Magnite rolls out pause ads for streaming TV with DIRECTV and Fubo

Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI), the largest independent sell-side advertising company, announced on August 26, 2025, the rollout of Pause Ads across leading streaming providers including DIRECTV, DISH Media, and Fubo. The advertisement format appears when viewers pause content, creating engagement opportunities during natural viewing interruptions. Buyers and demand-side platforms utilizing Pause Ads include KERV.ai, MNTN, and Yahoo DSP.

According to the company, Pause Ads activate when users pause streaming content, providing contextually relevant advertising during natural breaks in viewing. The format disappears when playback resumes, offering what Magnite describes as "seamlessly integrated opportunities to engage with viewers" without disrupting the content experience. These advertisements extend beyond traditional pre-roll or mid-roll placements by capitalizing on moments when viewers actively engage with their content through pause interactions.

The announcement builds on substantial growth in the connected television advertising sector. Magnite reported contribution excluding traffic acquisition costs of $149.4 million in Q3 2024, representing 12% year-over-year growth. Connected television drove a 23% year-over-year increase in CTV contribution during the same period. Industry projections indicate CTV advertising spending will reach $33.35 billion in 2025, with budgets expected to double from 14% in 2023 to 28% in 2025.

Mike Laband, Group SVP, US Revenue at Magnite, emphasized the non-disruptive nature of pause advertising. "Pause Ads create a new class of high-value ad inventory without disrupting the viewer experience," Laband stated. The format builds on momentum from Magnite's existing Home Screen and Tiles ad solutions to meet growing demand for performance-driven advertising experiences. As buyers seek more effective engagement methods with streaming audiences, the company expects increasing demand for pause advertising innovations.

The technical implementation addresses operational challenges faced by streaming advertising technology. Unlike traditional linear television or desktop display advertising, streaming environments require integrated technology solutions to deliver seamless viewing experiences while maximizing monetization. Magnite's SpringServe platform addresses common operational challenges including complex workflow management, inconsistent reporting across platforms, and fragmented inventory access.

Rose McGovern, Head of Programmatic at DIRECTV Advertising, highlighted the unique engagement potential of pause advertising. "When someone hits the pause button, they are directly engaging with what they're watching, making pause ads a unique, non-disruptive opportunity for brands to reach people at a moment of peak interest," McGovern explained. The programmatic availability of pause ads enables brands to access viewers during these high-attention moments while maintaining streaming quality standards.

Pause ads address specific technical requirements within streaming environments. These advertisements appear several seconds after users pause content and automatically disappear when playback resumes. The format proves especially impactful during live viewing scenarios when audience attention reaches peak levels. Unlike traditional commercial interruptions, pause ads capitalize on viewer-initiated breaks rather than forced content disruptions.

Marwan Soghaier, Chief Product Officer at MNTN, characterized pause ads as designed for authentic viewing behaviors. "Pause Ads are built for how people actually watch TV – no disruption, just results," Soghaier stated. The format eliminates traditional advertising interruptions while maintaining performance capabilities. MNTN utilizes pause advertising to convert viewer attention into measurable outcomes across streaming platforms.

The Connected TV advertising landscape has experienced rapid expansion throughout 2025. Nielsen data shows streaming officially surpassed combined broadcast and cable viewing for the first time in July 2025. This shift has created complex challenges for media owners and advertisers navigating fragmented digital environments. Magnite's technology solutions address inventory fragmentation across multiple platforms while maintaining brand safety requirements through direct publisher relationships.

Technical compatibility includes automated workflows through Magnite's ClearLine platform, with ongoing testing across third-party demand-side platforms. Pause ads help reduce operational complexity while enhancing performance visibility for brands investing in Connected TV advertising. The format maintains programmatic buying capabilities similar to other Connected TV inventory while providing unique engagement moments.

The announcement follows significant partnerships across the streaming advertising ecosystem. Paramount Australia partnered with Magnite in July 2025 to provide programmatic access to Paramount+ streaming television inventory. Samsung Ads expanded its partnership with Magnite in April 2025, focusing on enhanced audience addressability. These collaborations position Magnite across major streaming platforms as programmatic adoption accelerates.

