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Why Video Ads Have Taken Over All Screens and How VAST Has Become a Universal Standard
May 5, 2026
Once upon a time, video content was primarily associated with television channels and rare videos on the Internet. Today, it is difficult to find a digital platform without video ads: they appear in mobile applications, on news sites, on social networks, Smart TV applications, CTV environments and online cinemas.
In Eastern Europe, video advertising is actively growing following changes in media consumption: audiences are increasingly watching videos on smartphones, connected TVs, and OTT platforms, and advertisers are reallocating budgets in favor of high-engagement formats.
Video advertising budgets continue to grow for several reasons.
Audience growth. Users are spending more and more time watching videos, from short clips on a smartphone to full-length content on a Smart TV.
Infrastructure improvement. The spread of 4G and 5G, the development of home broadband Internet, and the growing penetration of Smart TVs make it possible to consistently watch videos in HD and above.
Increased efficiency. Video holds attention better, conveys emotions, and helps brands increase awareness, engagement, and conversion.
At the same time, the video advertising market is becoming increasingly difficult. Advertisers need accurate data on impressions, clicks, screenings, and inventory quality. It is important for publishers to correctly monetize content on different devices. And developers need to ensure stable operation of advertising on the web, mobile applications, CTV and OTT environments.
This creates a need for a single standard that helps unify processes and reduce the chaos associated with incompatible formats.
In Eastern Europe, video advertising is actively growing following changes in media consumption: audiences are increasingly watching videos on smartphones, connected TVs, and OTT platforms, and advertisers are reallocating budgets in favor of high-engagement formats.
Video advertising budgets continue to grow for several reasons.
Audience growth. Users are spending more and more time watching videos, from short clips on a smartphone to full-length content on a Smart TV.
Infrastructure improvement. The spread of 4G and 5G, the development of home broadband Internet, and the growing penetration of Smart TVs make it possible to consistently watch videos in HD and above.
Increased efficiency. Video holds attention better, conveys emotions, and helps brands increase awareness, engagement, and conversion.
At the same time, the video advertising market is becoming increasingly difficult. Advertisers need accurate data on impressions, clicks, screenings, and inventory quality. It is important for publishers to correctly monetize content on different devices. And developers need to ensure stable operation of advertising on the web, mobile applications, CTV and OTT environments.
This creates a need for a single standard that helps unify processes and reduce the chaos associated with incompatible formats.
The Main Challenges in Video Advertising Management
Tracking metrics. Understanding how many times a video was shown, how many users watched it, and at what stage they stopped watching is the basis for evaluating effectiveness. But if each site considers events in its own way, it becomes difficult to collect comparable statistics.
Cross-platform compatibility. There are different types of video players: web, mobile applications, CTV applications, OTT services, and embedded solutions on media companies' websites. Without a common language describing advertising, launching campaigns turns into a set of separate technical integrations.
The complexities of analytics. When each platform has its own reporting formats, it is difficult for an advertiser to compare the effectiveness of placements. This is especially noticeable with regional campaigns that run simultaneously in several Eastern European markets and include different languages, currencies, platforms, and advertising systems.
Interactivity management. Advertisers increasingly want to use interactive elements: buttons, polls, product cards, and engagement forms. However, the correct reproduction of such elements on different devices requires a single logic and clear rules of interaction between the creative, the player and the advertising server.
All these problems have led to the need for a universal template for the industry that allows players and advertising platforms to "speak" the same language.
Cross-platform compatibility. There are different types of video players: web, mobile applications, CTV applications, OTT services, and embedded solutions on media companies' websites. Without a common language describing advertising, launching campaigns turns into a set of separate technical integrations.
The complexities of analytics. When each platform has its own reporting formats, it is difficult for an advertiser to compare the effectiveness of placements. This is especially noticeable with regional campaigns that run simultaneously in several Eastern European markets and include different languages, currencies, platforms, and advertising systems.
Interactivity management. Advertisers increasingly want to use interactive elements: buttons, polls, product cards, and engagement forms. However, the correct reproduction of such elements on different devices requires a single logic and clear rules of interaction between the creative, the player and the advertising server.
