CTV Pause Ads
Max impact. Zero interruption.
Full-screen, non-intrusive ads that appear the moment viewers pause what they’re watching. A high-attention moment the viewer chose: 100% share of voice, zero disruption.
- $30–$40 CPM, Pause TV Package
- $10K minimum IO
- 10 publishers, one insertion order
How it works
The viewer presses pause.
Your brand takes the screen.
They’re watching
Premium streaming content on a connected TV: Paramount+, Tubi, Philo, Sling, DirecTV Stream and more.
They pause. You appear.
A full-screen, muted, viewer-initiated placement. No pre-roll, no mid-roll, nothing talking over the show.
One press resumes
The content picks up exactly where it left off. The ad never costs the viewer a second of their show.
Why pause ads
A moment the viewer chose, not one you interrupted.
Viewer-initiated
Appears only when the viewer pauses. Zero disruption, no tune-away.
Full-screen & viewable
100% share of voice in a premium moment. Nothing else on the screen.
High attention, high impact
Proven to drive better brand recall, engagement and performance.
Programmatic at scale
Premium pause inventory across major platforms, networks and OEMs through one workflow.
Premium inventory
Placements sit inside content the viewer chose and is actively watching, not background or incidental inventory.
Incremental reach
Extends a CTV plan into inventory standard video buys cannot reach, with its own supply pool.
Pause ads deliver
- User-initiated
- Full-screen & viewable
- Non-disruptive (no audio)
- More engaging
- Audience retention
- Flexible activation: PMP, programmatic guaranteed or fully managed
Source: Wunderkind pause-ad research. Results are vendor-reported and vary by campaign, creative and inventory mix.
Where to start
One deal. Ten premium publishers.
Pause TV Package
Managed by Genius Monkey. Full audience and geo targeting. The lowest commitment on the sheet.
- Paramount+
- Univision
- Tubi
- Roku
- Xumo
- Sling
- DirecTV Stream
- Hearst
- Plex
- Philo
$30 to $40 expected
When you’re ready to go deeper
Publisher direct and exchange deals.
Publisher direct
A single publisher’s inventory with its own audience and genre targeting. $35–$55 CPM depending on the publisher and targeting.
| Publisher | Status | Buying | CPM range | Minimum | Targeting |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philo | Live | PG, PMP, Custom 1:1 | $35–55 | $30,000 | Audience, geo |
| DIRECTV | Live | Custom 1:1, PMP | $35–55 | Varies | Applied in DSP |
| Dish Media | Live | PMP | $35–55 | $100,000 | None |
| Tubi | Live | Custom 1:1, PMP | $35–55 | None | Genre, geo |
| A+E Global Media | In progress | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| AMC Global Media | In progress | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Exchange and vendor deals
Private marketplace deals through the exchanges, with vendor-built creative and QR support.
| Vendor | Deal type | Planning CPM | Min (net) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wunderkind | 1:1 PMP, private | $79.55 | $57,000 | Wunderkind builds creative. QR supported. |
| TripleLift | 1:1 PMP, private | $79.55 | $114,000 | Third-party served, 1920×1080. |
| Magnite | 1:1 PMP, private | Deal spec. | None | DSP served. Video rather than tile. |
| OpenGlass TV | Managed package | $30 to $40 | $10,000 | Aggregated access across 10 publishers. |
Rates are vendor-quoted planning CPMs and move with supply, targeting and flight dates. Minimums are stated as net working media, so gross budgets must be sized above them where an agency fee applies. Availability and status are confirmed at IO.
Creative requirements
Build it like a screener, not a commercial.
- Dimensions1920 × 1080 px
- Aspect ratio16:9
- Frame rate23.98 or 29.97 fps
- File format.mp4, uncompressed
- Duration15 or 30 seconds
- AudioNone, muted playback
- Give the ad a screener-like appearance. Keep movement in background and foreground minimal.
- Messaging cannot prompt the viewer to tune away from the underlying content.
- Content must be appropriate for all audiences.
- Keep copy and logos out of the lower third. Player controls sit there and will cut the asset off.
- No spot? Our studio builds the pause frame from your display assets and brand kit, and Wunderkind builds creative on its exchange deals.
Planning
Where pause ads fit on a plan.
An attention layer, not a volume channel
Pause ads are an upper-funnel attention play. Layer them onto an existing CTV buy to add incremental reach and a full-screen brand moment, with the bulk of impressions still delivered by standard video at a lower CPM.
Where to start
Most advertisers should open with the Pause TV Package. It clears ten premium publishers at a $10,000 minimum, enough to read the format before committing to a single-publisher or exchange deal that starts at $30,000 and runs past $100,000.
Every pause impression reports into the same dashboard as your other channels, with Pixel Monkey view-through attribution connecting the household that saw the pause ad to the visit and conversion that followed on any device.
Pause ads at a glance
Pause TV Package
$30–$40CPM, ten publishers, one IO$10K minimum. Managed by Genius Monkey. Start here.
Publisher direct
$35–$55CPM by publisherTubi, Dish Media, DIRECTV, Philo. Minimums from $30K to $100K.
Exchange deals
$79.55planning CPMWunderkind and TripleLift. $57K to $114K minimums. Vendor-built creative.