Magnite maintains relationships with major streaming platforms including Netflix, Disney, Roku, and Warner Bros. Discovery. These partnerships enable access to premium inventory while providing advanced targeting capabilities. The company's neural network and machine learning systems contribute to cost-effective infrastructure scaling across data centers and cloud environments.

Industry competition in streaming advertising technology continues intensifying as providers develop more efficient monetization solutions. The merger of ad server and supply-side platform functionality represents acknowledgment that traditional separation between these technologies has become outdated in streaming contexts. Magnite's approach reduces layers between buyers and sellers while maintaining sophisticated ad decisioning capabilities.

The pause advertising rollout follows industry trends toward more engaging Connected TV formats. Wunderkind launched programmatic CTV pause ads in July 2025 with 79% cost reduction capabilities. Fubo introduced pause ads alongside interactive ads and marquee placements in May 2024. YouTube expanded pause ads to wide availability in September 2024, demonstrating growing adoption across streaming platforms.

Technical advantages of Magnite's pause advertising implementation include automated workflow compatibility and third-party demand-side platform integration. The system provides real-time analysis of available inventory while maintaining cost efficiency standards. Publishers benefit from streamlined inventory management capabilities while advertisers gain enhanced performance visibility across campaigns.

The Jounce Supply Benchmarking Report revealed that Magnite currently covers 99% of the CTV supply market, maintaining a substantial 24% lead over its closest competitor. This extensive coverage enables comprehensive access to premium streaming inventory across fragmented markets. The company's direct publisher relationships provide standardized inventory access while maintaining brand safety requirements.

Marketing professionals gain access to enhanced targeting precision through the collaboration. The pause advertising format enables contextual advertising delivery while maintaining programmatic efficiency requirements. Advanced targeting capabilities include behavioral audience data management and increased targeted impression volumes across Magnite's exchanges.

The Connected TV advertising market continues transformation as traditional television budgets migrate to streaming platforms. The elimination of third-party cookies and restrictions on device-level tracking create demand for contextual targeting approaches that do not depend on individual user identification. Pause advertising addresses these requirements through contextual engagement during natural viewing interruptions.

Magnite operates with offices across North America, EMEA, LATAM, and APAC regions. The company maintains headquarters in New York City with additional locations in Los Angeles, Denver, London, Singapore, and Sydney. As the world's largest independent sell-side advertising company, publishers utilize Magnite's technology to monetize content across screens and formats including Connected TV, online video, display, and audio.

The expansion of pause advertising capabilities reflects broader industry trends toward more engaging and interactive Connected TV experiences. These developments address growing advertiser demand for attention-commanding moments within premium viewing environments. As streaming consumption accelerates, technology providers continue developing solutions that balance viewer experience with monetization opportunities.

Timeline

• February 21, 2022 - Discovery partners with Magnite for CTV monetization including ad podding, inventory hierarchy, and targeting capabilities
• March 16, 2024 - Mediaocean and Magnite announce partnership bringing automation to CTV and online video buying through ClearLine solution
• May 1, 2024 - Fubo introduces innovative CTV ad units including pause ads, interactive ads, and marquee placements
• May 16, 2024 - Netflix opens ad inventory to programmatic partners including The Trade Desk, Google DV360, and Magnite
• November 9, 2024 - Magnite reports strong Q3 2024 results driven by 23% year-over-year CTV growth
• December 5, 2023 - Goldbach integrates Magnite's streaming SSP and SpringServe ad server for omnichannel advertising
• March 9, 2025 - Magnite dominates CTV market with 99% supply coverage maintaining 24% lead over closest competitor
• April 12, 2025 - Samsung Ads and Magnite expand partnership to enhance audience addressability in streaming television
• May 2, 2025 - Magnite announces merger of ad server with SSP technology in streaming play
• July 15, 2025 - Paramount Australia partners with Magnite for programmatic streaming ads access
• July 16, 2025 - Wunderkind launches programmatic CTV pause ads with 79% cost reduction
• July 24, 2025 - Dentsu expands Magnite partnership for CTV advertising deploying SpringServe platform across EMEA markets
• August 26, 2025 - Magnite announces expansion of advertising solutions with Pause Ads across DIRECTV, DISH Media, and Fubo

