PubMatic, an independent technology company delivering a digital advertising supply chain, has announced that dentsu is the first to deploy pause ad campaigns across PubMatic’s premium Connected TV (CTV) inventory. This collaboration comes as PubMatic’s CTV business surged by 50 per cent year-over-year last quarter, reaching 26 of the top 30 streaming platforms globally, and follows a successful pilot of the pause advertising format executed across premium CTV inventory through PubMatic’s platform.

The inaugural campaign features dentsu client Rabbits Black working in tandem with dentsu to promote the movie Stitch Head on behalf of Briar Cliff Entertainment. The family-friendly Halloween film, releasing October 29, 2025, will bring audiences a dose of seasonal fun to cinemas. To support promotion and awareness, Rabbits Black and dentsu are partnering with PubMatic to feature Stitch Head front and center through DirecTV Pause Ads – showcasing the power of pause ads for driving awareness and ultimately moving users down the funnel to purchase tickets and enjoy the movie.

As the first agency to deploy pause advertising across PubMatic’s premium CTV inventory, dentsu is leveraging the format’s ability to reach viewers during high-engagement moments without disrupting the viewing experience, powered by PubMatic’s Activate, a purpose-built efficiency tool to maximise campaign performance.

“Pause ads represent a fundamental shift in how we approach premium CTV inventory,” said Rebekah Shalit, VP of Partnership, Platforms Lead at dentsu. “The format addresses two critical challenges for clients: achieving meaningful engagement without disrupting viewer experience, and accessing premium inventory moments that traditional pre-roll simply can’t provide. Our active campaigns with PubMatic demonstrate pause advertising’s evolution from experimental format to strategic necessity.”

“This collaboration with dentsu reflects our commitment to advertising innovation that benefits the entire ecosystem,” added Nicole Scaglione, VP of CTV at PubMatic. “Agencies gain access to high-performing inventory and strategic advantages, and viewers experience relevant, non-intrusive advertising. This represents the future of unified programmatic advertising, built specifically for buyers needs and sophisticated campaign management.”

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Categories: Advertising, Articles, Connected TV

Tags: advertising, dentsu, Pubmatic