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Ad monitoring and matching
Ensure every ad, from pods to on-field placements to branded frames, is delivered, visible, and monetizable
How it works in 3 steps
Real-time ad quality monitoring
Witbe’s technology measures ad quality in real time on real consumer devices.
AI-powered analysis detects and reports playback errors the moment they occur, including:
- Blank slates or black screens
- Video availability and MOS score
- Frozen frames or re-buffering
- Audio or loudness inconsistencies
- Ad duration mismatches
All results are streamed instantly to Smartgate, allowing operations teams to troubleshoot issues before they affect revenue or viewers.
Measured KPIs include:
Ad duration, slate/frozen/black screen detection, VQ-MOS, LKFS, audio/video availability, audio/CC sync, content type context (ad vs. program), and event phase context (PRE / LIVE / POST) for live events.
Stay-live ads
A new CTV format keeps the game on screen while a brand takes over the frame. Stay-live ads are integrated dynamically into live events at high-attention moments, a replay or a pause in play, with the action continuing inside a branded frame.
For advertisers, these are premium, unmissable placements. For operations teams, they are invisible to traditional ad verification: no break, no SCTE marker, no slate.
Witbe detects and verifies stay-live integrations on real devices:
- The right brand, in the right frame, at the right moment
- Rendering checked on screen, with no overlap with the action or captions
- Every occurrence logged with timecodes and video evidence
Virtual ad placement
Virtual ad placements insert sponsor graphics directly into the game: on-field logos, virtual boards, branding in the stands. They can change by market, by feed, and by moment of play.
That flexibility is what makes them hard to verify. The same match can carry different sponsors in every region, and backend systems never see what was actually rendered.
Witbe tracks virtual ad placements on real devices, against placement definitions you provide:
- Placement types and sponsors detected during live play
- Regional feeds compared side by side, placement by placement
- Each occurrence reported with timecodes and video proof
Ads in short-form and vertical feeds
Ads now run between shorts on social apps and inside the vertical feeds of streaming services and platforms don’t publish how many they serve, or how often. Witbe watches the feed the way a viewer does, on real phones, Smart TVs, and streaming devices:
- Every spot verified — the ad loads, plays cleanly, and hands back to the feed
- Every spot identified — brand, industry, and call to action, read straight from the screen
- The full picture measured — ad load, ad frequency, and creative rotation, on any app, in any region
Video evidence
Every ad content is recorded on real devices, creating video proof that can be used to confirm that ad breaks were filled and played correctly, as well as any other ad placements.
These video traces are invaluable, showing partners exactly what the audience saw, down to the frame.
All KPIs are organized in Smartgate’s multi-level dashboards, where you can:
- Compare ad performance across devices, platforms, and regions
- Correlate playback events with SCTE-35 markers
- Replay ad breaks and placements with synchronized error timelines
Ad matching: beyond detection
Witbe’s ad matching algorithm goes further than traditional ad verification.
It ensures specific ads are:
- Played correctly and in full
- Not repeated or replaced
- Displayed in the right order and context
Matching is performed against reference creatives for precise validation, ensuring that every campaign ran as intended, not just aired, but aired correctly.
Witbe also supports both SSAI and CSAI workflows, as well as geo-targeted and personalized ads, validating compliance across markets and audiences.
Key advantages
True viewer-side visibility
Witbe monitors on real devices, capturing the actual viewer experience including errors invisible to backend systems.
Real-time detection & proof
Playback issues are detected as they happen, with video recordings and timestamps that provide immediate, undeniable evidence for partners and teams.
Operational efficiency at scale
Automation eliminates repetitive manual checks, allowing teams to monitor more channels and scale instantly as catalog or market coverage grows.
Frequently asked questions
What is ad monitoring and why is it important?
Ad monitoring ensures that ads are delivered, displayed, and experienced correctly on viewer devices. When an ad fails to play, freezes, or shows a black screen, both viewer experience and monetization suffer. Monitoring helps operators detect and resolve these issues before they affect revenue or advertiser trust.
What’s the difference between SSAI and CSAI?
- SSAI (Server-Side Ad Insertion) stitches the ad into the main video stream before delivery, providing smoother playback and fewer ad-blocker issues.
- CSAI (Client-Side Ad Insertion) triggers the ad directly on the device or app, which can introduce buffering or sync errors if not monitored properly.
Witbe’s monitoring supports both workflows to ensure consistent ad quality, regardless of the insertion method.
What types of errors can occur during an ad break?
Common ad playback issues include:
- Blank slates or black screens instead of ads
- Frozen frames or buffering mid-break
- Audio loss or loudness inconsistencies
- Duration mismatches between planned and played ads
- Ads that repeat, play out of order, or fail to return to content
Witbe detects all these errors automatically and reports them in real time through Smartgate dashboards.
Why monitor ads on real devices instead of simulated environments?
Backend logs only confirm that an ad was “served,” not that it was actually “seen.” Witbe tests directly on real consumer devices: Smart TVs, set-top boxes, mobile apps, and browsers, to capture the true viewer experience. This ensures that playback, quality, and targeting are validated under real conditions.
What metrics are tracked for ad quality?
Witbe measures detailed KPIs such as:
- Ad duration versus planned duration
- Video and audio availability
- Audio and CC sync
- Slate, freeze, or black screen duration
- Loudness (LKFS) levels
- Video MOS (Mean Opinion Score)
All metrics are instantly accessible in Smartgate, where users can filter by device, platform, or region.
Do I need one Witbox per stream?
Not necessarily. Our dynamic channel cycling lets you monitor many ad breaks across multiple channels without needing one device per stream.
How fast are alerts triggered when an ad issue occurs?
Witbe’s real-time system generates alerts within seconds of detecting a playback anomaly. Operations teams can view the event timeline, video trace, and error type directly in Smartgate, enabling immediate troubleshooting and faster resolution.
Can Witbe monitor targeted or personalized ads?
Yes. Witbe can test personalized ad experiences by location, account type, or device profile; confirming that the right creative played in the right context. This ensures compliance with campaign rules and proper delivery for SSAI and CSAI workflows.
How does Witbe simplify ad operations compared to traditional methods?
Traditional QA relies on manual checks, random samples, or post-campaign analysis. Witbe automates end-to-end validation on real devices, combining instant detection, Smartgate analytics, and video proof. Thus reducing workload, increasing accuracy, and protecting revenue.
Can Witbe track sponsor placements outside of ad breaks?
Yes. Witbe verifies both formats that place brands inside the action: stay-live integrations, where the event continues inside a branded frame, and virtual ad placements, where sponsor graphics are inserted into the field, boards, or stands. Each occurrence is verified on real devices and logged with timecodes and video evidence.
What are stay-live ads?
Stay-live ads are a CTV format that integrates a brand into the live event itself, keeping the action on screen inside a branded frame during high-attention moments such as replays or pauses in play. Because no ad break occurs, traditional verification never sees them. Witbe detects and verifies them on the device screen.
What is virtual ad placement?
Virtual ad placement inserts sponsor graphics directly into the live feed: on-field logos, virtual boards, or branding in the stands. Placements can differ by market and feed. Witbe tracks them on real devices against placement definitions you provide, with timecodes and video proof for every occurrence.