Best OTT Advertising Platforms for Your Ad-Supported OTT Service

OTT advertising platforms

While there are multiple ways for publishers to monetize their OTT streaming services, AVOD has been gaining prevalence in the industry recently, with even larger names such as Amazon gaining success with Feevee, and Fox with their own ad-supported platform Tubi. However, to ensure maximum revenue potential, publishers need to find a reliable OTT advertising platform that will supply them with quality ad partners and help them achieve the highest CPMs possible.

What Is an OTT Advertising Platform?

An OTT advertising platform is a platform that allows OTT publishers to sell their ad inventory, track ad performance, and generate video ad revenue. These are video ad networks that act as intermediaries between OTT publishers and advertisers, helping publishers sell and advertisers buy suitable ad inventory for their ads. Simply put, OTT advertising platforms are video ad networks that offer monetization for OTT services as well. 

What to Look for in an OTT Advertising Platform

While an OTT advertising platform is primarily needed to serve ads, as mentioned, it is also crucial for audience targeting, tracking and managing performance, and by extension, maximizing your ad yield. So, an OTT advertising platform should have the following: 

  • Targeting Options The better targeted an ad is, the better it will perform. This is why your chosen advertising platform should have multiple targeting options. For example, demographic and geographic targeting, behavioral targeting, device targeting, contextual targeting, and more.
  • Ad Analytics To keep track of ad performance and optimize campaigns accordingly, publishers need reliable ad analytics with metrics such as fill rates, plays, impressions, CTR, and preferably real-time video analytics
  • Yield Optimization Tools Yield optimization tools use the data you gathered through ad analytics and optimize the ads to maximize their performance. 
  • Extensive Platform Features — Although not necessary, having content management, hosting, and similar features along with an ad network can be quite practical for publishers, as it allows them to manage their entire monetization strategy from a single dashboard. 

Experienced Ad Ops Team
Personalized Ad Stack Management
Advanced Ad Tech
Yield Optimization Engine

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9 Best OTT Advertising Platforms for Publishers

There are many ad networks available that can help publishers monetize their websites, but the following are some of the best ad networks in the industry that offer quality solutions to OTT publishers.

1. Google ADX

google adx logo

Google ADX remains one of the largest ad exchanges in the current market. The platform offers some of the highest CPMs in the industry and trades with high-quality premium inventory. It is a programmatic platform that offers real-time bidding, various targeting options, ad quality, and control and is integrated with Google Ad Manager. 

Unfortunately, Google ADX has quite steep and strict entry requirements. To be eligible, your OTT website or OTT app must have at least 5 million active monthly users. Nonetheless, you can still gain access to Google ADX’s demand if you sign up for a platform that is a Google MCM partner and offers ADX’s demand along with its own.

Google ADX Key Features:

  • Programmatic real-time bidding
  • Works with high-end SSPs
  • Long list of supported video ad formats
  • Real-time and historical ad analytics
  • Highest CPMs on the market
  • Strict and steep eligibility requirements

2. TargetVideo Premium Demand

TargetVideo tech by Brid.TV logo

TargetVideo Premium Demand is a video ad network that allows OTT publishers to monetize content through an array of video ad formats, including overlay ads, various instream video ad formats, CTV advertising, and more. The platform uses top-tier programmatic advertising tech and is compatible with all kinds of OTT devices.

With this platform, publishers can take advantage of real-time analytics and automated reporting, an array of ad optimization tools, and a dedicated expert ad optimization team with TargetVideo’s Managed Ads. TargetVideo also has its own superior HTML5 video player that guarantees smooth video delivery. 

A big advantage that Premium Demand has over other similar ad networks is that it allows for easy integration with TargetVideo’s online video platform. In other words, aside from providing monetization options, TargetVideo also offers to host, manage, and distribute videos.

TargetVideo Premium Demand Key Features:

  • Wide variety of ad formats
  • Premium advertising partners 
  • Dedicated account management team
  • Real-time analytics and automated reporting
  • Easy integration with an online video platform
  • HTML5 player, video hosting, and more additional features available

3. PubMatic

pubmatic logo

PubMatic is one of the leading programmatic advertising solutions. With Prebid.js features, an extensive private marketplace, and ad quality tools, PubMatic is one of the top choices among OTT businesses. 
However, to monetize with PubMatic, publishers need to meet certain criteria. Firstly, their platform must contain original content or properly attributed content. Additionally, publishers must have an engaged audience and follow Better Ads Standards.

