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Top 15 Video Ad Networks for Publishers For 2023

Last updated on May 03, 2023

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Top 15 Video Ad Networks for Publishers For 2023

Video content is being increasingly preferred by audiences all over the world. Primarily because the video format works excellently for mobile users. It’s also easier to tell a story and convey a lot of information within a few seconds through videos. A survey by Optinmonster stated that 72% of customers prefer to learn about a product or service through video content.

videos dominating video content infographicAdditionally, this infographic by invideo.io shows how video is the future of online marketing and gives us a fair idea of the power of video content or video ads in 2023.

Advertisements in video format are also known to drive more sales for businesses. In fact, research suggests that the average website visitor is much more likely to click through online video ads than standard banner ads. This is perhaps why you should consider hosting video ads on your website and earn more revenue through existing website traffic.

Instream and Outstream Video Ads

How many times have you wanted to watch a video online (even on YouTube) but encountered a sponsored video advertisement first? That is one example of instream video advertising. If you have video content on your website, you can allow instream video ads and earn revenue from them. They are of three types; pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll.

Whereas, outstream video ads, also known as ‘in-read’ or ‘native video’ are usually seen in a popup window or as a sticky advertisement on the webpage which stays in a fixed position even when you scroll down. Outstream video ads can be published on websites with all kinds of content. 

Do you really need a video ad network?

A video ad network acts as an intermediary between publishers and advertisers making the whole advertising process easier for both of them. If you’re a publisher who wants to host video ads on your platform, instead of approaching advertisers directly (which by the way, is a tiresome process), you can choose an ad network to help you with negotiating terms with advertisers, like audience targets and cost per impression.They also help you with tracking, targeting, and reporting on your ad campaigns. 

All in all, video ad networks can make video advertising less cumbersome for you and help you earn more revenue without much hassle. 

Top 15 Video Ad Networks for Publishers

Now, let’s get down to the best video ad networks for publishers. 

(Don’t miss our smart guide in the end that helps you with how to choose the right video ad network!)

1. SpotX


spotx logoSpotX was launched in 2007 and was the first online video advertising marketplace. With nearly three billion video ads each month, SpotX is one of the most preferred video ad networks among publishers. Price floor optimization, bid activity reporting, multi-currency reporting, are some of the essential features offered by SpotX. No wonder they have a network of over 1,000 publishers. Ads are available in various formats including in-stream, out-stream, interstitial, OTT, and short form. 

2. Select Media

Select Media is one of the best video ad networks for publishers to monetize their video and mobile inventory through its full-stack & outstream video ssp technology and access to its unique premium marketplace. They are best suited for publishers from around the Asian continent.  One of the best parts is the ability to micro-direct your own campaigns and the variety of ad formats they offer including slider playlist, in-content, bottom sticky, and overlay. The only downside might be that they have high requirements for publishers to be accepted to their network.

3. Unruly

unruly logoAnother platform where publishers need not necessarily have video content to monetize is Unruly. It helps publishers efficiently optimize their inventory to maximize revenue. Advantages of using Unruly are a friendly ad format, global demand partners, and a dedicated publisher support team. The available payment methods include Paypal and Wire Transfer. They have a wide range of engaging and innovative ad formats from in-stream, out-stream, to mobile video formats. UnrulyX offers a high-quality ad experience due to its Shield feature. 

4. OpenX

For publishers who have access to a good amount of their own video content, OpenX might be one of the best options since it lacks a syndication service. Despite that, they partner with more than 50 brands on the demand side including LinkedIn, HP, P&G, etc. OpenX offers services like OpenX Ad Exchange, Mobile App Monetization, Programmatic Direct Deals, and more. They have a requirement of accepting publishers with over ten million monthly page views.

5. Primis

Primis logo

Primis is one of the best native video advertising platforms for publishers mainly because they use AI to target ads that are most relevant to your website. Publishers have the liberty to decide which categories, channels, and keywords are best for their site. Their Video Discovery technology is used by digital publishers worldwide and they’re proud of monetizing 3.2B video impressions. Their ads are structured in a way that the content that finds no interaction, gets automatically skipped.

6. AdPlayer.Pro


AdPlayer.Pro outstream solution is another ad network that enables publishers with non-video content to monetize their websites. They have a dedicated 24-hour tech support team and also provide account management service. Their non-intrusive ad format helps publishers boost video ad viewability & viewer engagement easily.

7. Propeller Ads

If your goal is to generate more revenue in a short period of time, Propellor Ads is one of the best ad networks. It works wonders for websites with heavy traffic wanting to have high fill rates and high CPM rates. They offer a variety of ad formats and you can choose the best fit for you. One other benefit is that they offer higher payments as compared to other ad networks.

