Pause Ad Vendors and Technology Approaches Compared

Pause ad vendors fall into four groups. Media owners sell pause ads on their own services. SSPs and exchanges transact pause supply. DSPs buy it. A fourth group supplies the technology that detects the pause and renders the ad inside a publisher's own app. Most publishers need at least three of these groups working together.

This page describes each group neutrally, with links to each vendor's own announcement or documentation. Vendor details reflect those sources as of September 2026. For format basics, see Pause Ads.

Which media owners sell their own pause ads?

Several large streaming services sell pause ads on their own apps. Advertisers can buy these placements, but a publisher cannot use them to monetize its own app.

• Amazon Prime Video: Offers interactive pause ads that let viewers use the remote to request information or add products to an Amazon cart. Amazon lists them as available through Amazon DSP's managed-service offering.
• Disney: Sells a Pause Ad product across Disney+ and Hulu, with optional QR codes.
• Roku: Sells Pause Ads within The Roku Channel, bought through direct insertion orders, programmatic or Roku Ads Manager.
• Netflix: Said on September 25, 2026 that its pause ads will be available programmatically across partner DSPs in October.

These services built pause into their own players. Their inventory competes for the same budgets as other publishers' pause supply.

Which SSPs and exchanges transact pause supply?

Several SSPs now package pause inventory from their publisher partners for programmatic buyers. They handle the sale; the publisher's app still has to show the ad.

• Magnite: Rolled out Pause Ads in August 2025 across streaming providers including DIRECTV, DISH Media and Fubo.
• TripleLift: Expanded programmatic pause ads in November 2025 to Xumo and Plex, alongside DirecTV Advertising. It cites VAST 4.0 support and integrations with The Trade Desk, DV360 and Viant.
• PubMatic: Offers pause advertising through its Activate platform, which it says supports static image and video pause formats.
• Index Exchange: Announced programmatic pause ads in May 2026 across DIRECTV, Foxtel, Philo and Plex.
• FreeWheel: Says it is rolling out standardized bidding signals so pause ads can be identified in the bidstream.

An SSP relationship does not by itself put a pause ad on screen in your app. The app must detect the pause, request the ad and render it. Standard signaling from the IAB Tech Lab, finalized in July 2026, helps SSPs label pause supply consistently. See how programmatic pause ads work.

Which DSPs buy pause ads?

Major DSPs can buy pause inventory, usually through deals today. Their specifications shape what creative a publisher must accept.

• The Trade Desk: Published pause ad specifications for OpenPath on July 24, 2026, according to PPC Land. The spec allows static PNG or JPG creative, shown one to three seconds after the viewer pauses.
• Google Display & Video 360: States that pause ad inventory is currently available via direct deals with specific publishers.
• Other buyers: Magnite named KERV.ai, MNTN and Yahoo DSP among the buyers and DSPs using its Pause Ads. Amazon DSP sells Prime Video pause ads through managed service.

DSPs must integrate the IAB format signals before they can target pause supply automatically. Until then, deal IDs remain the common path.

What technology renders pause ads inside a publisher's own app?

This is the layer a publisher needs to create pause inventory in the first place. It detects the pause, fetches an ad and draws it over the paused video.

• StreamLayer: Provides SDKs that render Pause Ads inside the publisher's app on CTV, mobile and web. The StreamLayer documentation describes a configurable delay, dismissal on resume, and interactions such as CTA buttons, QR codes and send-to-phone. Depending on the platform, ads can come from StreamLayer Studio, VAST tags from an ad server such as Google Ad Manager, Google Publisher Tag or Prebid. Formats include full-screen, overlay and side-bar.
• Broadpeak: Its pause ads documentation describes a client-initiated, out-of-band ad request through its SmartLib library when the player pauses. Creatives are displayed through SIMID, and the application tracks when to end the ad break.
• In-house builds: Some publishers build pause logic directly in their player and call their ad server. This offers full control but must be built and maintained per device platform.

StreamLayer SGAI does not stitch video into the stream or modify it. It works alongside existing SSAI, client-side ad insertion, ad servers and players. See SGAI vs. SSAI vs. CSAI for how these approaches differ.

How should a publisher choose a pause ad platform?

Start with where the inventory lives, then check device reach, interactivity, sales routes, measurement and effort. The right answer depends on your existing ad stack.

• Own app or someone else's platform: If you want to sell pause ads in your own app, you need in-app rendering technology. Media-owner products cover only their own services.
• Device coverage: List every platform your audience uses, such as Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Fire TV, Samsung, LG and web. Confirm support for each, not just "CTV." See pause ads by platform.
• Interactivity: Decide whether you need only a static image, or also QR codes, CTAs, send-to-phone, polls or shoppable units. Check how each works with a remote.
• Sales routes: Confirm that the technology works with your ad server and SSPs, and supports open auction, PMP, programmatic guaranteed and direct-sold campaigns as needed.
• Measurement: Ask how impressions, time on screen and interactions are counted, and how counts reconcile with the ad server and SSP.
• Integration effort: Ask what the app team must build: pause and resume signals, focus handling, layout changes and testing on each device.

Where does StreamLayer fit, and where does it not?

StreamLayer is the in-app layer. It is not an SSP, a DSP, an ad server or an SSAI vendor.

StreamLayer fits publishers that want Pause Ads, including interactive and data-driven units, inside their own apps across many devices. The host app supplies pause and resume signals and controls the player. The StreamLayer SDK renders the ad client-side, and StreamLayer Studio manages campaigns, eligibility, pacing and reporting.

StreamLayer does not run auctions or hold advertiser budgets. It cannot place ads on Prime Video, Disney+, Netflix or The Roku Channel. Publishers still need an ad server and demand partners, or direct sales, to fill the inventory. StreamLayer supply can also reach buyers through Curated.Media curated supply and PMP deals.

Frequently asked questions

What are pause ad vendors?

They are companies that sell, transact, buy or render pause ads. The main groups are media owners, SSPs and exchanges, DSPs, and in-app rendering technology providers.

Can I use Amazon or Netflix pause ads in my own app?

No. Media-owner pause ads run only on those companies' own services. To sell pause ads in your own app, you need technology that detects the pause and renders the ad in your app.

Is StreamLayer an SSP?

No. StreamLayer renders Pause Ads inside publisher apps and manages campaigns in StreamLayer Studio. It works alongside the publisher's ad server, SSPs and DSPs.

Do I need an SSP to sell pause ads programmatically?

Usually, yes. An SSP or exchange connects pause inventory to DSP buyers through open auction or deals. Direct-sold pause campaigns can run without one.

If you are comparing pause ad technology for your own apps, talk to StreamLayer about your devices, ad server and sales routes.