PPC Land explains

Connected TV (CTV): Connected television encompasses internet-enabled television devices, smart TVs, and streaming platforms that deliver advertising through digital connections rather than traditional broadcast signals. CTV represents one of the fastest-growing advertising channels, with budgets projected to double from 14% in 2023 to 28% in 2025 as viewing habits shift toward streaming platforms and advertisers seek alternatives to declining linear television audiences.

Pause Ads: Advertisement format that appears when viewers pause streaming content and automatically disappears when playback resumes. These ads capitalize on viewer-initiated breaks rather than forced content disruptions, providing contextual engagement during moments of peak attention when users directly interact with their viewing experience through pause functionality.

Programmatic Advertising: Automated buying and selling of digital advertising inventory using real-time bidding technology and algorithmic decision-making. This method enables precise targeting, efficient budget allocation, and real-time optimization across multiple channels and formats, with the programmatic ecosystem including demand-side platforms, supply-side platforms, ad exchanges, and data management platforms.

SpringServe: Magnite's video platform technology that addresses common operational challenges in streaming advertising including complex workflow management, inconsistent reporting across platforms, and fragmented inventory access. The unified platform reduces layers between buyers and sellers while maintaining sophisticated ad decisioning capabilities for Connected TV environments.

Supply-Side Platform (SSP): Technology platform that enables publishers to sell their advertising inventory programmatically to multiple demand sources simultaneously. SSPs automate the selling process, optimize yield through real-time auctions, and provide publishers with control over pricing, targeting parameters, and inventory management across digital advertising channels.

ClearLine: Magnite's automated workflow solution that streamlines programmatic advertising transactions for Connected TV and video inventory. The platform provides direct access to premium video sellers while reducing operational complexity and enhancing performance visibility for brands investing in streaming television advertising campaigns.

Streaming Providers: Companies that deliver video content through internet connections rather than traditional broadcast methods, including platforms like DIRECTV, DISH Media, Fubo, Netflix, Roku, and Paramount. These providers monetize content through subscription models, advertising-supported tiers, or hybrid approaches combining both revenue streams.

Demand-Side Platform (DSP): Technology platform that enables advertisers and agencies to purchase advertising inventory programmatically across multiple sources through automated bidding processes. DSPs provide targeting capabilities, budget management tools, and performance analytics while connecting to various supply-side platforms and ad exchanges.

Real-Time Bidding: Automated auction process where advertising inventory is bought and sold on a per-impression basis in milliseconds as web pages load or video content plays. This technology enables precise targeting and dynamic pricing based on audience data, context, and campaign objectives across digital advertising channels.

Contextual Advertising: Advertising approach that delivers relevant advertisements based on the content, genre, tone, or viewing context rather than relying on individual user tracking or behavioral data. This method becomes increasingly important as privacy regulations restrict traditional tracking methods and streaming platforms seek engagement solutions that respect viewer privacy while maintaining advertising effectiveness.

Summary

Who: Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI), the largest independent sell-side advertising company, working with streaming providers DIRECTV, DISH Media, and Fubo, alongside buyers including KERV.ai, MNTN, and Yahoo DSP.

What: Introduction of Pause Ads, advertisement format that appears when viewers pause streaming content and disappears when playback resumes, providing contextual engagement during natural viewing breaks without disrupting the content experience.

When: Announced August 26, 2025, as part of Magnite's ongoing expansion of Connected TV advertising capabilities throughout 2025.

Where: Across leading streaming platforms and Connected TV environments, with Magnite maintaining 99% coverage of the CTV supply market and operations spanning North America, EMEA, LATAM, and APAC regions.

Why: To meet growing demand for performance-driven advertising experiences that engage streaming audiences without disrupting viewer experience, as Connected TV advertising spending approaches $33.35 billion in 2025 and streaming officially surpasses combined broadcast and cable viewing.