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.
Content Everywhere: Accelerators for change
Content Everywhere companies are already in planning mode for this year’s IBC. Some will also have been working on, or at least taking note of, projects included in the event’s Accelerator programme.
Why media networks are being rewired for the speed of light
The elimination of OB trucks is just the start of the light revolution. For the media industry, a rewiring of the transport network from electrons to photons promises to unlock AI driven production, immersive formats, and globalised workflows while dramatically cutting energy consumption.
Q-Stream Alpha: Prioritising trust when the network can’t be trusted
As the industry navigates a storm of content authenticity threats, the Q-Stream Alpha: The "Tactical Truth" Pipeline Accelerator seeks to deploy AI, ML, and post-quantum encryption to apply C2PA principles within live workflows.
KICK: Writing the rules of high-altitude immersive production
From camera placement and viewer comfort to movement, pacing and post-production, the French Alps-set KICK provided Altitude101 with a unique opportunity to test, challenge and refine the methods shaping its immersive storytelling.
Sheffield DocFest: “We need to be more weird”
Funding remains a puzzle, but the documentary and factual entertainment genres are thriving at Sheffield Documentary Festival.