All these problems have led to the need for a universal template for the industry that allows players and advertising platforms to "speak" the same language.
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Why Do We Need a Single Standard?
Disparity of formats and players
Before the advent of a single specification, each company could create its own video ad description format. Some used unique XML structures, others used proprietary APIs, and others connected videos through scripts.
For an advertiser, this meant one thing: if you needed to place a video on dozens of sites or applications, you had to adapt to the technical requirements of each site. This increased the launch time, complicated quality control, and increased the risk of errors.
For the markets of Eastern Europe, where advertising campaigns are often launched in several countries and in different languages at once, the problem of scaling is particularly relevant. The more platforms and devices that participate in the campaign, the higher the value of the standard.
Cross-platform compatibility issue
The more devices and viewing environments there are, the higher the risk that ads will run correctly on one player, tracking will not work on the other, and the video will not be displayed at all on the third.
At the same time, advertisers expect uniform reports and clear metrics. Therefore, the industry needed a standard that helps control the interaction between the video player and the advertising server without having to develop a separate solution each time.
Before the advent of a single specification, each company could create its own video ad description format. Some used unique XML structures, others used proprietary APIs, and others connected videos through scripts.
For an advertiser, this meant one thing: if you needed to place a video on dozens of sites or applications, you had to adapt to the technical requirements of each site. This increased the launch time, complicated quality control, and increased the risk of errors.
For the markets of Eastern Europe, where advertising campaigns are often launched in several countries and in different languages at once, the problem of scaling is particularly relevant. The more platforms and devices that participate in the campaign, the higher the value of the standard.
Cross-platform compatibility issue
The more devices and viewing environments there are, the higher the risk that ads will run correctly on one player, tracking will not work on the other, and the video will not be displayed at all on the third.
At the same time, advertisers expect uniform reports and clear metrics. Therefore, the industry needed a standard that helps control the interaction between the video player and the advertising server without having to develop a separate solution each time.
The Emergence of VAST and the Key Role of the IAB
The history of the creation of the standard
IAB, the Interactive Advertising Bureau, has long been engaged in standardization in digital advertising. When video advertising began to actively develop, it became obvious that it needed a unified technical approach. This is how the VAST — Video Ad Serving Template appeared.
The first version of VAST allowed you to describe the basic parameters of a video ad: a link to a video clip, duration, display events, and basic tracking. With each new version, the standard became more functional: tracking of viewing quartiles, support for skipped videos, different types of ads, Inline and Wrapper, as well as opportunities for more complex ad delivery scenarios.
VAST's general idea: a single language for the player and server
VAST describes a video ad in XML format. Instead of tightly linking the player to a specific advertising platform, the standard defines a clear structure: where the video file is located, what events need to be monitored, which pixels should be sent, and what actions should be performed when the user interacts with the ad.
As a result:
IAB, the Interactive Advertising Bureau, has long been engaged in standardization in digital advertising. When video advertising began to actively develop, it became obvious that it needed a unified technical approach. This is how the VAST — Video Ad Serving Template appeared.
The first version of VAST allowed you to describe the basic parameters of a video ad: a link to a video clip, duration, display events, and basic tracking. With each new version, the standard became more functional: tracking of viewing quartiles, support for skipped videos, different types of ads, Inline and Wrapper, as well as opportunities for more complex ad delivery scenarios.
VAST's general idea: a single language for the player and server
VAST describes a video ad in XML format. Instead of tightly linking the player to a specific advertising platform, the standard defines a clear structure: where the video file is located, what events need to be monitored, which pixels should be sent, and what actions should be performed when the user interacts with the ad.
As a result:
- integration is being simplified;
- the risk of incompatibility is reduced;
- launching campaigns is accelerating;
- it becomes easier to change advertising partners;
- the transparency of analytics increases.
To Whom and How is VAST Useful?
Advertisers: quality control, analytics, scaling
Quality control. In VAST, you can specify the parameters of the video, including format, resolution, and bitrate. This helps to reduce the chance of errors when displaying on different devices.
