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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryCTV, Video & AudioInstream Video

CTV, Video & Audio

Instream Video

Video ads that play inside a video player before, during, or after video content the viewer chose to watch.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

Instream video refers to video ads that play inside a video player before, during, or after the video content a viewer chose to watch, known as pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll. Because viewers have intentionally started the content, instream ads typically achieve higher attention and completion rates than outstream formats.