New CTV Ad Formats 2026: Pause Ads, QR Codes, Shoppable

Part of the guide: Connected TV (CTV) Advertising

May 31, 2026·Nataliia· 9 min read All posts

The new CTV ad formats in 2026 go beyond the 15 or 30-second pre-roll. The IAB Tech Lab's CTV Ad Portfolio standardizes six of them: pause ads, menu ads, screensaver ads, in-scene ads, squeezebacks and overlays.

On top of these sit interactive units, such as Amazon's "Add to Cart" and "Send to Phone" calls to action, and QR codes. For local businesses, pause ads and sequential campaigns are the most practical starting points. QR codes work as an extra layer, not as the main goal.

6→

Formats in the IAB Tech Lab CTV portfolio

Pause, menu, screensaver, in-scene, squeezeback, overlay

100+→

Industry submissions behind it

Per MarTech, December 2025

0.05%→

Assumed QR scan rate (example)

Assumption in the worked example below

0.17%↑

Scan rate needed to break even (example)

Assumption: $25 CPM, 25% of scans book

Estimates for illustration; actual numbers vary.

The IAB Tech Lab published the portfolio and updated programmatic guidance in December 2025 for public comment, distilling the six formats from more than 100 industry submissions (MarTech, checked Oct 2026).

Standardization matters because buyers know exactly what they are bidding on, so these formats are easier to buy through programmatic platforms (DSPs) and not only through direct deals. Availability and minimums still vary by platform. Confirm what each one offers today.

What Are Pause Ads on CTV?

A viewer pauses a stream and a branded still image appears. The viewer is already looking at the screen, so the ad gets unhurried attention.

Where it is offered: Variety reported in 2023 that pause ads were running on Hulu, Peacock and Max (Variety, checked Oct 2026). Amazon announced interactive pause ads for Prime Video in May 2024, with "Add to Cart" and "Learn More" overlays that stay available while the content is paused (Amazon Ads, checked Oct 2026).

The creative: A static or lightly animated image with your logo, one offer and one call to action. It is closer to a billboard than a video, so design it separately from your TV spot. Do not paste in a frame from the video.

Best for local businesses: Time-limited offers, seasonal promotions and brand reminders. Ask your platform for current pricing, since rates for pause inventory differ from standard video.

Pro Tip

Design pause ads at 16:9 with the key message and offer clearly visible, and leave room for platform UI elements. Test how it looks on a real TV before launch.

Do QR Codes on CTV Ads Work?

QR overlays let viewers scan with their phone to visit a landing page, booking form or app download.

This does not work as a volume driver. The viewer has to pick up a second device mid-show, find the camera and aim it at a screen across the room.

Expect scans to be a small share of impressions. No reliable public benchmark was found, so measure your own with a dedicated landing page. At a small monthly budget you may see only a handful of scans. The next section shows why.

Where they work better:

Interactive units where the viewer acts with the remote, which remove the scanning step. Amazon's interactive experiences (shoppable, learn more and a lead generation beta) are each also offered with QR codes, so the two can be combined (Amazon Ads, checked Oct 2026).
Clear, time-limited offers ("Scan for a free coffee this week") rather than a generic "learn more".

Watch Out

Do not build a CTV campaign around QR scans as the main KPI. Treat them as a supplemental layer and judge the campaign on reach, branded search, visits and bookings.

What Does a CTV QR Code Have to Deliver?

Every number below is an assumption for illustration. None of it is a market statistic or a real campaign result. Swap in your own.

Example: $1,000 budget, assume a $25 CPM (cost per thousand impressions), a $60 average ticket, and that 1 in 4 people who scan goes on to book.

Step	Calculation	Result
Impressions	$1,000 / $25 x 1,000	40,000
Scans at 0.05% (assumed)	40,000 x 0.0005	20
Bookings (25% of scans)	20 x 0.25	5
Revenue	5 x $60	$300
Cost per booking	$1,000 / 5	$200
Scans needed to break even	17 bookings x $60 = $1,020, so 17 / 0.25	68
Scan rate needed	68 / 40,000	0.17%

In this example, the QR code alone loses money: you would need roughly three and a half times the assumed scan rate to break even.

That does not make the campaign pointless. The other 39,980 impressions still built awareness, and some of those households will search your name later.

It does mean you should not judge a CTV campaign by scans. Track branded search and new-customer counts too, and change the $25, 0.05%, 25% and $60 to your own figures.

What Is Shoppable TV?

