Over-the-top (OTT) media services stream media directly to viewers over the Internet. OTT bypasses cable,  broadcast, and satellite television that traditionally controls content distribution.

OTT content renders on various devices like smart phones, tablets, desktop/laptops, as well as connected TVs (CTV) or connected set-top boxes. PubMatic now supports OTT content on the wide range of devices mentioned above, letting publishers monetize OTT content streamed to mobile apps or CTVs.

Use the documents listed below to set up publisher inventory in PubMatic and directly integrate PubMatic OTT video ad APIs in apps, or via SSAI partners.

Step 1: Publisher onboarding

Use the guides in this section to setup your PubMatic account. At the link below you'll find guides for adding and bulk uploading sites and tags, as well as creating ad tags for specific ad types. If you're an existing publisher with an already established account, you may want to at least review the Creating Video Ad Tags guide if you haven't done so already.

• Account Setup

Step 2: Inventory onboarding/setup

Once your PubMatic account has been set up, use the document below to add sites and tags and bulk upload batches of sites and tags. The Create Ad Tags section of the quicksheet document mentions a best practice for adding Mobile/Video ad tags.

• Quicksheet: Adding Sites and Tags in the Publisher UI
• Bulk Uploading Sites and Tags in the Publisher UI

Step 3: Campaign creation

The document link below links to other guides that explain using RTB rules that affect the bidding process for your inventory. While there is no specific CTV/OTT video ad information in these guides, RTB rules play an important role in managing your inventory through PubMatic, so if you are unfamiliar with these features you will want to review these guides.

• RTB Rules

Step 4: OpenWrap setup

Setting up OpenWrap in preparation to process your CTV/OTT inventory is the last setup step before configuring your auctions and deals for CTV/OTT inventory. The OpenWrap User Guide walks you through adding partners and configuring profiles. In particular, it explains the using a server-side partner profile to manage your inventory. The OpenWrap Profile Management  link below covers the tasks you'll use to create and manage OpenWrap profiles, including video and mobile in-app profiles.

• OpenWrap User Guide
• OpenWrap Profile Management

Step 5: Deal creation

The Deal Management guide below explains how to manage deals that you may make directly with advertisers or agency trading desks (ATD) with whom you already have relationships.

• Deal management for publishers

You can create CTV-specific targeting for your deals using Key-Value Targeting. See the documents below to create targeting for your PMP deals.

• Create Targeting
• Create PMP Deal

Step 6: OpenWrap API documentation

The final step in offering your CTV/OTT inventory through PubMatic is to become familiar with the details of configuring OpenWrap to represent your inventory. The OpenWrap CTV Video API Specification, lays out all the oRTB objects and properties that will define your inventory, including Ad Pods. The Ad Pod Support for OpenWrap Video provides insight into how the Ad Pod feature functions in order to provide a more varied and satisfying streaming video ad solution. The final two documents are references for OpenWrap server-side errors and server-side debugging, which is a best practice before taking your inventory live.

• OpenWrap CTV Video API Specification
• Ad Pod Support for OpenWrap Video
• OpenWrap server-side error codes

Limitations

As a new/emerging platform, OTT/CTV currently has the following limitations you should keep in mind:

CTV endpoints

• Currently, OpenWrap server-side works only in USD currency.
• OpenWrap currently automatically replaces any other currency with USD. Note that ECPM values are also reported in USD.
• Blocked and Whitelisted Seats, Blocked and Whitelisted Categories, Blocked Creative Attributes, Blocked Advertisers, and Blocked App, are not yet implemented by OpenWrap CTV video. OpenWrap will forward the request to partners via prebid and it is the partner's sole responsibility to serve creatives based on these attributes.

OpenWrap GET API method

• Currently supports single video impression only. It currently does not support multiple impressions.
• Use standard URL encoding for all String parameters to ensure requested URL doesn't break.
• The default format for all String Array parameters is comma separated.
• The dynamic extension parameters currently support only JSON string and JSON object data types. No other JSON data types are supported at this time.

OpenWrap HTTP POST method

• POST currently ignores banner, native, and audio objects.