The merits of server-guided ad insertion (SGAI) were one of the big ad-tech talking points at this year’s IBC, but does the technology represent a step change for publishers?
Choosing the best way to insert addressable adverts into streams is one of the key technology dilemmas currently facing ad-supported streaming services.
Server-side ad insertion is often seen as the lynchpin of ad-tech in the streaming age, as media companies look to grow digital revenues to offset linear TV’s decline.
Historically, ads in OTT have either been inserted into a stream by the client (at the player or device level), or stitched into the stream by the server, without the need for client-side integration...
You are not signed in
Only registered users can read the rest of this article.

MPTS 2025 reveals a media industry struggling to keep pace
MPTS 2025 is the latest event to lay bare the faultlines running throughout the TV business which is being eviscerated by AI and the creator economy.

Modern MAM: Manual archives to AI-driven systems
What was once a process of physically storing film reels and manually logging footage has become an intricate dance of digital ingestion, advanced metadata tagging, and cloud-based workflows. With productions now generating thousands of hours of video per show, managing media efficiently is no longer optional; it’s a necessity.
DTG Summit: “We are living in the age of distraction”
DTG’s annual summit explored personalisation, AI, and the canny ways broadcasters have leveraged Roblox, YouTube and TikTok on their transition from transmission to streaming.

MAX-R: Interoperable tools for an immersive future
The MAX-R Pipeline initiative looked to define and demonstrate a complete workflow of tools for making, processing and delivering maximum-quality XR content in real time. James McKeown reports on the project’s evolution and legacy.

Creative Cities Convention: Concern and caution expressed by UK TV over tariff threat
Trump’s tariffs and diversity rollback hijacked the agenda at the Creative Cities Convention where creators were also prominent.