MultiChoice Group implements Irdeto Server Side Ad Insertion to maximize premium ad inventory ahead of the new sports season

Irdeto, the world leader in digital platform cybersecurity, announces the rollout of Irdeto Server Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) by MultiChoice Group, the leading African entertainment provider. Irdeto SSAI, launched to the market in January 2022, maximizes addressable live ad inventory of OTT video at scale while delivering a seamless ‘TV-like’ viewing experience.

Irdeto SSAI is a dynamic ad insertion solution that delivers targeted advertisements to high-quality video content in a buffer-less viewing experience. It integrates with any ad server to serve targeted and personalized ads during live events and on linear channels. MultiChoice Group now implements the ad insertion on live television in 25 countries across the African continent.

The new solution enables MultiChoice Group to deliver personalized and targeted advertisements based on their profile. By stitching the ads directly into the video content, MultiChoice Group can transition from content to ad and then back to content, providing the same seamless user experience as broadcast live TV. Each ad break is personalized and designed on the viewer’s information and profile, such as viewing history, device, demographics, and geographical location. Once the ads have been selected by the ad server, Irdeto SSAI then stitches the ad into the content stream before it reaches the viewer’s playback device.

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As the ads are inserted directly into the live stream, latency and buffering are eliminated and continuous high video quality is ensured between the ad and content, providing a smooth TV-like viewing experience. In addition, the solution is able to minimize the impact of ad blocking and eliminate timeout and black screen during ad playback caused by device fragmentation. These result in MultiChoice Group being able to maximize their addressable live ad inventory at scale and leverage existing ad servers and Client Side Ad Insertion infrastructure.

With professional live sports broadcast at the core of MultiChoice’s content slate, the new solution will be rolled out ahead of the key football leagues season and provides advertisers opportunities to monetize the popularity of the football Premier League across the continent, as well as the Premier Soccer League in South Africa. The upcoming Football World Cup in Qatar, starting on 21 November, is expected to trigger increasing interest of advertisers due to the huge popularity of the event and high viewership. This provides further opportunities for MultiChoice Group to monetize the premium ad inventory during high demand live sports events while ensuring their subscribers enjoy their viewing experience, with relevant advertising in a seamless experience.

Commenting on the implementation of Irdeto SSAI, Fahmeeda Cassim Surtee, CEO of DStv Media Sales  said: “With key live sporting events taking place later this year, we are looking forward to providing our viewers with the best viewing experience possible while also helping our advertisers reach their target audiences. For the first time in South Africa, DStv Media Sales are pleased to offer advertisers the opportunity to buy live streaming advertising airtime, which offers more granular reporting and addressable TV options.”

Shane McCarthy, COO of Video Entertainment at Irdeto, said: “Advertising continues to play a significant role in live TV and online streaming. We are thrilled with the performance of our new Irdeto SSAI solution to provide a TV-like ad viewing experience on a video streaming platform and help MultiChoice Group to create additional inventory opportunities which plays a significant role in advertisement revenue growth.”