Video Advertising
Outstream Video Ads: The Publisher’s Guide to 2025
Ankitesh Thakur
According to Statista video ads are expected to reach US$176.60bn by 2026. The advertising market is growing rapidly.
E&P states that short-form video ads will be the fastest-growing advertising segment by 2026, with the potential for double-digit growth. Since all social media platforms are dedicated to video content, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. What does this have to do with the advertising industry as well as publishers? The result is that popular video-centric products, among those being Outstream Video Ads, have to change.
From the most prominent publishers like The Washington Post and CondeNast from major publishers like CondeNast, The Washington Post, and Time Inc. to smaller ones, outstream video ads are among the most sought-after advertising types. What are they? And do you need to jump onto the bandwagon?
Outstream video ads actively enhance user experience by seamlessly integrating into publisher inventories, often appearing between paragraphs. Unlike traditional video ads, they play without requiring a video player. The term “outstream” highlights this distinction, as these ads operate independently of any video player.
The previous system allowed users to make use of video ads that had video content. The problem is that not all publishers offer videos. Outstream videos aren’t dependent on existing video content. Publishers can now add videos to their text-based content.
The majority of times, an outstream advertisement will not be accessible until the user has reached one particular spot on the webpage. It will play automatically however, if a person decides to move through the content, it will be paused. If the user decides to play, they may play the sound by tapping or expanding the screen into the form of a player.
Google states, “Outstream ads are designed for mobile devices and tablets.” However, many platforms now use them on desktops too.
The auto-playing silent video on Facebook is an excellent illustration of an outstream video advertisement.
You can find outstream video ads in three main formats. Your partner network will provide the most advanced versions, including carousels, sliders, cinematography, and sliders.
Interstitial Ads: These ads auto-play but pause if users scroll past, ensuring a non-disruptive experience. They appear during natural pauses, e.g. once you finish a round of the game, and the ad may appear.
In-banners Ads: attractive banner advertisements in the form of videos. These ads often include subtitles since they auto-play without sound.
In-read Ads: The video starts when it’s over 50% of its visibility to guarantee maximum participation. Audio is activated upon the tap, much like native advertisements.
In-Feed Ads
In-feed ads appear within social media or product feed streams. The most common examples you’re familiar with are the video ads on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and others.
In-Article Ads
The In-article ads work like in-feed ads but are placed within paragraphs of editorial content.
Native Video Ads
Native video ads are tailored to match the publisher’s platform style, blending naturally with surrounding content to maintain an engaging ad experience. Most often, native ads contain elements such as headlines and descriptions. They can be either photos or videos, as well as the content of the ad.
The ads for Instream videos appear prior to (pre-roll) and in the middle of (mid-roll) as well as following (post-roll) existing video content. Most of the time, viewers can skim the advertisement after five seconds. However, in certain instances, viewers may have to view the entire video.
Outstream ads primarily appear on non-video platforms like social media or within editorial content. They respect user preferences, allowing viewers to scroll without obstruction.
| Aspect | Instream Ads | Outstream Ads |
| Placement | Displayed within video content (before, during, or after videos). | Displayed outside of video content, within articles, feeds, or other non-video content. |
| User Engagement | Typically higher, as users are already watching a video and may stay to view the ad. | Lower engagement, as ads appear within non-video content, and users may skip or scroll past. |
| Ad Format | Video ads that play as part of a video stream (e.g., pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll). | Video ads that appear as standalone elements within text-based or feed content. |
| Autoplay | Often autoplay, especially in pre-roll and mid-roll formats. | Usually autoplay when the ad comes into view but can pause if the user scrolls away. |
| Skippability | Can be skippable (after a few seconds) or non-skippable, depending on the platform. | Often skippable or quickly bypassed by scrolling past the ad. |
| Best Used For | High-quality brand storytelling and product awareness in video-heavy environments. | Driving awareness in content-heavy platforms, such as news articles or blogs. |
There’s no definitive answer to this. According to a 2022 study by IAB Europe and Pubmatic, advertisers prioritize Instagram, with 65% allocating 41–100% of their budgets to this format. But, even though Instream has the majority of the market, 37% of advertisers spend significant sums in the outstream (between 21% to 61 percentage in their spending).
Advertising Outstream is an excellent way of increasing the visibility of your brand because it attracts many more people looking at it. However, the click-through rate of these advertisements is typically small, making the placements less appealing to advertisers.
Instream ads tend to perform better than outstream, as users engage with ads while waiting for the main content. Advertisers are also willing to spend more eCPMs on Instream than Outstream.
While instream ads interrupt viewers by playing before desired video content, outstream ads are less intrusive, appearing subtly in articles or social media feeds, making them more user-friendly. In the end, consumers can control them better.
There are eight major benefits of using outstream video ads the publishers:
This format should be placed on the middle half of your page. If you don’t, the layout won’t work.
The standard aspect ratio for video out-stream is 16:9; therefore, any dimensions that conform to the ratio can be used in an outstream video.
Outstream video advertisements are typically audio-only and are not skippable as a default. This helps make the ads less intrusive and natural to content. The best advice is not to alter these settings.
In general, outstream videos are an excellent way to test out due to the growing need for video-based videos. However, be aware that each site differs, and some publishers might not see immediate success when using outstream video ads.
Set up and delivered high-quality, highly relevant, and contextually appropriate outstream video advertisements and managed setting up and optimization. Get in touch with us today to determine if Outstream is a good fit for your needs!
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