Key Points
- IAB Tech Lab released a CTV Ad Portfolio defining six core ad formats and issued updated Programmatic CTV guidance now open for public comment through January 31, 2026.
- The updates introduce standardized specifications, including new OpenRTB support for Pause and Menu formats, to streamline transactions and reduce creative rendering issues.
- Industry leaders from GumGum, Disney and NBCUniversal said the standards will improve interoperability and help scale advanced CTV ad formats across platforms.
IAB Tech Lab on Thursday released a new Connected TV Ad Portfolio and an updated Guide to Programmatic CTV as the industry moves to standardize emerging ad formats across streaming platforms.
The CTV Ad Portfolio establishes six core ad types — Pause, Menu, Screensaver, In Scene, Squeezebacks and Overlays — based on more than 100 real-world submissions collected through the group’s Ad Format Hero initiative. The programmatic guidance outlines how these formats can be transacted more consistently, including updated OpenRTB support for the two formats prioritized by working groups: Pause and Menu. Both documents are open for public comment through January 31, 2026.
Anthony Katsur, the CEO of IAB Tech Lab, said rapid CTV growth over the past year created a need for shared definitions. “Publishers, buyers and platforms needed a common language for emerging CTV formats and a way to streamline how these formats are traded,” he said.
IAB Tech Lab said the new standards are intended to reduce issues with creative rendering, minimize duplicative production and ease operational strain caused by inconsistent implementations across devices. Formats such as Pause and Menu, which fall outside traditional ad pods, are viewed as incremental revenue opportunities that require uniform specifications to scale.
Industry stakeholders expressed broad support for the move. Ken Weiner, the Chief Technology Officer of GumGum, said the new standards will simplify adoption of new formats. Gianluca Milano, the Ad Experience Product at Disney, affirmed consistent frameworks will improve interoperability across platforms and buying channels. Ryan McConville, the Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer of Advertising Products & Solutions at NBC Universal, said standardization will help advertisers more easily access premium video inventory.
The updates apply the same industry-wide alignment to CTV that the Digital Ad Portfolio brought to display advertising within OpenRTB. IAB Tech Lab said the new CTV Ad Portfolio and programmatic guidance establish a clearer foundation for communication between buyers and sellers and support more efficient transactions across publishers and devices.