Unified analytics. Tracking events, including impressions, clicks, and quartiles, are described in a standard structure. The advertiser receives more comparable data for different sites.
Scaling. Instead of a lot of manual integrations, it's enough to set up a campaign through an ad server or an advertising platform, after which the VAST tag can be used on a large number of sites, applications, and CTV inventory.
This is especially important for regional campaigns in Eastern Europe: the same approach can be applied in multiple markets, adapting creatives, language versions, and targeting without completely redesigning the technical logic.
For publishers: revenue growth and easier integrations
Income growth. Video advertising, especially in CTV, OTT, and premium video content, is usually more expensive to monetize than classic banner formats.
Simplified integration. A VAST-enabled player can display ads from different advertisers and platforms without having to create a separate integration each time.
Transparency for partners. When a site reports that its inventory is VAST-compatible, DSP, SSP and agencies better understand the technical conditions of the placement. This reduces the barrier to connecting new advertising partners.
For developers: a single XML schema and convenient tracking
Less technical chaos. You don't need to maintain unique APIs for each advertising platform.
The standard tracking system. Elements like <TrackingEvents> and <MediaFile> unify the key events of creative playback and delivery.
Extension support. Additional scenarios can be implemented through <Extensions> and other elements if they are supported by a specific platform and player.
Quality control. In VAST, you can specify the parameters of the video, including format, resolution, and bitrate. This helps to reduce the chance of errors when displaying on different devices.
Unified analytics. Tracking events, including impressions, clicks, and quartiles, are described in a standard structure. The advertiser receives more comparable data for different sites.
Scaling. Instead of a lot of manual integrations, it's enough to set up a campaign through an ad server or an advertising platform, after which the VAST tag can be used on a large number of sites, applications, and CTV inventory.
This is especially important for regional campaigns in Eastern Europe: the same approach can be applied in multiple markets, adapting creatives, language versions, and targeting without completely redesigning the technical logic.
For publishers: revenue growth and easier integrations
Income growth. Video advertising, especially in CTV, OTT, and premium video content, is usually more expensive to monetize than classic banner formats.
Simplified integration. A VAST-enabled player can display ads from different advertisers and platforms without having to create a separate integration each time.
Transparency for partners. When a site reports that its inventory is VAST-compatible, DSP, SSP and agencies better understand the technical conditions of the placement. This reduces the barrier to connecting new advertising partners.
For developers: a single XML schema and convenient tracking
Less technical chaos. You don't need to maintain unique APIs for each advertising platform.
The standard tracking system. Elements like <TrackingEvents> and <MediaFile> unify the key events of creative playback and delivery.
Extension support. Additional scenarios can be implemented through <Extensions> and other elements if they are supported by a specific platform and player.
SIMID and Interactive Advertising: Why it's Important to Know From the Beginning
Switching from VPAID to SIMID
For a long time, VPAID, the Video Player Ad-Serving Interface Definition, was used for interactive video advertising. It allowed the advertising creative to interact directly with the video player and control part of its logic.
This provided more opportunities for interactivity, but it also created risks. An external script could affect the player's operation, reduce playback stability, complicate security controls, and create additional vulnerabilities for advertising fraud.
SIMID, the Secure Interactive Media Interface Definition, was designed as a more secure and modern approach. In this model, the creative does not gain direct control over the player. Instead, it sends requests for certain actions, such as stopping a video, launching an interactive layer, or displaying an additional element.
This approach better divides responsibility between the creative and the player, increasing the stability and predictability of interactive advertising.
Why SIMID has not yet become widespread in Eastern Europe
In the Eastern European markets, many platforms and adtech solutions still use VPAID, HTML5 mechanics, or simpler interactivity models. There are several reasons.
Firstly, VPAID is well known to technical teams and is already integrated into many existing processes. Secondly, the transition to SIMID requires updating players, testing, adapting creatives, and coordinating requirements between advertisers, agencies, SSPs, DSPs, and publishers. Thirdly, not all players have an urgent business need to invest in a new model if the current infrastructure is already operational.
An additional factor is the fragmentation of the region. Eastern European countries have different levels of maturity of the CTV market, different local media groups, different privacy compliance requirements, and different approaches to integrating international advertising platforms.
