20 Best Video Ad Networks for Publishers (and How to Pick the Best One)

Thanks to the growing online video market and the budding video ad network ecosystems, the popularity of video advertising has skyrocketed over the last few years. 

Advertisers in the U.S. alone spent $55 billion on video ads in 2021, making it one of the fastest-growing advertising industries.

The situation is not much different in Europe. As of the first quarter of 2022, advertisers allocate 36% of their digital marketing budgets to video ads. Even the old, reliable display advertising is losing its ground against video, as advertisers are now spending more on outstream ads than banner ads for the first time in history. 

But despite a massive increase in demand for advertising space, many publishers are having difficulties achieving high fill rates. That’s why most decide to turn toward more supply-side platforms or video ad networks.

However, there are many video ad networks to choose from, so picking the right one can be tricky. We singled out and analyzed 20 of the best ones to help you make an informed decision. 

But before we get to our picks, we’ll cover some basics for up-and-coming publishers. If you’re only interested in our video ad network recommendations, feel free to skip to them from the table of contents below.

What Are Ad Networks?

An ad network is a platform that acts as an intermediary between publishers and advertisers and looks to curate ad inventory from publishers to sell it to advertisers. Most content creators and publishers who have ad space turn to these platforms to find buyers.

Advertisers go to ad networks in search of suitable inventory, while publishers earn money from selling ad space in exchange for a cut of the revenue.

If you want to tap into the power of online advertising but don’t know much about impressions or CPM (cost per mille), ad networks can help you. They are the ones who negotiate all the terms with buyers, including audience targets and cost per impression. After sealing the deal, they handle all the tracking, targeting, and reporting on your ad campaigns.

What to Look for in a Video Ad Network

Most video ad networks are tailored to publishers’ needs and streamline their advertising efforts. Aside from automation, these services often offer various tools to track video performance, boost fill rates, and increase video ad revenue.

Ensuring your video ad provider has the features you need to efficiently run and optimize campaigns is imperative. Here are the three most important things to look for in an SSP or video ad network.

Targeting Options

Go with a platform that lets you be as specific as possible about audience targeting. That means you want additional targeting options like geo-targeting and contextual targeting. It will also be a plus if your ad network lets you show ads based on your audience’s behavior patterns. Displaying only the most relevant ads is the most effective way to maximize revenue. 

Powerful Analytics

A video ad platform should provide you with powerful analytics that evaluate your ad campaigns and inform how your video ads perform. With this information, you can actively work on perfecting your strategy.

When comparing different networks’ analytics, you should look for data filtering options, real-time insights, automated and scheduled reporting, etc. These features can significantly improve your time efficiency, allowing you to segment campaign data better and automate the most tedious processes.

A Wide Range of Formats

We tend to consume information and media on all sorts of devices nowadays, ranging from laptops and TVs to mobile phones and tablets. Mobile video consumption alone rises by 100% every year, and that trend is unlikely to stop. 

Ensuring your ads can reach consumers on different devices is essential to success. If your video ad network doesn’t offer omnichannel advertising, you’ll be locked away from a significant portion of your target audience.

The best ad networks support desktop, mobile, OTT, and CTV ads, giving publishers unlimited advertising options.

Having a variety of video ad formats is also crucial. You can experiment with different ad creatives and determine which format performs best in your video ad campaigns. 

Top 20 Video Ad Networks for Publishers in 2023

This list of the 20 best video ad networks will help publishers deal with swimming in the murky and competitive waters of the video advertising industry. These ad platforms can give digital businesses the exposure and growth they need at competitive rates. Here are some of the best video ad networks to have graced the modern digital advertising market.

1. Google ADX

Demand	Reporting	Minimum Traffic	Supported Ad Formats
Programmatic Real-Time Bidding	Real-Time Analytics Historical Reporting Ad Exchange Historical Reporting	5,000,000 visitors per month	Instream Video Ads Outstream Video Ads In-Feed Video Ads In-Article Video Ads Bumper Video Ads

Google currently holds one of the biggest ad exchanges in the world — Google ADX. This network lets publishers monetize videos with top-quality inventory at premium rates. You’d be hard-pressed to find an ad network with higher CPMs than Google.

Google’s ad server works programmatically and through real-time bidding auctions, giving publishers plenty of flexibility. Google ADX’s auctions feature some of the largest and most elite SSPs globally, which is how they ensure publishers only get the highest CPMs.

