IAB Tech Lab (1) develops technical standards for the digital advertising industry, with initiatives spanning privacy, identity, Advanced TV, and ad transparency.
As Connected TV has expanded, so has the range of ad formats. In 2024, the organization launched the Ad Format Hero initiative to assess which CTV formats were widely adopted and ready for standardization.
CTV Ads Got a Common Language
In 2025, an IAB Tech Lab task force continued the work, shifting the focus to user experience, examining how formats appear on screen and how viewers interact with them. The group is also addressing how these formats are transacted in programmatic environments.
The resulting CTV Ad Portfolio and Guidance introduced several updates, including new standardized CTV formats, cross-platform interactivity best practices, an expanded “Ready-to-Serve” framework with four options, and a clearer distinction for CTV and HD environments.
As format definitions influence how ads are bought, sold, and implemented, the guidance places particular emphasis on consistent naming.
How IAB Tech Lab defines new CTV ad format names
Rather than inventing new labels, the framework organizes formats around a simple principle: where the ad appears and how it interacts with content.
Is the content paused?
Does playback continue?
Is the ad inside the interface or inside the scene itself?
The name reflects that behavior. The goal is clarity, a structure that makes formats instantly understandable before the technical details even begin.
The main CTV ad format names
Linear Ad: The classic TV-style ad break: full screen, before, during, or after content. Interrupts viewing.
Pause Ad: Shown when the viewer pauses content. Viewer-initiated and displayed during pause.
Menu Ad: Appears inside the TV or streaming interface (home screens, menus, tiles). Outside playback.
Overlay Ad: The ad sits on top of the content while it keeps playing, often as a banner or corner unit (it can appear covering the lower third of the screen or in the bottom right corner of the screen).
In Scene Insertion Ad: Integrated directly into the content itself, like a virtual billboard. Designed to feel natural and non-interruptive.
Screen Saver Ad: Triggered by device or app inactivity. Full-screen experience similar to a pause ad but not viewer-initiated.
Squeezeback: Content shrinks to make room for an ad while playback continues. Ads can go alongside or adjacent to Content. Video ad is dynamically assembled with a companion ad. The original ad is resized to allow for placement of the companion ad on the screen.
Conclusion: CTV Ad Formats: Making Names Clear for Buyers and Sellers
Making existing experiences understandable across the industry matters to us all. Standard naming helps align ad delivery systems, player behavior, and monetization workflows, especially as formats move beyond the traditional ad break.
As a contributor to the IAB Tech Lab, Broadpeak supports the standardization of emerging technologies. We see industry collaboration as critical to driving innovation, ensuring interoperability, consistency and enabling sustainable growth for everyone.
For a deeper look at the technical specifications and full CTV Ad Portfolio, consult the official guidance from IAB Tech Lab
Third Party content:
(1) CTV Ad Portfolio and Guidance. Source: IAB Tech Lab | © iab. Tech Lab
