Philo, the live TV streaming service, today announced the availability of pause ads across its full ad-supported footprint. The format is now accessible both directly and programmatically, giving brand and agency partners flexible entry into one of streaming’s highest-engagement ad moments.

Pause ads appear when a viewer pauses content, capturing attention during a natural break without interrupting the viewing experience. According to eMarketer, 81% of viewers pause specifically to avoid missing content, and 54% of pause sessions last between one and five minutes. The format has been shown to lift both purchase intent and brand favorability, and initial measurement suggests that viewers are much more likely to engage with interactive elements such as QR codes.

Philo’s implementation is built natively into its ad server, available through Direct IO and programmatic activation without requiring third-party SDK integrations. Philo is among the first in the industry to bring pause ads to market both programmatically and through direct activation simultaneously. The Philo team has worked closely with a number of strategic partners including Magnite, Index Exchange, Kargo, Nexxen, OpenGlass, OpenX, TripleLift, and WunderKIND Ads, to make pause ads available in a streamlined way for advertisers while collaborating across the industry to align on a common standard for specifications and programmatic delivery. This also comes at a time when the advent of AI creative tools has made it simpler than ever for brands to customize creatives for different environments, unlocking a powerful new format for a wide swath of unique advertisers.

“We built our pause ads product to help increase ad effectiveness without jeopardizing the viewing experience,” said Kyle Turner, Director, Advertising Product Strategy, Philo. “The goal was to capitalize on a passive viewing experience that is controlled by the user while also creating a technical solution that allows an advertiser multiple access points, direct or programmatic.”

“We’re excited to partner with Philo to make pause ads more accessible as buyers increasingly look for native, contextually relevant ways to engage with streaming audiences,” said Ryan Kenney, SVP, Revenue, Springserve at Magnite. “We’re turning innovation into scalable advertising opportunities by connecting premium inventory with robust buyer demand and a streamlined path to activation.”

“Advertisers are increasingly looking for high-attention moments that can be activated seamlessly across premium streaming environments,” said Tal Almany, Vice President, Global Supply, at Kargo. “Philo’s pause ads offering delivers on that opportunity while helping advance a more standardized approach to programmatic activation. We’re proud to collaborate with Philo on bringing innovative, viewer-friendly ad experiences to market and expanding what’s possible in CTV.”

To learn more, reach out to advertising@philo.com.

About Philo

Philo is a San Francisco-based live TV streaming service offering 70+ top-rated entertainment channels, 75,000 on-demand titles, and an unlimited DVR that saves recordings for a year, with paid plans starting as low as $25/month. Philo also offers 150+ free channels available to watch anytime without an account. Learn more at philo.com.