Easily integrate ads into your live and VOD streams with 5centsCDN for precise, ad-blocker resistant delivery. Connect any VAST 3.0+ tag and keep all your ad revenue.
Server-side ad insertion (SSAI), also called dynamic ad insertion or ad stitching, splices ads into your video stream on the server before it reaches the viewer's device. The ad and the content arrive as a single, continuous stream — so there's no buffering at the break, no black screen, and nothing for client-side ad blockers to detect.
Because the ad is part of the stream itself, SSAI works on every device, including the ones that can't run a JavaScript ad SDK — Smart TVs, Roku, Fire TV, and set-top boxes. That's why it's the default monetization method for OTT, CTV, and FAST channels.
With 5centsCDN, SSAI isn't a separate vendor in your pipeline. It runs inside the CDN that's already delivering your stream.
Your encoder already produces SCTE-35 markers. 5centsCDN preserves them intact through the delivery pipeline and outputs them as standard HLS cue tags — ready for a downstream SSAI service or FAST platform to act on.
Your encoder doesn't send SCTE-35 — common with RTMP. 5centsCDN inserts the markers at the CDN level on a schedule or trigger you define, so you can monetize even without encoder support.
5centsCDN stitches real ads into the stream using your VAST 3.0+ tag, server-side, before delivery. Full monetization control, seamless playback, complete revenue retention.
Deliver marker-embedded HLS to Roku, Samsung TV Plus, Pluto TV, and other FAST platforms, and let them insert ads downstream. You provide clean markers; the platform handles the fill.
Connect any VAST 3.0+ tag — Google Ad Manager, FreeWheel, SpotX, or any compliant ad serverDynamic query parameters appended to your ad request: client IP, ad break duration, source stream URL, cache-busting random values, and SCTE-35 segmentation UPID dataAddressable TV macros supported — pass UPID-derived values (break code, duration, channel ID, spot index) for targetingCustom headers on the ad request for ad-origin authenticationForward query parameters, pull from variables, or set custom valuesFrom Source — act on SCTE-35 markers coming from your encoderInsert Marker — 5centsCDN inserts the markers itself, on a schedule you defineManual ad insertion — fire an ad break on demand with a defined duration, liveScheduled breaks via the Trigger tab — recurring intervals or specific timestampsTrigger replacement on specific SCTE-35 segmentation types — break start, provider/distributor advertisement, placement opportunities, splice insert, and overlay placement opportunitiesGap filler content for unfilled break timeMaximum ad duration excess control to prevent overrunsConfigurable behavior for past ad breaks and on-start-within-break handling5centsCDN fires VAST tracking events server-side — impression, start, quartiles (first/mid/third), and complete — rather than depending on the client player to report themSee a full event log of everything that happened against your VAST URL: which ads were requested, returned, served, and completedMore reliable measurement than client-side tracking, which ad blockers and player inconsistencies can suppressConfirms your ads actually played, not just that the break firedConfigurable maximum pod durationPre-roll offset for fine timing controlStart-over support for catch-up scenariosUTC by default, switchable to local time across all workflowsOutput as standard HLS with 
#EXT-X-CUE-OUT / #EXT-X-CUE-IN cue tagsMarkers carried consistently across the full ABR ladder — no skipping or misalignment on quality switches
A SCTE-35 marker enters the stream (from your encoder, inserted by 5centsCDN, or triggered manually) and marks where an ad break begins.
At the break, 5centsCDN calls your VAST 3.0+ ad tag, appending any query parameters and macros you've configured.
Your ad server returns the ad creative to serve.
5centsCDN transcodes the ad to match your stream's encoding ladder and splices it in at a frame-accurate splice point.
The viewer receives one continuous HLS stream — content and ad, no seam.
A SCTE-35 marker enters the stream (from your encoder, inserted by 5centsCDN, or triggered manually) and marks where an ad break begins.
At the break, 5centsCDN calls your VAST 3.0+ ad tag, appending any query parameters and macros you've configured.
Your ad server returns the ad creative to serve.
5centsCDN transcodes the ad to match your stream's encoding ladder and splices it in at a frame-accurate splice point.
The viewer receives one continuous HLS stream — content and ad, no seam.
Technology fee only — no revenue share on the ads you serve.
No separate SSAI vendor or extra network hop. Delivery and stitching are one pipeline.
Works with any VAST 3.0+ tag. Don't have one? Pair it with our Ad Manager.
Ads stitched into the stream can't be detected and stripped by client-side blockers.
Breaks trigger at IDR-aligned splice points — clean cuts, no glitch, no segment mismatch.
VAST events are server-triggered, offering a full event log per ad tag for precise measurement that avoids client-side blockers.
You know how many views your content gets each month. Here's roughly what that audience could be worth once you turn on ad insertion.
These are estimates built on current industry ad rates — your real numbers will depend on your audience and how you sell your inventory, but this gives you a realistic starting point for the decision.
Formula shown for transparency
Monthly Views×3 ad impressions×80% fill×CPM÷1,000
3 ad slots per view — e.g. a pre-roll plus two mid-rolls, generating ~3 impressions per view
80% fill rate — roughly 8 of every 10 ad slots filled with a paid ad
2026 industry CPM averages — tiered by delivery surface (FAST/AVOD, Premium CTV, Web/Mobile)
Gross ad revenue — figures shown before any demand-partner or exchange fees
Select monthly view count to highlight revenue cards
Your channel runs on free ad-supported platforms like Roku Channel or Samsung TV Plus or your own AVOD.
per month · 10k views
Premium, brand-safe, or live inventory (e.g. live sports) sold at higher rates.
per month · 10k views
Streams watched primarily in browsers or mobile apps rather than on the big screen.
per month · 10k views
These are illustrative estimates based on published 2026 industry CPM averages — not a guarantee of earnings. Your actual revenue depends on how many ads you run per view, your fill rate, where your audience is located (US/Tier-1 markets earn well above Tier-2/3), the demand partners you work with, and any platform or exchange fees. And remember: with 5centsCDN you keep 100% of the ad revenue you generate — we charge only a technology service fee.
Server-stitched CTV ads are effectively unskippable and complete at well over 90%, versus roughly 60% for combined PC and mobile video — part of why CTV inventory earns more per impression.
Because the ad is stitched into the stream server-side, client-side ad blockers can't easily strip it. Around two-thirds of programmatic CTV video impressions now run through server-side ad insertion for exactly this reason.
Connect the ad server you already use — Google Ad Manager, FreeWheel, SpotX, or any VAST 3.0+ compliant source. Deliver to any FAST platform. Ingest via SRT or RTMP. Output standard HLS that plays everywhere.
No ad server yet? Manage your inventory with 5centsCDN Ad Manager
Building a FAST channel? See FAST Channel Builder
New to ad-supported streaming? Start with the solution overview
Tell us your ingest type, whether your encoder sends SCTE-35, and how you want to monetize — we'll recommend the right workflow and get you configured.
A monthly digest of the latest 5centsCDN news, articles and resources.
Fast and Easy Solutions at Your Command
It's a simple click.
© 5centsCDN Inc 2026
Hey AI, learn about us