However, these benefits come at the price of steep entry requirements. Only the most prominent publishers will be eligible to monetize with Google ADX, as you’ll need to have at least five million monthly visitors to apply.

Google ADX supports all online video ad formats, including instream, outstream, in-article, and in-feed video ads. The service also comes with extensive real-time and historical analytics that outshine almost any other analytical software.

Overall, google ADX is one of the best video ad networks for publishers who can meet their entry requirements.

2. Brid.TV Marketplace

Demand	Reporting	Minimum Traffic	Supported Ad Formats
Programmatic	Real-Time Reporting Scheduled Reporting Analytics API	100,000 visitors per month	Instream Video Ads Outstream Video Ads Interstitial Video Ads In-App Video Ads Rich Media Ads

Brid.TV Marketplace is a new video ad provider in the industry that helps publishers monetize their websites with video ads and maximize ad revenue. This network is recognized as an official Google MCM partner and gives publishers access to state-of-the-art programmatic video advertising technology and multiple video ad formats (instream, outstream, in-app video, etc.). 

Monetizing with Brid.TV Marketplace lets publishers leverage the premium ad demand and CPMs of Google AdX. This feature will prove particularly useful for mid-sized publishers who don’t have access to this service on their own.

With Brid.TV Marketplace, publishers will also get extensive real-time analytics, automated reporting features, and a dedicated ad optimization team to monitor their campaigns and optimize their creatives. This ad provider supports monetization on desktop and mobile devices, so publishers can use it to monetize both websites and apps.

Another great thing about this provider is that it offers easy integration with the Brid.TV video platform. Publishers can use this to handle their video hosting and content management needs without much hassle. 

This platform also comes with one of the best HTML5 players in the online video world. Publishers can use it to serve the latest VAST and VPAID ad tags if they don’t already have a player for that.

3. Primis

Demand	Reporting	Minimum Traffic	Supported Ad Formats
Programmatic	Real-Time Analytics Scheduled Reporting Platform API	N/A	Instream Video Ads Outstream Video Ads

Primis is a video discovery platform and HTML5 player that comes with its ad server and video ad marketplace (with support for instream and outstream video ads). Although not a traditional video ad network, Primis helps publishers maximize ad yield through their unique content units and some of the best engagement-boosting features on the market. 

Thanks to its ad server, Primis helps publishers serve relevant video content to their users based on their previous viewing experience. The company’s rich video library currently spans more than 30 different verticals and is constantly growing. 

Primis makes more than 4.8 billion recommendations monthly and serves over 4.5 billion ad impressions, making it a prime choice for publishers to boost viewer engagement and serve more ads. 

The platform also has tools to protect publishers from ad fraud so that publishers don’t lose revenue to bots. Primis also has extensive real-time analytics, a scheduled reporting feature, and full access to platform API. 

So if your biggest hurdle to maximizing ad revenue is viewer engagement, Primis is the best ad network for you.

4. Aniview

Demand	Reporting	Minimum Traffic	Supported Ad Formats
Programmatic	Real-Time Analytics Scheduled Reporting Analytics API	N/A	Instream Video Ads Outstream Video Ads In-Banner Video Ads Native Video Ads Rich Media Ads In-App Video Ads

Aniview is a video ad network, ad server, and an ad player that helps publishers generate higher revenue and reach broader audiences. Publishers at Aniview can monetize with the most popular video ad formats, including instream, outstream, in-app, and in-banner video ads through the platform’s ad marketplace.

Aniview gives publishers complete control over their creatives with various inventory management features and audience targeting options. The platform also comes with real-time analytics and analytics API, so publishers will be able to track and integrate this data with third-party software easily.

One of Aniview’s most advanced features is that it supports server-side ad insertion. This technology enables publishers to bypass AdBlockers and boost revenue. The platform also comes with regularly updated mobile SDKs for Android and iOS devices, making monetizing mobile apps much easier.

5. SpringServe

Demand	Reporting	Minimum Traffic	Supported Ad Formats
Programmatic Real-Time Bidding	Real-Time Analytics Reach & Frequency Reporting Scheduled Reporting	N/A	Instream Video Ads Outstream Video Ads CTV Video Ads

SpringServe is one of the leading open video ad serving and OTT advertising platforms in the industry with a wide assortment of advertising tools. This video ad network covers various services, including improved video header bidding and macros for GDPR compliance.

