In-stream advertising capabilities with Harmonic's VOS®360 Ad SaaS introduce a new dimension of premium ad inventory for live sporting events. By seamlessly integrating advertisements into live content, this technology offers unparalleled opportunities for advertisers and publishers alike. This article explores the technical workflow behind VOS Ad's in-stream advertising and how these in-stream ads revolutionize live content monetization.
Maximize revenues and viewer engagement with in-stream ads
VOS Ad’s in-stream advertising leverages server-side, targeted and non-disruptive impression-based ads. Unlike traditional ad placements, these ads are woven directly into the content stream, providing a smooth, uninterrupted viewing experience. This technology enables the creation of premium ad inventory in live sporting events, ensuring viewers stay engaged with the content they love while allowing advertisers to reach their target audience effectively.
Harmonic’s advanced in-stream advertising empowers publishers and advertisers to capitalize on innovative ad inventory during live sports and other events. This new generation of split-screen ad formats works seamlessly alongside full-screen advertising, reducing reliance on traditional pre- and mid-roll ads. By incorporating VOS Ad’s advanced in-stream formats into the strategy, you can boost revenues from live events of any scale.
Benefits of VOS Ad's in-stream advertising
For advertisers
VOS Ad’s in-stream advertising capabilities empower advertisers to build brand awareness and target sports fans across connected TV (CTV) platforms. With brand-safe, addressable inventory, advertisers can reach audiences beyond the constraints of traditional commercial breaks. Impression-based buying ensures measurable performance, providing transparency and enhancing campaign effectiveness.
For publishers
Publishers benefit from increased monetization while maintaining viewer engagement. Server-side ad integration guarantees compatibility across all devices, allowing publishers to monetize key moments in live events. The low ad load and non-intrusive formats ensure the viewer experience remains uninterrupted, maximizing content enjoyment and viewer retention.
Creative ad formats in VOS Ad's in-stream advertising
In VOS Ad’s in-stream advertising, choosing ad formats and creative assets is crucial to maintaining viewer engagement while delivering effective advertisements. In-stream ads come in various shapes and sizes, but they all follow certain specifications to ensure smooth integration into the streaming content. Creative formats include double box, L-shape squeeze and box squeeze ads. Each format has unique features and technical requirements.
File types and format
Supported File Type: WebM (VP8/VP9).
Transparency: Supported through transparent pixel layers, especially for overlays.
Audio: Embedded audio is supported for double box formats, using VP8 or VP9 codecs.
File Size: Maximum of 15 MB for a 30-second 1080p video at 60 fps, although smaller file sizes are recommended for optimal performance.
Ad duration
Ad length: 5 to 30 seconds, depending on the campaign's goals.
Fade-in/fade-out: Each creative includes fade-in and fade-out transitions, typically lasting 30 frames (approximately 0.5 seconds).
Types of in-stream ad creative format
In-stream ad content placement can be highly flexible, but three industry-standard formats are predominantly used:
Double box:
The screen is split into two sections – one for the primary video and one for the ad. This format gives equal prominence to both the content and the advertisement.
Workflow example: Position the primary video and ad side by side, ensuring both are visible.
L-Shape squeeze:
The primary video is resized and repositioned to allow the ad to appear in an L-shape around the content.
Workflow example: Adjust the size and anchor points of the primary video to create space for the ad.
Box squeeze:
The primary video is scaled down and the ad is overlaid on top.
Workflow example: Scale the primary video down to ~75%, play the ad, then scale the video back to 100%.
By leveraging these creative formats, VOS Ad in-stream advertising delivers engaging and non-disruptive ad experiences, keeping viewers immersed in the content while enabling effective ad delivery.
The creative specification for Harmonic’s in-stream ad formats is available upon request.
In-stream advertising workflow with VOS Ad
VOS Ad's in-stream advertising workflow is a sophisticated system integrating several key components to ensure seamless ad delivery and viewer engagement, as displayed in the following diagram.
Here's the high-level process:
In-stream inventory triggering
A critical component of VOS Ad’s in-stream advertising is the in-stream inventory triggering module. It can receive different triggers (manual, coming directly from live production or via automated data feed), signaling key moments for in-stream ad insertion.
Once a key moment is signaled, the incoming triggers are converted to SCTE 35 messages - standardized signals for managing digital video content. These messages act as markers within the live stream, indicating when and where ads can be inserted without disrupting the flow of the event.
ADS for in-stream ads
Ad requests are sent to an ad decision server (ADS) using a video ad serving template (VAST) just like for traditional server-side ad insertion (SSAI).
The ad request can include parameters specific to attributes of the viewer, that are used by the ADS to select relevant in-stream ads.
The response includes tracking beacons that are the same as for SSAI. These beacons enable the ADS to register in-stream ad impressions.
From the standpoint of the ADS, there is no difference between in-stream ads and regular full-screen ads.
In-stream ad delivery
Finally, the live content and ads are blended and rendered into a standard streaming format (for example, HLS) and delivered to viewers via the CDN. The in-stream ad creative format is transparent to the video player on the client side: the player is simply receiving a normal HLS stream where ads are stitched like for regular SSAI.
This decoupling of in-stream ads from the client side makes deploying and managing the solution more efficient. This is important for the publishers that use the solution to create and sell the in-stream ad inventory, but this is also relevant for advertisers that can reach a maximum number of eyeballs with a server-side approach.
By combining live triggering, creative asset and content compositing and real-time ad stitching, VOS Ad in-stream advertising ensures efficient ad delivery while maximizing viewer engagement and ad effectiveness. This advanced technology opens new opportunities for advertisers and publishers alike, enabling innovative ad formats and monetization strategies that enhance the overall viewing experience.
Take advertising to the next level with VOS Ad
Ready to revolutionize your advertising strategy? Contact us today to discover how VOS Ad’s premium in-stream advertising technology can unlock new monetization opportunities, maximize ad revenues and enhance viewer engagement.