NEW YORK—TripleLift said it is partnering with DirecTV Advertising to launch programmatic Pause Ads. The two companies are billing the offering as an industry first that allows buyers access to DirecTV's Pause Ad product via programmatic through major demand-side platform (DSP) partners.
DirecTV Advertising originally launched the unique Pause Ad format and set the standard for the high-impact unit, winning an Emmy in 2024 for the innovative, non-disruptive format.
The two companies said this new Pause Ad format transforms the moment when viewers pause watching content into a premium advertising opportunity that captures attention and engages viewers during content breaks.
Unlike traditional approaches that require direct sales integration, the new offering uses TripleLift's technology to make the available through major DSPs. TripleLift’s technology also allows it to operate entirely through programmatic channels using standard VAST tags and Deal IDs, making activation as seamless as any other connected TV campaign while also providing additional creative solutioning to buyers.
“We’re witnessing the emergence of advertising moments that didn't exist five years ago,” TripleLift CEO Dave Helmreich said. “Pause ads exemplify our mission to transform standard placements into meaningful brand experiences. In partnership with DirecTV Advertising, we're making their award-winning ad format programmatically accessible, removing every barrier between advertisers and innovation. We are creating a premium x-CTV publisher pause ad offering to delight both advertisers and viewers with a beautiful and efficient advertising experience.”
DirecTV Advertising’s pause ad inventory delivers significant scale, with 200 million monthly available impressions and an audience that averages over three minutes of viewing time. The format has demonstrated strong performance metrics—on average, pause ads drove a 34% higher unaided ad recall compared to traditional addressable advertising and +6% incremental reach when paired with addressable.
“Pause ads represent a natural evolution in how viewers engage with content, and making them programmatically accessible unlocks their true potential,” Rose McGovern, head of programmatic at DirecTV Advertising, said. “TripleLift’s creative technology ensures these exchanges translate into meaningful brand moments that amplify the viewer's experience while delivering results advertisers can measure.”
This launch continues TripleLift’s track record of pioneering creative formats that deliver measurable outcomes, the company said. Following the success of Enhanced Spots—which demonstrated an 8-point increase in likelihood to rewatch content and a 5-point improvement in program enjoyment versus traditional CTV spots—pause ads represent the next evolution in TripleLift’s technologies, the company said.
The solution also includes complete creative development for pause ads, TripleLift said. Advertisers need to only provide a single video asset, and TripleLift's creative technology team can transform it into an optimized slideshow experience within five business days with no creative fees, the company said.
“The traditional model requires advertisers to bring finished creative assets and navigate complex direct sales processes,” said Eliza Davies, vice president of CTV supply at TripleLift. “We’re building toward a one-tag, one-line-item future where advertisers buy pause ads through TripleLift and we handle all the creative heavy lifting—from dynamic publisher template adaptation to ensuring every execution meets CTV specifications across different environments.”
The two companies also reported that TripleLift's pause ad solution is DSP and publisher ad server agnostic, integrating seamlessly with major DSP platforms certified with TripleLift’s CTV High Impact suite. This end-to-end programmatic approach differentiates TripleLift’s offering from alternatives that rely on direct sales channels or require separate activation platforms, the companies reported.
More information is available at TripleLift.com and www.directvadvertising.com.
