IAB Tech Lab Announces CTV Ad Portfolio and Updated Guide to Programmatic CTV

New Portfolio and Guidance Provide Standardized Definitions for Six Core CTV Ad Formats and Updated Support for Trading Pause and Menu Formats Through OpenRTB; Open for Public Comment Until January 31, 2026

NEW YORK, Dec. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- IAB Tech Lab, the global digital advertising technical standard-setting body, today announced the release of its new CTV Ad Portfolio along with a major update to the Guide to Programmatic CTV.

The CTV Ad Portfolio defines six core CTV ad formats — Pause, Menu, Screensaver, In Scene, Squeezebacks, and Overlays —derived from more than 100 submissions collected through the Ad Format Hero initiative, an industry-wide call for real-world CTV ad format submissions. The updated Programmatic CTV guidance details how these formats can be more efficiently and consistently transacted, including updated OpenRTB support for the two formats prioritized by the industry working group: Pause and Menu. The public comment period for both documents will be open until January 31, 2026.

"Over the past year, we've seen the CTV marketplace explode, and the industry has been asking for clear, practical guidance to keep up," said Anthony Katsur, CEO, IAB Tech Lab. "What we heard again and again was that publishers, buyers, and platforms needed a common language for emerging CTV formats, and a way to streamline how these formats are traded. This portfolio and guidance update are really about meeting that need and helping accelerate growth in the space."

With streaming and CTV now accounting for the majority of U.S. TV viewing, standardizing innovative CTV ad formats is essential for continued revenue growth across the ecosystem. Many of the formats defined, such as Pause and Menu, create incremental, high-value opportunities that complement traditional ad pods. By unifying the format definitions and required attributes, IAB Tech Lab aims to reduce issues with creatives not rendering correctly, minimize duplicative creative production, and decrease operational strain caused by inconsistent implementations across platforms.

These updates bring the same type of industry-wide alignment to CTV that the original Digital Ad Portfolio brought to display advertising in OpenRTB.

Industry leaders have responded with optimism about the clarity and consistency these standards bring to the CTV marketplace:

"Clear standards like this make it so much easier for everyone to scale new CTV formats," said Ken Weiner, CTO, GumGum. "It's a simple change that will make a big difference in day-to-day execution."

"Interoperability is essential to unlocking the full potential of CTV," said Gianluca Milano, Ad Experience Product at Disney. "These new standards will benefit the entire ecosystem by establishing a consistent framework for advanced ad formats to scale across platforms and buying channels, empowering advertisers with captivating and engaging experiences."

"At NBCUniversal, we are committed to delivering premium content and cutting-edge technology that connects brands with highly engaged audiences in the most efficient, effective way," said Ryan McConville, EVP, Chief Product Officer, Advertising Products & Solutions, NBCUniversal Advertising & Partnerships. "Creating a consistent standard across CTV environments helps advance that mission, making it easier for advertisers of all sizes to access premium video and drive real business impact."

Together, the new CTV Ad Portfolio and updated Programmatic CTV guidance provide a foundation for clearer communication, more efficient transactions, and better user experiences across devices and publishers. To participate in the public comment process until January 31, 2026, please visit https://iabtechlab.com/standards/ctv-ad-portfolio/ 

About IAB Technology Laboratory
Established in 2014, the IAB Technology Laboratory (Tech Lab) is a non-profit consortium that engages a member community globally to develop foundational technology and standards that enable growth and trust in the digital media ecosystem. Comprised of digital publishers, ad technology firms, agencies, marketers, and other member companies, IAB Tech Lab focuses on solutions for brand safety and ad fraud; identity, data, and consumer privacy; ad experiences and measurement; and programmatic effectiveness. Its work includes the OpenRTB real-time bidding protocol, ads.txt anti-fraud specification, Open Measurement SDK for viewability and verification, VAST video specification, and Project Rearc initiative for privacy-centric addressability. Board members/companies are listed at https://iabtechlab.com/about-the-iab-tech-lab/tech-lab-leadership/. For more information, please visit https://iabtechlab.com.

SOURCE IAB Tech Lab