Server-Guided Ad Insertion (SGAI) and the Future of Streaming AdTech
On Wednesday, May 21, Nadine Krefetz, Consultant, Reality Software, and Contributing Editor, Streaming Media, will moderate the Streaming Media Connect May panel “Server-Guided Ad Insertion (SGAI) and the Future of Streaming AdTech.” Server-guided ad insertion (SGAI) arguably combines the advantages of CSAI and SSAI and allows for more targeted ads and better technical delivery, which is a boon to FAST and other AVOD platforms. Ads start faster, and only the “decisioned” ads are inserted, which means allocating less overhead to fetching ads that won’t be used. But who is using SGAI now, how effectively are they implementing it, what can it do for you, and how likely is it to move into the ad-supported streaming mainstream?
Confirmed panelists include:
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In her role as Contributing Editor, Streaming Media, Krefetz focuses on how technology will drive change in the media industry. She writes on Generative AI, adtech, and a wide range of cloud SaaS for delivering streaming. Her background is in software development, project management, journalism and marketing consulting through her company, Reality Software.
According to Krefetz, “SGAI, in addition to providing better delivery, enables FAST channels to do better targeting. Instead of pre-inserting ads into the content (as with traditional server-side methods), SGAI enables real-time decision making, in which ads are selected based on the viewer’s location, preferences, and behavior. The theory is that streaming services can deliver more relevant ads to each user without buffering.”
David Hassoun is a streaming media consultant and the CEO/Founder of RealEyes Media, which was acquired by Dolby Laboratories. Before recently going solo he was the Chief Technologist for Dolby Laboratories and helped connect the business, product, and technology teams to drive Dolby toward success in the media-streaming space. He has worked with major industry companies to deliver thousands of live streaming events, including five Olympics and three Super Bowls.
“Non-linear ads offer the potential to greatly elevate the ad experience at a time [when] and in a segment [in which] innovation is really needed,” says Hassoun. “By providing enhanced ad experiences with pullbacks and alternate displays, it offers both more ad opportunities for providers and a less intrusive or more useful experience to end users, and SGAI is the perfect solution to make that a reality.”
Sourya Roy is Senior Product Manager at Google, where he leads live ad serving and ad insertion products. Roy is very passionate about video and loves building features that empower publishers to provide the best monetization experience with the best watch experience. He is based out of New York City.
“SGAI brings the benefits of a very seamless watch experience of server side ad insertion but with the ease of implementation of client side ad insertion,” Roy notes. “We are also seeing many new formats and ad experiences now being enabled by SGAI. I am very excited and eagerly looking forward to the panel!”
Katie Stroud is Senior Product Manager at IAB Tech Lab, where she led its Advanced TV initiative and drafted the first version of VAST Tag Validator. Now she manages standardization initiatives for display, podcast, and video/CTV. Based in the Pacific Northwest, she explores new possibilities for better, cleaner, simpler Adtech that promotes content across a myriad of media platforms.
Jarred Wilichinsky is SVP of Global Digital Ad Operations at Paramount, where he is responsible for maximizing the monetization of video advertising inventory across Paramount’s digital executions and ensuring the best possible user experience. Wilichinsky works closely with sales and distribution leadership to drive forward sales strategy and optimize inventory, pricing, and campaign execution.
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