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DV360 line item

DV360 Online Video Ads: Instream and Outstream Beyond YouTube

The online video line item buys video inventory outside YouTube: news site video players, publisher apps and outstream slots placed inside articles. The same video counts as a view on YouTube, but on the open web it is often a muted, half-visible impression. So we do not set up this programmatic video line item as a copy of YouTube; we give it its own quality thresholds.

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publisher-site.comAdYour video ad
Illustrative view: illustrative view of a video ad on a publisher site.
Purpose and appearance

What do we use this format for?

This line item's job is to get a TV spot or brand video watched on news sites, publisher apps and in-article slots outside YouTube. We aim for unique video reach on top of YouTube and measure it with viewable, audible completed views. We prepare creatives as short cuts that work with sound off.

Funnel stages it serves

  1. Awareness
  2. Consideration
  3. Conversion
  4. Loyalty

Instream vs. outstream video ads: how the difference affects budget

An instream ad plays before, during or after a video the user chose to watch. Outstream is a video slot that plays on its own on a page with no video content, inside an article or in a feed. In DV360 position targeting, instream offers pre-roll, mid-roll and post-roll, and outstream offers in-article, in-feed, interstitial and in-banner, each selectable separately.

Keeping both in the same line item ends with cheap outstream swallowing the budget. We set up instream for brand message and completion and outstream for extra reach in separate line items, each with its own bids. For outstream, a story that makes sense without sound in the first three seconds is a must.

Our quality checklist for open web video

  • Player size: we exclude small players; the ad may be on screen but nobody watches it.
  • Skippability: we split skippable and non-skippable inventory and read completion rates separately.
  • Audible completion: we find Active View's viewable and audible completion metric more reliable than plain completion rate.
  • Verification: we add video viewability and brand safety tags from IAS or DoubleVerify.
  • Frequency: we set a weekly frequency cap at IO level and track total exposure for audiences that overlap with YouTube video campaigns.

VAST tag or video uploaded to DV360?

When we upload the video directly to DV360, the file is transcoded into versions for different players, and there is no extra server error risk on the tracking side. If the advertiser wants to keep measurement in its own ad server, we work with a VAST tag; in that case we test before launch that the tag returns correctly in both desktop and mobile players. An incompatible tag can mean a line item that keeps bidding without getting impressions.

We shorten creative length to fit the inventory, because viewers in open web players are not there to wait for an ad. Instead of running a 30-second TV spot as is, we recommend 6, 15 and 20-second cuts. We assess which cut stands out for completion and brand recall together with ad creative analysis.

Online video vs. YouTube, CTV and other video channels

We manage YouTube in separate line items, connected TV in a separate IO, and open web video here. That way one channel's low-cost impressions do not hide another channel's average. When video inventory targeted with Amazon's first-party shopping data is needed, we compare the Amazon DSP online video option, and for performance-led video on news sites the Taboola video option, as part of the plan. We keep this split in reporting too, showing each channel's unique reach separately and combining total reach and average frequency at campaign level.

Online Video: when do we recommend it?

We recommend it

  • Brands that want video reach beyond YouTube and are moving a TV spot into digital
  • Advertisers that want to appear with pre-roll in news site video players
  • Campaigns that must report video completion and viewability with third-party verification

We don't recommend it

  • Long videos that cannot be shortened and make no sense with sound off
  • Direct sales campaigns expecting clicks; open web video is not built for clicks
  • Accounts whose YouTube reach is not yet saturated and whose budget only covers one channel

How we manage Online Video

  1. Cuts by inventoryFrom the main spot, we set 6, 15 and 20-second cuts and subtitled versions for muted viewing.
  2. Creative deliveryWe upload the video to DV360 or test the VAST tag across different players.
  3. Position splitWe split instream and outstream inventory, and skippable and non-skippable placements, into separate line items.
  4. Quality thresholdsWe define player size, viewability and verification tags before bidding starts.
  5. Completion reviewWe review viewable and audible completion by publisher and app and remove weak placements.

Online Video: metrics and requirements

Metrics we track

  • Viewable and audible completion
  • Video completion rate
  • Cost per completed view
  • Unique reach
  • Average frequency
  • Viewable CPM

What you need to get started

  • Landscape video cuts or a working VAST tag
  • A subtitled version for muted viewing
  • A list of target publishers or categories
  • Topics to exclude for brand safety

Official sources

The Brand Move DV360 Team

To learn more about Online Video or other DV360 ad formats, contact The Brand Move DV360 team today.

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Explore further

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Display & Video 360 overview

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DV360 image, HTML5 and native ads on the open web, run with exchange selection, viewability thresholds and third-party verification.

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YouTube & partners and Demand Gen line items in DV360, with Floodlight optimization and one frequency plan across video channels.

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Connected TV (CTV)

Smart TV apps and YouTube on CTV, managed with the Connected TV IO, publisher deals and a household frequency plan.

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Audio Ads

Audio ads across music streaming, podcasts and live radio, managed with content type targeting and companion banners.

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Related pages

Frequently asked questions

Online Video: frequently asked questions

What is the difference between instream and outstream video ads?

Instream ads play before, during or after a video the viewer chose to watch. Outstream ads play in their own slot inside an article, a feed or a banner on a page without video content. We run them in separate line items with separate bids and goals.

Why does open web video completion rate differ from YouTube?

Because the inventory is mixed. Non-skippable instream placements give high completion, while outstream slots stop when the user scrolls the page. So we read completion separately by position and skippability, not by a single average.

Are outstream ads a waste of budget?

Not by themselves. With a viewability threshold, player size limits and a creative that works muted, they provide low-cost extra reach. The problem starts when they are managed in the same line item and with the same goal as instream; the algorithm drifts to cheap impressions and completion rate drops.

Our video sits in another ad server. Does it work with DV360?

Yes. It works with the VAST tag from your ad server, and measurement stays in your system. Before launch we test the tag in desktop and mobile players and check that tracking pixels count consistently with the DV360 report.

What video length works best on the open web?

Shorter than a TV spot. We recommend 6, 15 and 20-second cuts and a subtitled version for muted viewing, then compare cuts by completion and brand recall.

Let's run a first Online Video review together.

In a free call we review your audience, inventory needs and measurement setup, then tell you in writing which platform makes sense to start with.

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