The Trade Desk expands OpenPath to direct CTV pause ads

By moving pause ads into OpenPath, The Trade Desk is commoditizing a formerly bespoke, high-premium format into a direct-to-publisher programmatic stream. This shift reduces the financial and technical friction created by supply-side intermediaries, satisfying a growing demand for 'biddable' rather than just 'guaranteed' inventory. For the streaming ecosystem, it validates the IAB Tech Lab’s signaling framework, providing a shared metadata vocabulary that allows diverse formats like overlays and screensavers to scale globally. Watch for whether major US streamers like Netflix or Disney adopt these direct signaling standards to reclaim margin from traditional SSPs.

The expansion of direct-buying routes for Connected TV comes during a period of intense scrutiny for OpenPath. Per Adweek and BestMediaInfo, February 2026 reports indicated that major agency holding companies WPP and Dentsu had begun pulling back or disabling OpenPath due to concerns over fee transparency and perceived overlap with agency-side services. Publicis Groupe also halted recommendations for The Trade Desk in March 2026 following an audit of fee structures, though the two firms reached a joint resolution in June 2026. Despite these friction points, The Trade Desk has maintained its focus on streamlining the supply chain by adding premium partners like Netflix to its specialized marketplace in July 2026.

From a performance standpoint, pause ads have emerged as a high-value alternative to standard pre-roll as viewers increasingly adopt ad-supported tiers. According to data from eMarketer and various industry analysts in early 2026, pause ads can achieve brand recall rates as high as 91% due to an average dwell time of 24 seconds per instance. This high engagement is driving a shift away from 'walled garden' buys toward standardized programmatic paths. As US CTV ad spend is projected to reach approximately $38 billion by the end of 2026 (per eMarketer, February 2026), the formalization of signaling for non-interruptive formats like pause and menu ads is viewed as critical for unlocking the next wave of biddable inventory volume.