SpringServe’s platform has a dedicated ad server and offers services across multiple channels, including desktop, mobile, and CTV. The company is currently one of the leading names in the CTV advertising space, serving massive clients like Pluto TV. 

SpringServe also features automatic optimization that helps with other aspects of ad serving, such as waterfall optimization. This option is quite handy since it allows publishers to adjust parameters and run optimizations every 20 minutes. 

This network also comes with a handy feature that helps publishers detect invalid traffic, helping them protect themselves from ad fraud. SpringServe’s platform also offers advanced features like ad podding and a white-label option for premium users. 

6. SpotX

Demand	Reporting	Minimum Traffic	Supported Ad Formats
Programmatic Real-Time Bidding	Real-Time Analytics Scheduled Reporting	N/A	Instream Video Ads Outstream Video Ads Interstitial Video Ads Native Video Ads In-App Video Ads Rich Media Ads CTV Video Ads

SpotX is one of the most sought-after ad networks and CTV advertising platforms on the market today, and there’s an excellent reason for that. This network currently serves nearly three billion video ads each month and brings unique publisher solutions to the table. SpotX offers a broad set of features, including video header bidding, price floor optimization, bid activity reporting, multi-currency reporting, and more. 

SpotX works with more than 50 demand partners and offers excellent integration options. The platform supports cross-platform monetization with various video ad formats (instream, outstream, in-app, native, and CTV video ads).

What makes SpotX stand out from most other video ad networks is its extensive first- and third-party DMP support. The platform also supports server-side ad insertion, opening plenty of OTT and CTV advertising opportunities. Thanks to the platform’s SDKs for Apple TV, Android TV, and Amazon Fire TV, advertising on these OTT devices has never been more accessible.

Perhaps one of the best aspects of this network is that its CPMs can even go as high as $10. SpotX readily focuses on pushing the limits of max fill and yield, which is often reason enough to send publishers their way. 

7. Xandr (Former AppNexus)

Demand	Reporting	Minimum Traffic	Supported Ad Formats
Programmatic Real-Time Bidding Programmatic Direct	Real-Time Analytics Audience Analytics Scheduled Reporting	N/A	Instream Video Ads Outstream Video Ads In-Banner Video Ads Rich Media Ads

If you’ve been a publisher for quite some time, you’ve likely already heard about Xandr under its former name AppNexus. This ad monetization platform and video ad network serves over 6.7 billion impressions daily and is one of the world’s largest video-first marketplaces. Xandr’s network includes 175+ SSP partners and more than 80 global DSP integrations.

Xandr’s platform allows you to be selective about which advertisers you sell inventory to. Publishers can make direct deals or settle for a programmatic exchange if they settle for this platform. 

Xandr supports various video units, including instream and outstream ads, rich media ads, and in-banner video ads, so you’ll get plenty of options. The platform also offers video header bidding, which is highly sought-after by large publishers. 

With the platform’s various inventory management and yield optimization features, publishers can fine-tune their ad strategy however they see fit. This service also offers advanced contextual and geo-targeting, a dedicated ad server, powerful audience and ad analytics, and much more.

8. Verizon Media

Demand	Reporting	Minimum Traffic	Supported Ad Formats
Programmatic Real-Time Bidding	Real-Time Analytics Scheduled Reporting	N/A	Instream Video Ads Outstream Video Ads Native Video Ads Bumper Video Ads In-App Video Ads CTV Video Ads

Ever since it got bought out by Yahoo, Verizon Media has stepped up its game. This video ad provider offers publishers premium ad demand across multiple platforms (desktop, mobile, and CTV).

Verizon’s repertoire encompasses the most popular video ad formats, including instream, outstream, in-app, native, and CTV video ads. The platform recently introduced support for video header bidding, further improving its CPMs for high-end publishers. 

Verizon Media’s services also include brand safety tools and other security features. Perhaps the best part about this provider is that it offers a video content syndication service for non-video publishers, making its services more accessible. 

Out of all video ad platforms on the market, you could say that this one is well-optimized for mid-sized and premium publishers.

