Advertisers, publishers, and audiences all recognize the undeniable value of premium programming. It isn’t background noise; it’s content that commands attention. Viewers schedule time for it, often watch together, and experience fewer ad interruptions. These qualities have always made premium programming the gold standard for engagement, and buyers have historically paid a premium to access these audiences. Just look at the price of sports broadcasts or award shows in traditional direct deals.
But as streaming shifts toward programmatic buying, the focus often narrows to audience data alone. Without clear signals, it’s hard to distinguish between a viewer casually streaming something in the background and one fully engaged with a marquee program from a leading streaming platform where they’re more likely to notice the ads. And today, even basic enriched signals – like genre – are only passed 33% of the time,1 and that lack of context erodes the ability to transact on engagement—the very foundation of advertising’s value proposition.
But publishers can help solve for this by passing signals into the bidstream that indicate premium content, even beyond just content and genres. These signals empower buyers and sellers to identify highly engaged viewers and preserve the value of premium programming in a programmatic world. After all, reaching audiences when they’re most attentive has always been the point of advertising.
Now, the tools exist to do this effectively in programmatic – it’s just about helping the industry make it standard practice.
Audience engagement signals are growing in importance
Advertisers aren’t just looking for reach – they want brand safe environments where viewers are truly engaged. That’s why 59% of advertisers say audience engagement signals would increase their interest in buying streaming inventory programmatically,2 ranking even higher than additional content signals. Engagement indicators, such as attention to the ad and interaction metrics, help brands understand when their ads are likely to resonate and drive outcomes. However, engagement varies widely across individual streaming platforms and many content owners over-index on metrics like viewer retention or concurrency. Moving beyond these indicators to share more insightful information in a more standardized way will allow advertisers to better prioritize their bids.
In a fragmented media landscape, these signals provide confidence that impressions aren’t just delivered but that they’re meaningful and driving results. For programmatic buyers, prioritizing inventory with strong engagement metrics ensures campaigns land in attentive, premium environments, maximizing both efficiency and impact.
Live events are still king
Live events – especially sports – offer advertisers something rare: highly engaged audiences watching in real time. That’s why more than half of advertisers cite access to live event and premium content inventory as a top priority,2 and signals that identify this inventory create significant value.
Sports stand out even more. 58% of advertisers are willing to pay more for in-game sports inventory.2 Live non-sports events, like award shows, also command a premium, with 49% of advertisers willing to pay more for this inventory.2 While buyers can already tap into some of these opportunities through curated bundles, unlocking the full power will come when these signals are standardized and made available by the majority of leading publishers.
For publishers, signaling whether an event is live, or even more granularly, whether the ad break occurs inside live content, helps ensure they capture the true value of their most premium supply. Today, this signal is often unclassified meaning further standardization to classify content as “live events” would not only help with deal packaging but request signaling. This would better enable advertisers to lean into the engaging moments and impact that live events deliver to reach their audiences. By not providing a clear view that the ad opportunity is a live event, publishers are missing the chance to maximize revenue on every impression.
The ad experience matters – to both advertisers and viewers
For programmatic streaming buys, the ad experience is a critical differentiator. In fact, 51% of advertisers say signals that indicate a premium ad experience would increase their interest in buying streaming programmatically, rating them higher than more content signals.2 Advertisers recognize that lighter ad loads and shorter breaks not only improve viewer satisfaction but also amplify brand impact – so much so that over one in three are willing to pay more for lighter ad loads.2
Research from FreeWheel’s Viewer Experience Lab shows why: consumers perceive one- and two-minute ad pods as minimally intrusive, but at three minutes, the number of viewers calling ads intrusive doubles. Longer breaks also erode effectiveness; moving from two- to three-minute pods cuts ad recall by more than half, while shorter pods can deliver up to 2x higher brand impact.
Passing bid request signals that highlight these premium experiences helps brands maximize engagement and recall while ensuring streaming remains a viewer-friendly environment.
Premium signals will help drive the future of programmatic streaming
Premium signals are becoming a strategic component for programmatic success in streaming. Advertisers are willing to pay more to ensure they reach valuable audiences within high-quality content, and publishers have a clear opportunity to showcase that value. Passing signals in the bidstream that reflect premium environments and strong viewer engagement not only elevates perceived inventory quality but also attracts greater demand.
For publishers, the path forward is clear: enrich impressions with robust, meaningful signals. Doing so will drive better results for your business while delivering value for buyers, accelerating adoption, and making programmatic streaming stronger for the entire industry.
Sources:
- FreeWheel Video Marketplace Report, 1H25.
- Advertiser Perceptions survey conducted by FreeWheel, October 2025.
