Streaming ad insertion keeps moving from client to server
This article discusses the current landscape and future of ad insertion technology in streaming, highlighting the shift from client-side ad insertion (CSAI) to server-side ad insertion (SSAI). It details the benefits and challenges of SSAI, including improved user experience, ad blocking circumvention, and the complexities of personalization and measurement. The piece also touches on emerging hybrid models and the role of unified communication between content and ad servers.
Key Takeaways
- Client-side ad insertion (CSAI) is giving way to server-side ad insertion (SSAI) in streaming workflows.
- SSAI improves the user experience and helps circumvent ad blocking, two core reasons for the shift.
- Personalization and measurement remain the hardest SSAI problems, according to the article.
- Hybrid ad insertion models are emerging as a middle ground between CSAI and SSAI.
- The article emphasizes unified communication between content servers and ad servers as a key requirement.
Why It Matters
The immediate impact is that streaming ad stacks are moving toward server-side ad insertion, which changes where ad decisions and stitching happen in the delivery chain. That matters because the article pairs SSAI’s cleaner playback and ad-blocking resistance with unresolved personalization and measurement issues, so operational complexity is not going away. The broader ecosystem angle is the push for tighter coordination between content and ad servers, plus hybrid models that try to balance flexibility with server-side control. Watch for how quickly operators standardize unified communication between those systems, since the article treats that as central to making SSAI work well.
Additional Context
The shift toward Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) coincides with a massive surge in ad-supported streaming adoption. According to Antenna’s June 2024 data, ad-supported tiers accounted for 57% of new SVOD sign-ups in the first quarter of 2024. This growth is driving a broader market for ad insertion servers, which was valued at $1.44 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $5.2 billion by 2035, per WiseGuy Reports. High-profile platforms like YouTube have also intensified their use of server-side injection as a primary weapon against ad blockers, a move that Eyeo’s 2025 reporting notes has increased friction with users but successfully protected revenue streams.
Technological convergence is leading to the rise of Server-Guided Ad Insertion (SGAI), a hybrid model that aims to solve SSAI’s limitations. Per StreamLayer in March 2025, SGAI allows the server to manage the manifest while the client executes interactive elements like QR codes or shoppable overlays. This evolution is supported by recent updates to the IAB Tech Lab’s Open Measurement SDK, which now includes specific plugins for SSAI environments to provide third-party verification. In May 2026, Business Research Insights found that roughly 52% of ad tech vendors had introduced SSAI systems specifically to reduce buffering and improve continuity across fragmented device ecosystems.
Read full article at tfwm.com
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