9. Magnite (Former Rubicon Project)

Demand	Reporting	Minimum Traffic	Supported Ad Formats
Programmatic Real-Time Bidding	Real-Time Analytics TV Content Reporting Scheduled Reporting	N/A	Instream Video Ads Outstream Video Ads Native Video Ads In-App Video Ads Rewarded Video Ads

Magnite is one of the world’s largest sell-side ad platforms and curated programmatic marketplaces that recently rebranded from its former name, Rubicon Project. This video ad network serves more than 65% of the world’s largest publishers, including big names like CNN, ESPN, The Economist, and Bloomberg.

Magnite allows publishers to deliver video ads across mobile, desktop, and CTV devices and supports various video ad formats (instream, outstream, native, in-app, rewarded video ads). Publishers can easily track their ad performance through Magnite’s real-time analytics for desktop, mobile, and TV. 

Advanced users can also enjoy advanced monetization features like ad podding and the platform’s built-in support for video header bidding and prebidding. The platform also guarantees ad fraud protection and is fully GDPR and CCPA compliant.

Large publishers will also love that Magnite’s network comes with a private marketplace for anyone looking to leverage closed RTB auctions with a select number of SSPs. 

If you’re looking to monetize alongside some of the world’s largest publishers, Magnite is the perfect network.

10. OpenX

Demand	Reporting	Minimum Traffic	Supported Ad Formats
Programmatic Real-Time Bidding Programmatic Direct	Real-Time Cloud Reporting Scheduled Reporting	N/A	Instream Video Ads Outstream Video Ads In-App Video Ads Interstitial Video Ads Rich Media Ads Opt-In Video Ads CTV Video Ads

OpenX is a renowned ad exchange connected to hundreds of SSPs and DSPs, making it the obvious choice for any publishers looking to increase their ad demand. This platform works with dozens of massive clients like Vice and allows publishers to monetize across multiple devices (desktop, mobile, CTV, OTT).

OpenX helps publishers connect advertisers with their ideal consumers, thanks to its custom targeting solution (OpenAudience^TM). This service lets publishers and advertisers create custom audiences and analyze their behavior to better optimize their creatives and drive more revenue.

OpenX lets publishers monetize with all the most popular ad formats, including instream, outstream, in-app, opt-in, and CTV video ads. But perhaps the best thing about this network is that it supports programmatic direct deals. These are particularly appealing for enterprise-level publishers with large sales teams, as these come with some of the highest CPMs in the industry.

With its advanced real-time analytics and support for almost any ad server and video player, OpenX is a versatile video ad network that will prove an invaluable addition to any publisher’s ad stack. 

11. SelectMedia

Demand	Reporting	Minimum Traffic	Supported Ad Formats
Programmatic Real-Time Bidding	Real-Time Analytics Website and Ad Filtering Scheduled Reporting	10,000 visitors per month	Outstream Video Ads In-Article Video Ads CTV Video Ads

SelectMedia is a fantastic cross-platform monetization solution that also offers various outstream video ad formats (in-article, in-article floating, overlay ads, etc.) and CTV video ads. The company works with many industry-leading advertisers and more than 650 premium websites, with their biggest focus being the Asian markets.

This advanced programmatic platform comes with an ad server and dozens of yield optimization tools to help publishers maximize revenue. SelectMedia also has built-in RTB across various open exchanges, ensuring publishers only get the highest CPMs. 

This ad network prides itself on being fraud-free, so publishers and advertisers can rest easy knowing they won’t be wasting any impressions on invalid traffic. 

However, the platform does have a minimum requirement of 10,000 monthly visitors to offer its monetization services. So if you’re a smaller publisher just getting started, you may have to look elsewhere.

12. Unruly

Demand	Reporting	Minimum Traffic	Supported Ad Formats
Programmatic Real-Time Bidding Programmatic Direct	Real-Time Analytics Historical Analytics Scheduled Reporting	N/A	Instream Video Ads Outstream Video Ads In-App Video Ads CTV Video Ads

Unruly is a renowned video ad network that offers video advertising services across multiple platforms (desktop, mobile, CTV). Thanks to the large number of DSPs in its network, Unruly boasts a massive library of outstream video ads, so even publishers without any video content can monetize with this network. All of their ads adhere to Better Ads Standards and are GDPR compliant. 

