Ad formats & specifications
All the info you need to deliver your campaigns in the correct specifications
Exciting opportunities across the user journey
Leverage a range of compelling ad units that will connect, engage, and drive response – whatever the campaign objective.
Sponsored Wi-Fi
Passenger watches a short video and is redirected to advertiser website to earn a free time-limited Wi-Fi session.
Interstitial video ad
Passengers see full-screen advertiser videos at chosen points in their online experience.
Pre-roll video ad
Passengers see inline targeted video ads before in-flight entertainment content.
In-flight TV ad
Passengers see inline targeted video ads seamlessly added into all live TV streams.
Banner ad
Passengers see relevant service recommendations at key points in their online journey.
Specifications
- Sponsored Wi-Fi
- Interstitial video ad
- Pre-roll video ad
- In-flight TV ad
- Banner ad
Rewarded ad
Passengers watch your non-skippable ad and are redirected to your website in return for access to a free Wi-Fi session.
Required specifications
Video
9:16 aspect ratio
Vertical video or similar to social media sites will be largely appropriate for our platform.
Ad duration
Keep clips under 30 seconds. 15 seconds is optimal for retention.
Sound
Videos ads will be muted by default, but users can enable sound.
Audio codec
Use AAC stereo audio at 128 kbit/s or higher, sampled at 48 or 44.1 kHz.
Close captions
Supply one closed caption file per video in WebVTT (.vtt) format, zipped with the video.
File size
Keep video files under 150MB for smooth uploads and fast playback across all platforms.
Destination URL
The URL to which we redirect the user after the ad plays and reward is activated.
Subtitles
Provide in-video subtitles that are accurate, legible, and synced with the spoken audio throughout.
VAST Tag support
We accept third-party VAST tags. See the VAST tag information below for full details.
Interstitial video ad
A video ad is inserted into any flow in the Airline portal and plays between page transitions.
Required specifications
Video
16:9 or 9:16 aspect Ratio
Both portrait and landscape video will be appropriate for our platform.
Ad duration
Shorter clips hold attention better, so aim for under 30 seconds, with 15 seconds being the sweet spot.
Sound
Videos ads will be muted by default, but users can enable sound.
Audio codec
Use AAC stereo audio at 128 kbit/s or higher, sampled at 48 or 44.1 kHz.
Close Captions
Supply one closed caption file per video in WebVTT (.vtt) format, zipped with the video.
File size
Keep video files under 150MB for smooth uploads and fast playback across all platforms.
Subtitles
Provide in-video subtitles that are accurate, legible, and synced with the spoken audio throughout.
VAST Tag support
We accept third-party VAST tags—see the VAST tag information below for full details.
Pre-roll video ad
Passengers watch your unskippable video ad before being able to watch their chosen in-flight entertainment content on their personal device.
Required specifications
Video
16:9 aspect ratio
Landscape video will be appropriate for our platform.
Ad duration
Shorter clips hold attention better, so aim for under 30 seconds, with 15 seconds being the sweet spot.
File size
Keep video files under 150MB for smooth uploads and fast playback across all platforms.
Close captions
Supply one closed caption file per video in WebVTT (.vtt) format, zipped with the video.
Sound
Video will have audio on by default, with the ability to mute.
Video control
Ad can be paused by the user.
Audio codec
Use AAC stereo audio at 128 kbit/s or higher, sampled at 48 or 44.1 kHz.
Subtitles
Provide in-video subtitles that are accurate, legible, and synced with the spoken audio throughout.
VAST Tag support
We accept third-party VAST tags. See the VAST tag information below for full details.
In-flight TV Ad
Your ad is inserted into the in-flight TV channel during the normal commercial break slots.
Required specifications
Video
16:9 aspect ratio
Landscape video will be appropriate for our platform.
Ad duration
Shorter clips hold attention better so aim for under 60 seconds, with 30 seconds being the sweet spot.
