IAB Tech Lab Introduces Standardized Signals For CTV Ad Portfolio For Public Comment

New Specification Enables Programmatic Trading Of Emerging CTV Formats With Greater Clarity And Efficiency; Open for Public Comment Until June 5, 2026

NEW YORK, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, IAB Tech Lab, the global digital advertising technical standards-setting body, announced updates to its technical specifications to support standardized signaling for the CTV Ad Portfolio, now available for public comment until June 5, 2026. The release defines how newly standardized CTV ad formats, including emerging new formats such as Pause and Menu Ads, are communicated programmatically to improve consistency, reduce manual processes, and unlock more efficient transactions.

"Standard formats are only part of the equation. You need a clear way to signal what is actually being bought and sold," said Anthony Katsur, CEO, IAB Tech Lab. "This work helps the market move faster with more confidence, especially as new CTV formats gain traction. The CTV Ad Portfolio provides new real estate, which promises to help accelerate growth in the streaming ecosystem and provide high-profile consumer engagement opportunities for brands."

The CTV Ad Portfolio introduced a range of new and additive ad formats. In addition to Pause and Menu Ads, other non-interruptive placement types include Overlay and Squeeze Back Ads. While these formats have generated strong interest from both buyers and sellers, transacting them has remained largely manual due to the lack of standardized definitions that support programmatic workflows. This release addresses that gap by aligning signaling across core specifications so that each format can be clearly identified and consistently understood in the bidstream and ad serving process.

By establishing standardized signals, the update enables more efficient configuration and delivery of CTV ads while reducing ambiguity in transactions. Buyers gain greater clarity into what they are purchasing, while sellers can more easily package and scale new inventory. This opens new monetization opportunities for high-value streaming inventory, supports higher-margin revenue streams, and increases confidence across the ecosystem by ensuring that all parties are trading on consistent definitions.

Industry leaders supporting the advancement of standardized CTV signaling emphasized the importance of clarity and scalability for programmatic growth:

"These formats represent meaningful new inventory, but they need to be easy to transact," said Ken Weiner, CTO, GumGum. "Standardization helps remove friction so we can bring more of this inventory into programmatic channels and accelerate revenue growth."

"The next wave of CTV formats is shifting how we think about advertising from isolated moments to ongoing consumer engagement," said Christian Babeux, Lead Product Manager, Ads & Data, Telly. "Standardization and signaling is what makes that shift scalable, giving the industry a common language to transact more easily and deliver the performance advertisers expect on the biggest screen in the home."

The work was developed through the Ad Format Hero Task Force, with consultation with Advanced TV Working Group and the Programmatic Supply Chain Working Group, with public comment supporting industry input ahead of finalization. IAB Tech Lab will continue collaborating with members on implementation, including updates across specifications and supporting resources to drive adoption.

IAB Tech Lab invites the industry to participate in the public comment period until June 5, 2026. To review and comment on the new signaling, 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, brands, and other member companies, IAB Tech Lab focuses on solutions for brand safety and ad fraud; identity, data, and consumer privacy; cross-channel programmatic effectiveness and ad measurement; and the impact of LLMs and AI agents on advertising. Its work includes the OpenRTB real-time bidding protocol, ads.txt anti-fraud specification, Open Measurement SDK for viewability and verification, VAST video specification, Trusted Server, and the Agentic Roadmap initiative for agentic advertising. Board members and 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