In EU countries, GDPR, ePrivacy, and user consent requirements must also be taken into account. Markets outside the EU may have their own data processing rules, which also require attention when setting up advertising technologies.
Scenarios where SIMID can be useful
SIMID can be especially useful in cases where interactivity, security, and quality control are of high importance.
First of all, these are CTV and OTT services, where user experience is critically important. If an advertisement breaks playback or overloads the application, this directly affects the perception of the service.
SIMID is also of interest to large brands and international advertisers who value transparency, brand safety, creative control, and compliance with global campaign requirements.
If the industry gradually abandons VPAID in favor of more secure solutions, SIMID can become a natural replacement for interactive video recreations.
For a long time, VPAID, the Video Player Ad-Serving Interface Definition, was used for interactive video advertising. It allowed the advertising creative to interact directly with the video player and control part of its logic.
This provided more opportunities for interactivity, but it also created risks. An external script could affect the player's operation, reduce playback stability, complicate security controls, and create additional vulnerabilities for advertising fraud.
SIMID, the Secure Interactive Media Interface Definition, was designed as a more secure and modern approach. In this model, the creative does not gain direct control over the player. Instead, it sends requests for certain actions, such as stopping a video, launching an interactive layer, or displaying an additional element.
This approach better divides responsibility between the creative and the player, increasing the stability and predictability of interactive advertising.
Why SIMID has not yet become widespread in Eastern Europe
In the Eastern European markets, many platforms and adtech solutions still use VPAID, HTML5 mechanics, or simpler interactivity models. There are several reasons.
Firstly, VPAID is well known to technical teams and is already integrated into many existing processes. Secondly, the transition to SIMID requires updating players, testing, adapting creatives, and coordinating requirements between advertisers, agencies, SSPs, DSPs, and publishers. Thirdly, not all players have an urgent business need to invest in a new model if the current infrastructure is already operational.
An additional factor is the fragmentation of the region. Eastern European countries have different levels of maturity of the CTV market, different local media groups, different privacy compliance requirements, and different approaches to integrating international advertising platforms.
In EU countries, GDPR, ePrivacy, and user consent requirements must also be taken into account. Markets outside the EU may have their own data processing rules, which also require attention when setting up advertising technologies.
Scenarios where SIMID can be useful
SIMID can be especially useful in cases where interactivity, security, and quality control are of high importance.
First of all, these are CTV and OTT services, where user experience is critically important. If an advertisement breaks playback or overloads the application, this directly affects the perception of the service.
SIMID is also of interest to large brands and international advertisers who value transparency, brand safety, creative control, and compliance with global campaign requirements.
If the industry gradually abandons VPAID in favor of more secure solutions, SIMID can become a natural replacement for interactive video recreations.
What to Consider When Choosing a Technology
It is worth switching to SIMID not for the sake of updating itself, but if there is a real need.
If the site already has VAST, VPAID, or HTML5 solutions working stably, and interactive formats occupy a small share of the advertising inventory, an abrupt transition may be unjustified. In this case, it is more important to ensure the correct operation of the basic VAST scenarios, stable tracking, high-quality ad playback and transparent reporting.
But if a company develops its CTV inventory, works with international brands, launches interactive formats, and wants to increase the security of its advertising environment, studying SIMID becomes a logical step.
When choosing a technology, it is worth considering:
If the site already has VAST, VPAID, or HTML5 solutions working stably, and interactive formats occupy a small share of the advertising inventory, an abrupt transition may be unjustified. In this case, it is more important to ensure the correct operation of the basic VAST scenarios, stable tracking, high-quality ad playback and transparent reporting.
But if a company develops its CTV inventory, works with international brands, launches interactive formats, and wants to increase the security of its advertising environment, studying SIMID becomes a logical step.
When choosing a technology, it is worth considering:
- which devices and platforms make up the main audience;
- does the current player support the required specifications;
- are the advertising partners ready to work with the selected format?;
- How important is interactivity?;
- what privacy compliance requirements apply in the target markets;
- how testing of tags, creatives, and tracking will be organized.