Apple tvOS apps are distributed through the Apple App Store and built with Apple's native frameworks, with video playback through the platform's standard media APIs. The audience skews towards higher-income households, which buyers value. This page describes the general model — platform rules change, so verify current requirements in Apple's developer documentation and App Review guidelines.
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.
tvOS apps are native Apple-platform apps, commonly sharing a codebase with an iOS counterpart, built around the platform's media playback framework. Apps are submitted through App Store Connect and pass Apple's review, which applies the App Review Guidelines including its advertising clauses. Distribution covers Apple TV hardware only — a focused but valuable device segment.
In-stream video is the core format: pre-roll and mid-roll breaks with 15 or 30 second non-skippable creatives. tvOS does not include a built-in advertising framework, so ads are served through third-party ad SDKs, direct VAST playback in the app's player, or server-side ad insertion for live and FAST streams. Interactive formats with QR codes are a natural fit because every viewer has a phone nearby.
The usual routes: integrate a third-party video ad SDK compatible with the tvOS player; call VAST tags from your own player logic and fire measurement client-side; or use SSAI, stitching ads into the stream server-side — the standard for live content. On tvOS, pay particular attention to player event handling: ad playback must hand control back to content cleanly, or app review and viewers will both notice.
Verify before launch: the app passes App Review with its current advertising guidelines; app-ads.txt is published and referenced in your App Store listing; ad playback and measurement are tested on real Apple TV hardware, including transitions between ads and content; and ad frequency follows both Apple's guidelines and your own session data. Platform rules change — check the current App Review Guidelines before submission.
Every CTV platform updates its store policies, certification requirements and advertising rules several times a year. Nothing on this page replaces the platform's own current documentation: before building or monetizing, confirm the requirements in the official developer and seller portals. If you want an experienced read on your setup, register as a publisher — inventory review comes before any commercial discussion, and terms are agreed individually.
Yes — each CTV platform has its own app format and store. Some code and all of your content pipeline can be shared across platforms, but the app package and store submission are platform-specific.
Non-skippable in-stream video — 15 and 30 second pre-roll and mid-roll — is the standard unit buyers pay for on every CTV platform. Additional UI formats depend on the platform and your app.
For on-demand apps, an SDK or client-side VAST is the simplest start. For live and FAST streams, SSAI is the practical standard. The VAST and SSAI page in this hub compares the options in detail.
Practically yes: serious demand sources filter out inventory without it. Publish app-ads.txt and reference it in your store listing before connecting monetization.
Yes — ad serving and SSAI are platform-independent; only the app-side player integration differs. Most multi-platform publishers run one ad stack behind all their apps.
It varies by platform and by submission. Plan release schedules with a buffer, and check the platform's current review documentation rather than relying on older experience.
Impression, start, quartile and completion events, plus error callbacks — on real hardware, across the device generations you target. Measurement that only works in an emulator will under-report or be rejected by buyers.
Revenue share, payout schedule and minimums are agreed individually with each publisher and confirmed in writing before the first campaign. No rates are promised before your inventory is reviewed.