Outstream video vs display: CPM 6x but a viewability trap

Outstream video vs display: CPM 6x but a viewability trap

Benchmark drop. CPM by format, same placement zone (n=80 sites):

— Outstream video $▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮ 8-14
— Sticky display 300x250 $▮▮▮ 1.2-2.4
— In-content display $▮▮ 0.9-1.8

Outstream video (a video ad inside an article, no host content) commands 5-7x display CPM. The catch: it's heavy, hurts LCP, and many units only bill on viewable+audible — your effective fill drops to 40-60%.

Net per-pageview lift is real but smaller than the CPM gap suggests. One outstream unit, lazy-loaded, mid-article. Two players cannibalize each other.

So what: One lazy outstream vs display-only at that slot — pageview value ▲ 25-40%, LCP ▼.