SCTE-35 Marker

An industry standard cue embedded in a video stream that signals where ad breaks start and end so ads can be inserted.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

An SCTE-35 marker is an industry-standard cue embedded in a video stream that signals where ad breaks start and end. Defined by the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers, the markers let downstream systems, such as server-side ad insertion platforms, identify break opportunities and replace or insert ads at the right moments.