An ad pod is a group of ads played back-to-back in a single commercial break — the CTV equivalent of a broadcast TV break. A standard 90-second mid-roll pod might contain two 30-second ads or three 15-second ads.
Why pod position matters: The first ad in the pod (pod leader) delivers significantly higher brand recall than the second or third position — typically a 20–40% CPM premium on direct deals. If brand recall is a priority, negotiate for pod leader.
Key pod concepts for India CTV:
- Pod length: Maximum 120 seconds for non-live CTV (IAB guideline). IPL over-break pods can exceed this. Longer pods have higher viewer abandonment late in the pod.
- Competitive separation: Direct deal buyers can negotiate no competitor in the same pod. Programmatic buyers cannot guarantee this.
- Session frequency: Without session-level caps, a viewer watching a 3-hour IPL match can accumulate all campaign impressions in one session. Negotiate session-level frequency caps (not just daily caps) for live sports buys.
For IPL: book pod leader inventory 6–8 weeks in advance during playoff season. It sells out.
Full guide
For a complete explanation, read: CTV ad pod structure: how ad breaks are built and what it means for frequency