8. Chocolate Platform

cocolate Video Ad Networks  logoFor publishers who want mobile ads monetization, Chocolate Ads is a great option. They are a global digital advertising platform and offer unobtrusive ads that are designed especially for mobiles and hence, they don’t interrupt the viewer’s experience. They allow publishers with minimum 250,000 page views or 5,000 unique visitors per month. They serve over 7700 websites and apps and garner more than 20 billion impressions monthly. 

9. Xandr

Xandr is a data-enabled technology platform powering a global marketplace for premium advertising. They provide plenty of video ad formats including instream and outstream. They also offer video header bidding for publishers which means they let the demand sources compete at the same time for ads which in turn gives more control in the hands of the publishers.

10. Yahoo Ad-tech

They are a comprehensive ad monetization solution that gives video publishers a variety of features that include advanced deal capabilities, support for server-to-server and client-side header-bidding, plus unique demand from the Yahoo DSP and ad exchange. Their unique deal capabilities deliver your supply to meet advertiser needs. They have a total of 700M+ monthly transactions across the web, in-app and CTV.

11. Taboola


Screenshot 2022-02-23 at 5.07.30 PMTaboola is a popular ad network for publishers with more than 500,000 visitors per month. It is used by over 9,000 publishing entities worldwide. It is one of the best options for market-leading monetization with seamless, non-intrusive, in-feed video experiences. They also offer valuable insights when it comes to ad analytics.


12. Teads

Teads specializes in outstream video ads. They uses artificial intelligence and data insights to improve revenue for website publishers. They also ensure a good quality inventory and provide a centralized reporting hub that includes reports on viewability and audience. 

13.  Undertone

Undertone provides high-impact video ad formats like in-banner and pre-roll for premium publishers. They also offer a higher CPM rate as compared to other publishers, however meeting their traffic requirements might be difficult as they have a 500,000 monthly minimum traffic requirements. They offer cross-screen solutions to leverage mobile-ready ads.

14.  AdMedia

AdMedia offers video advertising solutions for publishers. They provide a positive, non-obtrusive (muted ads) user experience and focus on the relevance of the ad сreatives to your site content with highly precise ad optimization services. AdMedia only sells impressions to existing advertisers on their platform. 

15. SpringServe


Screenshot 2022-02-23 at 5.08.08 PMSpringServe claims itself to be the only independent ad serving ecosystem purpose-built for OTT & video businesses. They provide a fast and intuitive user interface with improved header bidding and macros for GDPR compliance. It can also be easily used in a combination with any other ad network. Publishers can easily customize their requirements and hence they can exercise great control and process transparency. 

Each of these ad networks has a unique specialty. You just need to figure out what’s best for you as a publisher. We have summarized the top features of each video ad network in the table below-

 

Ad Network

Top Features

SpotX

Automation resources and tracking tools 

Select Media

Real-time reporting and intelligence

Unruly

Private Marketplaces (PMPs), Self-service tools

OpenX

A good video inventory and friendly customer service

Primis

AI powered ad targeting, full-control with publisher

AdPlayer.Pro

Dedicated 24-hour tech support team

Propeller Ads

High CPM Rates, No minimum traffic requirements

Chocolate Platform

Engaging ad units, easy integration

Xandr

Real-time reporting, video header bidding

Yahoo Ad-tech

Variety of formats and channels

Taboola

Comprehensive reporting, filtering & blocking options

Teads

Mobile-first approach, Better for Instream ads

Undertone

CPM rates 100% – 1500% higher than traditional ads

AdMedia

Contextual targeting, good option for outstream ads

SpringServe

Simple tag management, Robust demand partners

 

Here’s what to specifically keep in mind while choosing the right ad network for your webpage-

  1. Brand Safety – Does the network ensure that the content provided is relevant, safe, and free of fraud?
  2. Customer and Tech support – Do they have a reliable tech support/ customer support team that can assist you when you need help?
  3. Technology – Do they have the technology to provide the services they claim to provide?
  4. Do they provide additional targeting options like contextual targeting and geo-targeting
  5. Are the analytics efficient to evaluate your ad campaigns?
  6. Do they offer a wide variety of video ad formats to choose from (skippable, non-skippable, linear, outstream, instream, etc.)

Apart from these, your website content type, your audience type, your target location, ad features and formats available, are some factors to keep in mind before making your decision.  It is advised to go through the reviews from past customers for the ad network that you have shortlisted to monetize your webpage. Good luck!

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Punya Batra
Punya Batra
Punya is a full-time content marketer and a part-time blogger who loves to explore the unique stories behind brands. She pens down short stories, poems, and one-liners in her free time. Her dream is to publish her thoughts as a book someday.

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