Interactive units let viewers act on the TV without a second device, for example using the remote to add a product to a cart.

Amazon announced shoppable carousel ads, interactive pause ads and interactive brand trivia ads in May 2024 (Amazon Ads, checked Oct 2026). Its current interactive page lists a shoppable experience, a learn-more experience and a lead generation experience (beta), available in the US through Amazon DSP and Sponsored TV (Amazon Ads, checked Oct 2026). Check the current minimums before planning. Other platforms offer their own versions.

These units suit businesses with a clear, high-value action such as selling products online, booking a table or requesting a quote.

Are Premium Takeovers Worth It for Local Businesses?

Some streaming services sell app-launch takeovers, exclusive ad breaks (solo ads) or first-position ads in a break (prime pods). These are usually negotiated directly with the streamer and are rarely a fit for a single-location business. Know they exist, then buy programmatically.

How Does Sequential CTV Storytelling Work?

Sequential messaging is one of the most useful CTV approaches for small businesses. It does not need a new format, only smart campaign setup.

Chapter 1 (awareness): A short spot introduces your business to households in your target ZIP codes.
Chapter 2 (consideration): Households that saw Chapter 1 get a longer message about your service.
Chapter 3 (offer): The same households see a clear offer and call to action.

Some programmatic platforms can also extend retargeting to phones and laptops in the same household after someone sees your TV ad. Support and minimums differ by platform, so confirm current requirements.

What Are the 6 IAB CTV Ad Formats?

Format	Description	Typical use
Pause Ad	Starts when the viewer pauses with the remote	Offers and brand recall
Menu Ad	Appears in the user interface of the TV or streaming platform	Awareness with low interruption
Screensaver Ad	Similar to a pause ad, but launched by the operating system or an app	Longer exposure, lower intent
In-Scene Ad	Branded elements integrated into the content itself	Recall without an ad break
Squeezeback	The program is resized so the ad shares the screen, nothing is covered	Content and ad visible together
Overlay Ad	Non-linear ad on top of the program, outside the ad break	Direct response layer

Descriptions paraphrase the IAB Tech Lab CTV Ad Portfolio (checked Oct 2026). The "typical use" column is our suggestion, not IAB guidance.

Which CTV Ad Format Fits Your Business?

Business type	Suggested starting point	Why
Coffee shop or restaurant	Pause ads with a time-limited offer	Simple creative, foot traffic goal
Hair salon or beauty	Sequential campaign with retargeting	Show the work, then retarget with a booking offer
Fitness studio	Sequential storytelling	Longer decision cycle suits awareness then a trial offer
Pet groomer	Pause ads with a clear booking call to action	Strong visual recognition
E-commerce	Interactive or shoppable formats where available	Direct path to purchase

What Should You Do Before Spending a Dollar?

Write one offer in under 10 words. If it needs a second sentence, it is two offers.
Build one landing page with one button, used only by this campaign.
Create a promo code (for example "TV") and train staff to ask for it.
Ask your platform for three numbers in writing: the CPM, the minimum spend and the targeting options by ZIP code.
Note your branded-search clicks in Google Search Console for the 4 weeks before launch, so you can compare.
Plan to review results at 4 weeks, not 4 days.

FAQ

What are the new CTV ad formats in 2026?

The IAB Tech Lab's CTV Ad Portfolio covers pause ads, menu ads, screensaver ads, in-scene ads, squeezebacks and overlays. Interactive, shoppable and QR-code units sit on top of these.

How much does CTV advertising cost for a small business?

It varies widely by platform, targeting and format. Many programmatic platforms let you start with a modest monthly budget, but you need enough impressions to learn anything. Check current minimums and CPMs before planning.

Do I need a TV commercial to run CTV ads?

Not for every format. Pause ads and similar units use static images that you can design in a tool like Canva. Standard video formats still need a video spot.

What is the difference between pause ads and screensaver ads?

Pause ads start when the viewer pauses with the remote. Screensaver ads are similar but are launched by the operating system or an app, not by the viewer, so nobody chose to stop.

How do I measure CTV results for a local business?

Use unique promo codes or landing pages, track branded search and direct traffic, and look at store-visit or household attribution where the platform offers it.

Sources

Next Step

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Nataliia

Local marketing strategist with 10+ years at global agencies — OMD, Dentsu, GroupM, and BBDO. Now helping small businesses get the same data-driven edge. Based in Europe, working with clients in the US, UK, Australia, and beyond.

About Nataliia