NEW YORK—In a move that will make it easier to use emerging CTV ad formats, IAB Tech Lab has released its new CTV Ad Portfolio along with a major update to the Guide to Programmatic CTV. It introduces standardized definitions for six key CTV ad formats and updated OpenRTB support—starting with Pause and Menu formats.
The goal is to give publishers, buyers, and platforms a common language and more efficient way to transact emerging CTV formats, reducing operational friction and improving consistency across devices. With CTV now making up the majority of U.S. TV viewing, the standards are intended to help the ecosystem scale advanced ad experiences more easily, the IAB Tech Lab explained.
Both documents are open for public comment through January 31, 2026.
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.
"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, the IAB Tech Lab said.
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 reported that it 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, the group said.
Several industry leaders from Disney, NBCU and other companies have responded with optimism about the clarity and consistency these standards bring to the CTV marketplace:
"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, executive vice president, chief product pfficer, 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, the IAB Tech Lab said.
To participate in the public comment process until January 31, 2026, please visit https://iabtechlab.com/standards/ctv-ad-portfolio/