PubMatic Key Features:

  • Extensive premium ad inventory
  • Open-source header bidding
  • Ad and inventory quality tools
  • DMP integrations
  • Built-in ad fraud protection tools
  • Advanced analytical tools

4. Yahoo Ad Tech

yahoo ad tech logo

Yahoo’s ad exchange offers premium ad demand to publishers for an array of platforms and devices. The platform supports real-time bidding and programmatic advertising for a wide variety of ad formats. Yahoo Ad Tech is mostly tailored to mid-sized and large publishers, although there are no minimum traffic requirements. Also, publishers and advertisers get to enjoy an array of brand safety and security tools.

Yahoo Ad Tech Key Features:

  • Multi-device monetization (mobile, desktop, CTV)
  • Support for dozens of video ad formats
  • Programmatic and video header bidding support
  • Brand safety and security features
  • No minimum traffic requirements

5. SpringServe

springserve logo

SpringServe is a platform built with OTT monetization in mind. In other words, its tools and features are tailored to the needs of OTT streaming platforms that are looking to monetize through ads. SpringServe mainly trades inventory through header bidding, but direct deals are also available. There is also an array of yield management tools available, along with real-time analytics. What makes SpringServe different is that it caters to publishers of all sizes. That being said, the content on your platform must conform to certain standards (e.g. no piracy, fake news, more ads than content, inappropriate content, etc.).

SpringServe Key Features:

  • Long list of partner SSPs
  • Advanced CTV advertising options
  • Optimization for automatic waterfalling
  • Ad podding for the platform’s premium clients
  • Real-time actionable analytics
  • No minimum traffic requirement

6. OpenX

openx logo

OpenX brings together a network of hundreds of SSPs and DSPs. Through this network, publishers can monetize content across an array of devices and OTT apps. The platform features detailed targeting tools that help publishers and advertisers reach their desired audience easily. OpenX supports all the popular ad formats, including instream and outstream video ads, in-app ads, CTV video ads, rich media ads, and more. Aside from real-time bidding, the platform also allows publishers and advertisers to strike programmatic direct deals.

OpenX Key Features:

  • Hundreds of SSPs and DSPs
  • Programmatic direct deal support
  • Wide array of video ad formats supported
  • Detailed custom targeting options
  • Compatibility with most ad servers and video players
  • Compatibility with a wide array of devices

7. Nexxen (Unruly)

Nexxen logo svg

Nexxen, formerly Unruly, is a video advertising platform that offers multiple monetization options and a variety of ad formats for OTT broadcasters. It also features a centralized DMP. In addition, the platform requires ad compliance with Better Ad Standards and General Data Protection Regulation and adheres to the highest fraud protection and safety standards. This has also earned it the TAG Trust and Transparency Certificate, the IAB Gold Standard Certificate, and more.

Unruly Key Features:

  • Programmatic, programmatic direct, and real-time bidding
  • Massive library of outstream video ads
  • Real-time and historical analytics
  • Better Ad Standards and GDPR-compliant
  • High-end ad fraud protection and brand safety
  • Centralized DMP

8. AdMedia

admedia logo

AdMedia is an advertising network with its own ad exchange. The platform doesn’t offer inventory on any third-party open exchanges, instead keeping all the transactions internal. The platform offers programmatic and real-time bidding, but direct deals are also available. 

AdMedia puts a lot of focus on contextual video advertising, which is currently considered to be one of the best targeting options, especially in the wake of the post-cookie era. There are also built-in comprehensive ad fraud protection tools and brand safety features. Lastly, AdMedia offers a customizable, ad-optimized player.

AdMedia Key Features:

  • Internal, exclusive ad exchange
  • Programmatic, real-time bidding, direct deals
  • Comprehensive contextual targeting tools
  • Customizable video player optimized for ad serving
  • Ad fraud protection and brand safety

9. Magnite

magnite logo

Magnite is one of the world’s largest supply-side ad platforms and ad exchanges that supports almost all channels, devices, and ad formats. Some feature highlights include real-time ad insights, automated ad podding, high-end data protection tools, and cross-platform advertising. 

Magnite is so extensive that it actually owns some of the other entries on this list, such as SpringServe. The platform prides itself on being the choice of some of the largest premium publishers in the world, including the likes of the Discovery Channel, the Wall Street Journal, and eBay.

Magnite Key Features:

  • Compliant with GDPR and CCPA
  • One of the largest ad platforms
  • State-of-the-art ad fraud and data protection
  • Cross-platform advertising support
  • Compatibility with many devices, platforms, and ad formats

Monetize Your OTT Services With TargetVideo

If you’re interested in OTT platform monetization, look no further than TargetVideo’s premium video monetization solution. With it, publishers can monetize their websites with ads from some of the most reputable advertisers in the industry, utilize our customizable instream and outstream ad units, and receive expert ad stack management with our Managed Ads service. Maximize the earning potential of your inventory with the best ad-based monetization platform.  

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FAQ

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