. Longer engaged views help a skeptical Reddit audience hear the full argument before you ask for a click.
Publishers and media brands. The Times used the goal to promote its journalism with longer, story-led video. That approach works for any brand selling subscriptions or memberships.
A full-funnel approach. Use 15-second views at the top of the funnel. Then build a retargeting audience from the people who watched, and show them traffic or conversion ads. You pay once for qualified attention, then convert those warmer viewers more cheaply.
How to Set Up a 15-Second Engaged Video Views Campaign
Create a campaign in Reddit Ads Manager with an awareness and consideration objective.
Choose the goal. In the Bidding & Optimization settings, select 15-second Engaged Video Views as your goal.
Pick a bid strategy. Start with Lowest Cost to learn what an engaged view costs in your niche, which is also Reddit’s preferred setting for testing. Move to Cost Cap once you know your target cost.
Target communities, not just demographics. Choose 5–20 relevant subreddits, mixing large and niche ones, and add interests on top. Reddit’s strength is that each community shows what its members care about.
Upload a video built for the goal. Aim for 15–30 seconds, so the full message lands around the 15-second mark.
Split test it against 6-second views. Reddit Split Testing in Ads Manager lets you compare the two goals directly during the beta.
How to Run a Valid Split Test
Reddit’s guidance for eligible split tests:
Test at the ad group level.
Run it for at least two weeks.
Use automated bidding, ideally Lowest Cost.
Don’t pause the campaign during the test period.
Keep the creative, audience and budget the same so the goal is the only difference. Post-campaign reporting can include view-through rate and cost per view, so you can compare the two goals directly.
Creative Best Practices for Longer Reddit Video Ads
Hook viewers in the first 2 seconds. Someone still has to stop scrolling before they can reach 15.
Design for sound off. Add captions and use on-screen text for key points.
Put the payoff before 15 seconds. Show the product, the reveal or the key benefit within the window you’re paying for.
Sound like Reddit. Plain-spoken creative that feels native beats polished corporate ads here. Founder walkthroughs, real users and honest demos fit the culture.
Shoot vertical and square versions. Most people browse Reddit on mobile.
Pair it with a strong headline. The post title above the video is your second hook, so write it like a Reddit post, not a tagline.
Keep comments on and reply. Reddit users talk in the comments, and active replies from the brand build trust that a view alone can’t.
How to Measure Results
Judge a 15-second campaign by the quality of attention and what it leads to, not by raw view counts.
Cost per view (CPV) / cost per engaged view: what you pay for each 15-second or completed view. This is your main efficiency number.
15-second view-through rate (VTR15): the share of impressions that became engaged views. It tells you how well your creative and targeting are working.
Video completion rate (VCR): whether viewers stay to the end, especially on videos longer than 15 seconds.
Cost per completed view: the number The Times cut by 33%. It’s a useful way to compare the 6-second and 15-second goals.
Click-through rate (CTR): whether attention turns into action.
Downstream conversions: sign-ups, sales or installs from engaged viewers, tracked with the Reddit Pixel or Conversions API.
When you compare against a 6-second campaign, expect a higher cost per view with the 15-second goal. The real question is whether cost per completed view, CTR and conversions improve enough to justify it, as they did for The Times.
The Bottom Line
15-second Engaged Video Views gives Reddit advertisers a way to buy real attention instead of impressions people scroll past. For brands with a story to tell, a product to demo or a trailer to show, it can lower the cost of reaching viewers who actually take in the message, as long as the creative earns those 15 seconds.
Want help testing it? Busylike plans, produces and manages Reddit ad campaigns, from community targeting and native video creative to split tests and full-funnel retargeting. Talk to our team to see whether 15-second views fit your next campaign.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a 15-second engaged video view on Reddit?
It’s a view where someone watches a video ad for at least 15 seconds, or to the end if the video is 15 seconds or shorter. Reddit uses it as both an optimization goal and the event you’re billed for.
When did Reddit launch 15-second Engaged Video Views?
Reddit announced it on September 1, 2026, as a public beta for all advertisers globally.
Do I pay for every impression with this goal?
No. You’re billed per engaged video view, so you don’t pay for impressions or short plays that don’t reach the threshold.
Should I use 6-second or 15-second views?
Use 6-second views when you want attention at scale and your message lands fast. Use 15-second views when your ad needs time to explain, demo or tell a story. If you’re unsure, split test both for at least two weeks.
How long should my Reddit video ad be?
For this goal, 15–30 seconds works well. Videos of 15 seconds or less have to be watched in full to count, so keep them tight enough that people finish them.
What bidding options work with it?
Reddit’s automated Lowest Cost and Cost Cap strategies both work with it. Lowest Cost is recommended for split tests.
Is this like Meta ThruPlay?
Yes, in principle. Both count a view at 15 seconds or completion, which makes it easier to compare costs across platforms.