Unruly uses a mix of proprietary and third-party technology to ensure it upholds the industry’s highest brand safety and fraud protection standards. The company’s efforts to create a safe and fraud-free environment for publishers and advertisers have been recognized by some of the advertising industry’s most renowned organizations like TAG, IAB, and Digital Advertising Alliance. 

Unruly also has a centralized DMP, which gives publishers access to advanced audience targeting options and more extensive reporting data. When you couple that with the platform’s real-time analytics, you get one of the most data-rich advertising networks.

13. Chocolate Platform

Demand	Reporting	Minimum Traffic	Supported Ad Formats
Programmatic Real-Time Bidding	Real-Time Analytics Scheduled Reporting	5,000 visitors per month	Instream Video Ads Outstream Video Ads In-App Video Ads CTV Video Ads

Chocolate Platform is a relatively new but fast-growing video ad network that serves over 7700 websites and apps and processes more than 20 billion impressions monthly. The platform supports traditional programmatic and real-time bidding.

If you’re a publisher in the mobile market, this ad network is perfect for you. Chocolate Platform primarily focuses on monetizing mobile traffic and offers excellent targeting options across these devices. Although most of the platform’s traffic is for mobile apps (90%), it also comes with decent advertising capabilities for mobile web.

Chocolate Platform’s server-side auctions contain no complex header wrappers or tags and are easy to set up even for beginners. That, combined with the platform’s intuitive real-time analytics, makes this platform an excellent choice even for beginners. 

14. AdMedia

Demand	Reporting	Minimum Traffic	Supported Ad Formats
Programmatic Real-Time Bidding Programmatic Direct	Real-Time Analytics Scheduled Reporting	N/A	Instream Video Ads Outstream Video Ads CTV Video Ads In-App Video Ads Native Video Ads Rich Media Ads

AdMedia is a programmatic video advertising platform that lets publishers monetize with a rich selection of video ads and even monetize third-party videos. Unlike most other video ad networks, AdMedia doesn’t sell inventory on open exchanges but keeps all the transactions exclusively within its platform.

AdMedia primarily relies on advanced contextual targeting to serve relevant ads and even allows publishers to pick from a rich library of their partners’ videos if they have none of their own. The platform also has tools to protect publishers and advertisers from ad fraud and guarantee a brand-safe advertising environment. 

The best part about AdMedia is that the network comes with an ad exchange. That means publishers can also choose to sell their inventory at premium rates through direct deals. AdMedia also has a fully customizable player optimized for ad serving, meaning publishers can kill two birds with one stone.

15. Video Intelligence

Demand	Reporting	Minimum Traffic	Supported Ad Formats
Programmatic	Real-Time Analytics Scheduled Reporting	N/A	Instream Video Ads In-App Video Ads CTV Video Ads Native Video Ads

Video Intelligence is a contextual video advertising platform that relies on AI-powered contextual matching to serve relevant video ads across desktop, mobile, and CTV devices. This network operates across several prominent verticals, including news, entertainment, sports, and business niches.

Video Intelligence is a platform that offers intelligent video content distribution alongside its monetization services, so content creators can also use it to get their videos out there. Publishers and advertisers get access to advanced real-time analytics and scheduled reporting features to help them track the performance of their creatives better.

This platform also comes with various tools publishers can use to maximize ad viewability, detect IVT, and ensure a brand-safe advertising environment.

16. Teads

Demand	Reporting	Minimum Traffic	Supported Ad Formats
Programmatic Programmatic Direct	Real-Time Analytics Scheduled Reporting	N/A	Outstream Video Ads

Teads is a video ad network that distributes ads to over 1.9 billion users monthly all across the world. This platform works with thousands of premium publishers in the mobile app space, making it particularly suitable for publishers looking to monetize their mobile inventory.

Unlike most ad networks, Teads doesn’t rely on third-party cookies as it uses contextual targeting to serve ads. That makes this network particularly suitable for publishers and advertisers trying to navigate the rough landscape of the post-third-party-cookie era. 

Teads has pretty strict ad policies, though, so publishers will have to ensure their creatives adhere to Better Ads Standards if they want to advertise with this platform. Publishers looking to maximize revenue can also take advantage of the company’s ad exchange to sell inventory directly. 

