Video Monetization: Preroll, Outstream, and Rewarded

Video ads earn some of the highest CPMs available to web publishers. For gaming publishers, they are one of the biggest revenue levers you are probably underusing. The catch: not all video formats are created equal, and the wrong implementation will tank your user experience faster than it fills your bank account.

Here is what you need to know about the three video ad formats that work for gaming sites (preroll, outstream and rewarded), with typical CPM ranges, placement strategies and the mistakes that cost publishers money. All CPM ranges below are typical US figures, not guarantees.

Preroll: The Classic, With a Catch

Preroll is the format you already know. A video ad plays before your video content starts. YouTube built an empire on it.

Typical CPM range: In our experience, often $10–20 for gaming audiences in the US and similar markets.

How it works: A VAST ad tag fires before your video player loads content. The user watches 5–30 seconds of advertising, then your video begins. Skippable preroll (where the user can skip after 5 seconds) commands lower CPMs than non-skippable, but generates less user hostility.

The requirement that limits you: Preroll needs video content. If your gaming site is a portal of browser-based games without video walkthroughs, trailers, or editorial video, preroll is not an option. You cannot bolt a preroll onto a game canvas; that is a different format entirely.

Where preroll works on gaming sites:

• Game trailer pages where you host embedded gameplay videos
• Video walkthrough or strategy guide sections
• Livestream replay content
• Developer interview or game review videos

Where it does not work:

• Game play pages with no video content
• Pages where the "video" is just a GIF or animated preview
• Anywhere you are trying to fake video content to justify the format

If you have genuine video content, preroll is reliable revenue. If you do not, skip to the next two formats.

Implementation notes: Use a compliant video player (JW Player, Video.js with the Google IMA SDK, or similar) that supports VAST 4.x. VPAID is deprecated; use the Open Measurement SDK (OMID) for verification and SIMID if you need interactive creatives. Set a maximum ad pod length: two prerolls stacked before a 45-second game trailer will drive users away.

Outstream: High CPMs Without Your Own Video

Outstream is the format that changed the math for publishers who do not produce video content. An outstream ad is a video creative that plays inside your text content, expanding into view as the user scrolls. It does not require a video player or any video content on your end.

Typical CPM range: $8–15 for gaming audiences.

How it works: An outstream unit sits inline with your content: between paragraphs, inside a game description above the fold, or in a sidebar. When 50% of the unit scrolls into view, the video begins playing (sound off by default). When the user scrolls past, it pauses. (Avoid players that collapse the unit; reserve its space instead so content does not shift.) The ad counts as a viewable impression after 2 continuous seconds at 50% in-view.

Why it is compelling for gaming publishers:

You have pages (game descriptions, category listings, blog posts, guides) that are text-heavy and do not contain video. Outstream lets you monetize those pages at video CPMs instead of display CPMs. The difference between a typical $2–6 display CPM and an $8–15 outstream CPM on the same page is not trivial.

Best placements on gaming sites:

• Inside the game description, above the fold, not directly above the play button (users pause here to read)
• In game selection/category pages between rows of game thumbnails
• Inside blog content or game guides, between sections
• Below a game embed, in the related-content area

Worst placements:

• Overlapping or adjacent to the game canvas during active play
• Auto-playing with sound while a user is mid-game
• In loading screens (the screen transitions too fast for the 2-second viewability threshold)

Critical rule: Sound-off default is non-negotiable. An outstream video that auto-plays with audio on a gaming site will generate complaints, bounce-backs, and potentially policy violations with your ad partners. Let the user opt into audio by clicking.

Implementation: Most SSPs (Supply-Side Platforms) offer outstream SDKs. Teads, GumGum, and several others specialize in outstream. You can also run outstream through Prebid video modules. The key technical requirement: your ad container needs explicit dimensions reserved in CSS before the ad loads to prevent layout shift.

Rewarded Video: The Top Performer for Gaming

Rewarded video is the format built for gaming.

Typical CPM range: $15–30 for US gaming audiences, often higher in Q4, when CPMs across formats typically run 30–50% above Q1.

How it works: The player voluntarily initiates a video ad in exchange for an in-game reward: an extra life, bonus coins, a hint, a level skip or access to premium content. The video is typically 15–30 seconds, non-skippable, and plays in a full-screen or modal overlay.

Why it performs so well:

1. User-initiated means high completion rates. Because the player chose to watch, completion rates typically run 80–95%. Advertisers pay premium CPMs for completed views.
2. Minimal UX damage. The player opted in, so there is far less resentment than with an ad they did not ask for, as long as the reward is worth it and the ad is never forced.
3. Session extension. Players who use rewarded video to continue playing have longer sessions, which means more total ad impressions across all your formats.

Implementation for web gaming:

Rewarded video on the web is not as standardized as on mobile (where SDKs from AdMob and Unity Ads dominate), but it is absolutely viable. Here is how:

• Trigger: Place a clear "Watch ad for [reward]" button at natural break points — game over screens, between levels, at difficulty walls.
• Delivery: Google Ad Manager supports rewarded ads on the web through Google Publisher Tag, which handles the opt-in prompt and reward events. Alternatively, play a VAST 4.x video in a modal overlay with your own player, and signal to header bidding partners that the placement is rewarded so they can bid accordingly.
• Reward fulfillment: Your game code grants the reward only after the ad completes. Use the ad completion (or "reward granted") callback; do not grant on ad start.
• Frequency: Cap rewarded opportunities. Three to five per session is a reasonable ceiling. Unlimited rewarded ads devalue the in-game economy and annoy players.

The pitfall to avoid: Do not make rewarded video mandatory. The moment a player feels forced to watch an ad to progress, you have converted a positive format into an interstitial. The "reward" framing only works when the alternative (not watching) is viable.

Typical CPM Ranges Side by Side

Illustrative US ranges from our experience; your rates depend on geography, format and season. These are not measured results for your site. Other English-speaking markets are often somewhat lower, and most other geos are substantially lower across all formats.

Combining All Three

The highest-revenue gaming sites do not pick one format; they layer all three where appropriate:

• Game play pages: Rewarded video at game-over + outstream below the game canvas
• Game description pages: Outstream inside the description, above the fold, not directly above the play button
• Video content pages: Preroll on embedded videos + outstream in surrounding text
• Blog/guide content: Outstream between sections

The key constraint: do not stack video formats in a way that two videos compete for attention simultaneously. One video ad visible at a time. Multiple video ads auto-playing on the same screen breaks many SSPs' policies and is a user experience disaster.

Common Pitfalls

Auto-play audio. This is one of the most common complaints from gaming site users. Every video format should default to muted. Every single one.

Aggressive autoplay on mobile. Mobile data costs money in many markets. Auto-playing video ads on mobile without user consent can burn through data plans and generate user hostility. Use scroll-triggered playback with clear visual indicators.

Poor placement timing. A video ad that interrupts active gameplay (not at a natural break) will generate negative sentiment regardless of format. Align video ad triggers with natural pause points: level completion, game over, menu navigation.

Ignoring viewability. If your outstream unit is placed where users rarely scroll, you are requesting ads that never become viewable. Low viewability drags down bids on the placement over time. Place outstream where users actually pause and read.

What to Do Next

If you are running a gaming site with zero video ad revenue, start with outstream: it requires no video content and typically earns $8–15 CPMs on pages you are currently monetizing with $2–6 display. Add rewarded video on game play pages as your second move.

For placement detail, read our guide to outstream video placement without hurting UX, or see publisher results.