Connected TV is the fastest-growing screen in programmatic advertising, and CTV inventory is valued above standard mobile display because viewers watch on the biggest screen in the house, in a lean-back, brand-safe environment. This hub explains what CTV advertising is, which formats exist, how to connect your CTV app or FAST channel, and how quality is controlled.
Register as a publisher and choose your inventory type: CTV app, FAST channel or web video.
We check verification files, audience quality and measurement hygiene before any commercial terms.
Revenue model, payment schedule and reporting granularity are agreed with you in writing.
Ad demand is connected through the integration route that fits your stack: SDK, VAST, SSAI or S2S.
CTV (Connected TV) advertising is video advertising delivered to television screens through internet-connected devices: smart TV platforms such as Samsung Tizen, LG webOS, Android TV and Google TV, streaming devices such as Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple tvOS, and game consoles. OTT (over-the-top) is the delivery model — content streamed over the internet without a cable or satellite operator. FAST (free ad-supported streaming TV) channels are linear, scheduled streams monetized with ad breaks, while AVOD apps are on-demand libraries with advertising. For a publisher, all of these are video inventory that advertisers buy per completed view.
CTV impressions carry structural advantages that buyers pay more for. The screen is large and the sound is on; ads are typically non-skippable inside an ad break; completion rates are far higher than skippable mobile video; viewability is close to absolute because the ad occupies the full screen; and the living-room context is inherently brand-safe compared to open mobile placements. Co-viewing means one impression can reach several people in a household. Fraud exists in CTV too — device spoofing and fake apps — which is why verified, well-documented inventory earns a premium over anonymous supply.
The core format is in-stream video: pre-roll, mid-roll and post-roll inside content or ad breaks, usually 15 or 30 seconds. Beyond that, platforms and apps support pause ads shown when a viewer pauses, overlay banners over video, home-screen and interface display placements inside the app UI, splash screens at app launch, and interactive formats with a QR code or remote-control action. Not every platform allows every format — the platform pages in this hub describe what is technically possible on each system.
There are four integration routes. A platform or third-party ad SDK embedded in your app; a VAST tag your video player calls at each ad break; SSAI (server-side ad insertion), where ads are stitched into the stream on the server; or a server-to-server connection for custom stacks. The right route depends on your platform, player and stream architecture — the VAST and SSAI page in this hub compares them in plain language. Which integration routes Mobadly supports for CTV is confirmed during onboarding; conditions are discussed individually.
CTV inventory is sold primarily on CPM — payment per thousand impressions — because completed views are the norm. Effective revenue depends on fill rate (the share of ad requests that return an ad), the CPM buyers pay for your audience and GEO mix, ad pod length and frequency, and seasonality. No honest partner quotes fixed CPM numbers before seeing your inventory: ranges depend on audience geography, content genre and verification status. Commercial terms with Mobadly are agreed individually with each publisher.
CTV buyers pay for verified supply. app-ads.txt (hosted in your app store listing) and ads.txt (on your web domain) declare who is authorized to sell your inventory; sellers.json identifies the seller chain. Buyers increasingly filter out inventory without these files, so publishing them is the first step of monetization, not an optional extra. On our side, sources are reviewed before demand is connected: content uniqueness, audience quality, correct VAST responses and no device spoofing. The brand safety page in this hub covers the full checklist.
CTV is the device category — TVs connected to the internet directly or through a streaming device. OTT is the delivery method — video streamed over the internet. In practice the terms overlap: OTT ads on a TV screen are CTV advertising.
Both work. A FAST channel is a linear stream with scheduled ad breaks; an AVOD or OTT app serves video on demand with pre-roll and mid-roll. The monetization mechanics — ad pods, VAST or SSAI, CPM-based selling — are the same.
A pod is a sequence of ads inside one ad break, like a TV commercial block. Pod length, the number of ads and competitive separation between them are configured in your ad server or SSAI setup.
Yes, but revenue scales with impressions and audience GEO. Buyers pay the most for verified Tier-1 audiences; smaller or mixed-GEO channels earn less per thousand impressions. Exact expectations are set after a review of your inventory.
Non-skippable 15 and 30 second in-stream video is the core unit. Pause ads and home-screen placements add incremental revenue where the platform allows them. Interactive formats with QR codes are growing for app-install and performance campaigns.
Server-side ad insertion stitches ads into the video stream on the server, so ads play smoothly and are harder to block. You need it for FAST channels and live streams; for on-demand apps a VAST tag or SDK can be enough.
Practically yes. Most serious demand sources require app-ads.txt in your store listing and will not buy unverified inventory. It takes minutes to publish and immediately widens your demand pool.
Payout models, schedule and minimums are agreed individually with each publisher and confirmed in writing before the first campaign runs. Reporting granularity — per placement, per GEO, per day — is part of that agreement.