Yesterday, on December 11, 2024, Google Ad Manager announced significant technical improvements to its Connected TV (CTV) advertising infrastructure. According to Peentoo Patel, Director of Product Management at Google Ad Manager, approximately 86% of CTV inventory is currently purchased through programmatic channels.

The announcement introduces server-side unwrapping (SSU), a technical enhancement that addresses fundamental challenges in video ad delivery. SSU operates by streamlining tag-based integrations through Video Ad Serving Template (VAST), processing VAST redirect chains within the ad server infrastructure. Internal testing with partners demonstrated an 83% reduction in error rates, indicating substantial improvements in ad delivery reliability.

The technical architecture of SSU enables the system to analyze critical ad parameters including duration, bid price, and advertiser domain. This analysis occurs through the VAST response protocol, allowing for verification and deduplication of creative content before delivery. These improvements aim to minimize latency and reduce error occurrence early in the delivery chain.

Publisher Provided Signals (PPS) has been enhanced to incorporate standardized data transmission capabilities. The system now facilitates the sharing of content metadata such as genre classifications, content ratings, and demographic information. Publishers maintain control over signal sharing through granular permission settings, determining the specific data elements shared and the receiving parties.

Direct payments functionality has been integrated into Open Bidding, establishing a new pathway for third-party exchange interactions. This integration operates through real-time bidding systems and modifies supply path classifications in Sellers.json, indicating direct relationship status between parties. The technical implementation enables publishers to maintain direct billing relationships with exchange partners while operating within the Ad Manager infrastructure.

The Ad Review Center has received technical upgrades focused on programmatic creative review capabilities. Custom creative labeling functionality has been implemented to enhance workflow organization. The platform will soon introduce enhanced video review features, incorporating transcript analysis and volume level monitoring capabilities. These tools aim to provide technical means for identifying and blocking problematic creative content, including ads that exceed acceptable volume thresholds.

A new fill-rate optimization system has been implemented, allowing for traffic prioritization based on specific criteria. The system enables preferential treatment of high-value inventory segments, such as prime-time live content over daytime video-on-demand (VOD) traffic. The optimization engine utilizes artificial intelligence to maximize revenue per second (RPS) while maintaining predetermined linear controls over ad placement parameters.

Frequency capping and competitive exclusion settings have entered beta testing, focusing on resolving cross-channel conflicts. These features operate alongside A/B testing capabilities for Ad Rules, enabling systematic evaluation of different ad load configurations and break structures. The testing framework provides quantitative data on the relationship between revenue generation and user engagement metrics.

The platform's curation capabilities have been expanded to facilitate agency-publisher interactions. These technical improvements focus on audience matching and inventory discovery, creating systematic processes for connecting appropriate marketing campaigns with relevant CTV inventory.

According to the announcement, additional developments are scheduled for release in early 2025, including new CTV ad format specifications and performance-driven demand tools. These upcoming features will build upon the current technical framework to address emerging requirements in the CTV advertising ecosystem.

The implementation of these features follows established industry protocols for programmatic advertising while introducing proprietary optimizations. The system architecture maintains compatibility with existing ad serving infrastructure while introducing new capabilities for revenue optimization and user experience management.

These technical improvements reflect the increasing sophistication of CTV advertising technology and the growing importance of programmatic transactions in the television advertising sector. The developments demonstrate the continued evolution of advertising technology infrastructure to address the specific requirements of connected television environments.

For publishers operating in the European Economic Area (EEA) and United Kingdom markets, these changes coincide with previously announced consent management platform requirements, indicating ongoing attention to regional regulatory compliance alongside technical advancement.