Mid-roll ads play inside content — during an episode, a movie, or a live stream rather than before it. They are the CTV equivalent of a TV commercial break: the content stops, an ad plays, then content resumes. Mid-roll commands higher CPMs than pre-roll on premium platforms because the viewer is already invested in the content and less likely to abandon the session. The trade-off is lower completion rates — viewers who are deep into content are more likely to reach for the remote.
How mid-roll works on CTV
Publishers define ad break markers — called cue points — in their content at specific timestamps. When the video player hits a cue point, it triggers an ad request. The ad server fills the slot with the winning creative from a direct deal or programmatic auction. After the ad plays, content resumes from where it paused. This is structurally identical to broadcast TV ad breaks, which is why mid-roll is the most familiar format for linear TV advertisers moving to CTV.
On long-form content — movies, serialised drama, live sports — mid-roll can run multiple breaks per session. A 90-minute movie may have three ad breaks of two to three ads each. A live cricket match may have commercial breaks at every over. Each break is an ad pod (see the ad pod structure article for detail on how pods are built and managed).
Mid-roll vs pre-roll: which to use
Pre-roll reaches a viewer at maximum attentiveness — they have just selected content and are fully engaged. Mid-roll reaches a viewer who is already invested in the content, which creates different dynamics. Mid-roll viewers are less likely to start an alternative activity during the break (since they want to return to the content), but they may be more irritated by the interruption.
For brand awareness campaigns, pre-roll is typically more efficient — higher completion, lower friction. For campaigns where extended storytelling matters (30-second or longer formats with a narrative arc), mid-roll during long-form premium content may be worth the premium CPM. For live sports sponsorship, mid-roll during natural content breaks (over breaks in cricket, half-time, etc.) is the standard approach and expected by viewers.
Mid-roll CPMs and completion rates
Mid-roll CPMs typically run 20–40% higher than pre-roll on the same platform because of the premium placement context. On JioCinema and Hotstar, mid-roll during premium drama and live sports commands the highest rates in the platform inventory. Completion rates for mid-roll typically run 75–88% — lower than pre-roll non-skippable (88–95%) because some viewers skip the break by switching content or putting down the remote for the duration.
Mid-roll on India CTV platforms
JioCinema uses mid-roll extensively on long-form AVOD content and IPL live streams. During IPL, mid-roll inventory during over breaks is among the most competitive ad buying in India CTV. Hotstar runs mid-roll on Star Sports cricket and on its premium drama content. YouTube CTV uses mid-roll on longer videos (typically 8+ minutes) — available programmatically via DV360 with content targeting.
SonyLIV and Zee5 run mid-roll on their long-form content but access is primarily through direct deals. Programmatic mid-roll access across India CTV platforms remains limited outside YouTube — most mid-roll is sold directly or through platform-managed PMP deals.
Mid-roll creative best practice
The standard India CTV mid-roll length is 30 seconds, though 15-second mid-rolls are used in shorter ad pods. Unlike pre-roll — where the viewer is still orienting to the content — mid-roll reaches a viewer who is engaged and wants to return to the content quickly. Ads that respect this attention state perform better: direct message, strong first 3 seconds, clear resolution. A 30-second brand narrative that takes 10 seconds to identify the brand will frustrate mid-roll viewers more than pre-roll viewers.
India-specific: live cricket and mid-roll
India CTV mid-roll is dominated by cricket. IPL and major cricket series are the primary contexts in which mid-roll achieves meaningful scale on CTV. The over-break structure of cricket provides natural, expected mid-roll moments — viewers accept the breaks because they mirror broadcast TV behaviour. For non-cricket advertisers, mid-roll on drama and movies provides an alternative, but the audience scale is significantly smaller than cricket mid-roll.