17. Fyber

Demand	Reporting	Minimum Traffic	Supported Ad Formats
Programmatic	Real-Time Analytics Dynamic Reporting Reporting API	N/A	Instream Video Ads In-App Video Ads Interstitial Video Ads Rewarded Video Ads Rich Media Ads

Fyber is a mobile app monetization platform that lets publishers monetize through classic programmatic waterfalls and unified auctions. This platform supports VPAID ad tags and allows publishers to monetize mobile apps across different operating systems seamlessly. The network comes with a well-documented SDK, making integrating it with mobile apps a breeze.

Fyber’s marketplace contains over 180 DSPs, ensuring publishers will always have plenty of demand for their inventory. This network supports various video ad formats, so publishers will have plenty of monetization options (e.g., instream, in-app, rewarded, interstitial video ads). The platform also offers extensive audience insights and lets publishers control their inventory and optimize revenue from a single dashboard. 

Perhaps one of the best aspects of Fyber is that it comes with a handy tool for running A/B tests. Publishers who favor a data-driven approach to advertising will find this tool particularly useful for maximizing ad yield.

18. BidMind

Demand	Reporting	Minimum Traffic	Supported Ad Formats
Programmatic Real-Time Bidding	Real-Time Analytics	N/A	Instream Video Ads Outstream Video Ads CTV Video Ads Native Video Ads Interstitial Video Ads Rewarded Video Ads

BidMind is a programmatic advertising platform that offers a suite of hyperlocal, demographic, and cross-device targeting parameters that helps publishers and advertisers reach their ideal viewers. This network aims to help brands and agencies launch and optimize performance-driven ad campaigns and reach new customers.

BidMind’s video ad network offers a variety of advertising formats, including instream, outstream, CTV, native, and rewarded video ads. Its media buying platform also comes with plenty of integrations with mobile inventory suppliers, making it an excellent choice for mobile publishers too.

The company’s Fraud Shield ensures a fraud-free and brand-safe environment for publishers and advertisers, ensuring their ads reach only real humans. 

BidMind’s platform also offers a white-label DSP solution for anyone looking for a pre-built infrastructure to launch a demand-side platform. Users of this solution will get full access to the platform’s API to take control of it programmatically.

19. Viewdeos

Demand	Reporting	Minimum Traffic	Supported Ad Formats
Programmatic Real-Time Bidding	Dashboard Analytics	N/A	Instream Video Ads Outstream Video Ads Floating Video Ads

Viewdeos is a video-only ad network that currently services more than 300 premium publishers worldwide. This platform is one of the rare ones in the industry that focuses strictly on premium video ad inventory, so it’ll be an excellent addition to any publisher’s ad stack.

Viewdeos supports omnichannel monetization (desktop, mobile) and comes with excellent integration options and anti-fraud tools. The platform primarily relies on contextual targeting and offers a rich library of videos publishers can use to serve ads if they have none of their own.

But one thing makes this network stand out — it comes equipped with an entire video technology infrastructure. Publishers who monetize with Viewdeos will also get a video player to serve their ads, hosting, and CDN. That makes this platform one of the most well-rounded video advertising solutions on the market.

20. Adsterra

Demand	Reporting	Minimum Traffic	Supported Ad Formats
Programmatic Real-Time Bidding	Real-Time Analytics	N/A	Instream Video Ads Outstream Video Ads

Adsterra is a global advertising network with support for desktop and mobile monetization. The platform offers a variety of ad formats, including instream and outstream video ads. Adsterra’s network operates across many verticals like gambling, gaming, brands, e-commerce, and more.

Adsterra has two in-house solutions publishers and advertisers will find invaluable. The first is an ad fraud protection and anti-malware system that will keep users safe and minimize revenue losses to bots. The second is an anti-AdBlock solution to prevent revenue losses to blocked ad calls.

The best part about Adsterra is that its ads can run on almost any player, making it one of the most flexible video ad networks out there. Also, the company is incredibly transparent, so if you have any doubts or questions, feel free to reach out to them.

Diversifying Revenue Options Is Crucial to Success

Being a publisher in today’s rapidly evolving market means you have to be ready to make compromises and test new things all the time. It also means you should diversify your revenue options. Using more of these video ad networks together will give you the best odds of expanding and evolving your business.

While you’re here, why not start with Brid.TV Marketplace? You can even use our HTML5 player to serve ads if you don’t have one already. Get in touch with us to receive your first ad tags and start monetizing immediately.