PubMatic Scales Pause Advertising Campaigns Across Connected TV with dentsu as First Partner

PubMatic, an independent technology company powering the future of digital advertising supply chains, has announced that dentsu, one of the world’s largest agency networks, is the first to roll out comprehensive pause ad campaigns across PubMatic’s premium Connected TV (CTV) inventory. The partnership follows a 50% year-over-year growth in PubMatic’s CTV business last quarter, now spanning 26 of the top 30 global streaming platforms. Building on a successful pilot, this collaboration positions pause advertising as an essential component of advanced, enterprise-grade CTV strategies.

dentsu Leads Adoption of Next-Generation CTV Format

As the first major agency to activate pause advertising on PubMatic’s premium CTV inventory, dentsu is leveraging the format’s ability to engage viewers naturally—without disrupting content. Powered by PubMatic Activate, a purpose-built efficiency platform, dentsu aims to maximize campaign performance and audience reach.

“Pause ads represent a fundamental shift in how we approach premium CTV inventory,” said Rebekah Shalit, VP of Partnership, Platforms Lead at dentsu. “The format addresses two critical challenges for clients: achieving meaningful engagement without disrupting viewer experience, and accessing premium inventory moments that traditional pre-roll simply can’t provide. Our active campaigns with PubMatic demonstrate pause advertising’s evolution from experimental format to strategic necessity.”

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Advanced Platform Capabilities Fuel Agency Adoption

PubMatic’s pause ad solution, integrated through Activate, empowers agencies like dentsu with sophisticated CTV campaign tools designed for precision and performance:

• Optimized Technology: Advanced algorithms analyze pause behavior patterns and contextual data across PubMatic’s premium publisher network, ensuring optimal delivery and ongoing performance optimization.
• Expanded Contextual Targeting: As PubMatic adds more CTV partners, Activate will leverage pause timing, content type, live scheduling data, and viewer behavior to reach highly engaged audiences.
• Unified Campaign Management: Activate enables seamless management of pause and traditional CTV campaigns through a single workflow, supported by unified reporting and measurement tools.

Market Opportunity Meets Proven Innovation

With CTV viewership and ad engagement continuing to rise, PubMatic’s pause ad technology is positioned to lead innovation in this fast-growing channel. According to MAGNA, 81% of viewers pause content to avoid missing key moments, while eMarketer reports 51% take action after viewing a pause ad. The CTV ad market itself is forecasted to grow 15.8% in 2025, reaching $33.35 billion (eMarketer).

Building on Proven Success

This collaboration with dentsu builds upon PubMatic’s earlier pause ad tests, which demonstrated strong engagement and conversion metrics across premium streaming environments. The Activate platform currently supports both static and video pause ad formats, with advanced targeting and dynamic creative optimization in development as new publishers join the ecosystem.

“This collaboration with dentsu reflects our commitment to advertising innovation that benefits the entire ecosystem,” said Nicole Scaglione, VP of CTV at PubMatic. “Agencies gain access to high-performing inventory and strategic advantages, and viewers experience relevant, non-intrusive advertising. This represents the future of unified programmatic advertising, built specifically for buyers’ needs and sophisticated campaign management.”

Through this partnership, PubMatic and dentsu are redefining how advertisers leverage pause moments for performance-driven storytelling, creating a new benchmark for CTV advertising innovation that aligns brand impact with viewer experience.