File size
Keep video files under 150MB for smooth uploads and fast playback across all platforms.
Close captions
Supply one closed caption file per video in WebVTT (.vtt) format, zipped with the video.
Sound
Video will have audio on by default, with the ability to mute.
Video Control
Ad can’t be paused by the user.
Audio codec
Use AAC stereo audio at 128 kbit/s or higher, sampled at 48 or 44.1 kHz.
Subtitles
Provide in-video subtitles that are accurate, legible, and synced with the audio.
VAST Tag support
We accept third-party VAST tags. See the VAST tag information below for full details.
Banner ad
Passengers are exposed to dynamically targeted banner ads, which allow them to click to visit the advertiser's website.
Required specifications
Video
Medium rectangle
A fixed-format medium rectangle with a 1.2:1 aspect ratio, measuring 300 pixels wide by 250 pixels tall.
Mobile leaderboard
A fixed-format mobile banner with a 6.4:1 aspect ratio, measuring 320 pixels wide by 50 pixels tall.
Leaderboard
A fixed-format leaderboard banner with an 8:1 aspect ratio, measuring 728 pixels wide by 90 pixels tall.
Click-through URL
Provide the full HTTPS URL of your website, including the https:// prefix, so the banner links directly to your landing page.
File size
Keep video files under 150kb for smooth uploads across all platforms. Animated assets must fit within the banner file size limit specified by Viasat.
Animated Banner Requirements
Animations must not exceed 15 seconds and may loop up to 3 times. Flashing, high-contrast, fast-moving, and bright color animations are not allowed.
VAST tag information
- 3rd party tags
- Tracking events
- Parameters we can ingest
- FAQ
We provide the following support for 3rd party VAST tags
Supported tags
We support VAST version 3.0 or greater. VPAID is not supported.
Video assets
If multiple media files are present, we will select the one with the highest resolution and bitrate.
File Specs
Video must meet the minimum resolution and bitrate for your desired Ad Type, supplied as MP4 or MOV.
3rd party tracking
Viasat uses the supplied tracking links from advertisers and fires them at the right moments during ad playback.
Destination URL
For Sponsored Internet Rewarded Ads, a ClickThrough element is required. If none is supplied separately, we'll default to the one appended to the VAST tag.
Closed captions
Closed captions are optional. If supplied, we'll include closed caption files in WebVTT format, identified by the type "text/vtt."
Note: For LiveTV Seatback campaigns, tracked events will not match Insights reported events due to the use of an Impression Multiplier.
Independent, automatic proof for advertisers measured in their own systems.
What it is
When advertisers run campaigns with Viasat, we can supply proof that their ads actually ran — counted in their own measurement tools. Advertisers supply their tracking links, and Viasat fires them at the right moments during ad playback.
How it works
- Advertiser provides their tracking links.
- Ad Ops traffics them as part of the campaign setup.
- Viasat automatically fires each link at the right moment during playback.
Events we can track
Independent, trusted measurement
Advertisers see results in their own analytics tools.
Full-funnel visibility
Track every moment of the ad: from impression to completion, skips, pauses, and sound on/off.
Smarter, contextual data
Enrich tracking with flight route, device, and Live TV channel automatically — no hardcoding.
Works across every ad format
Live TV, Pre-Roll, Interstitial, and Rewarded — with reliable delivery from the aircraft.
Third-party URLs sometimes need contextual data (macros) baked in — route, device, timestamp, etc. Rather than hardcoding values, embed macros in the URL. Our Ad server resolves them at decision time before the URL is served to the player.
Flight & route
Origin and/or destination airport KATL → KLAX
Origin and/or destination city Atlanta → LA
Origin and/or destination country US
Origin and/or destination continent NA
Flight number DL100
Aircraft tail number
Device
Device type / user agent
Kevel campaign & ad data
Advertiser, flight & creative IDs
Campaign (flight) name
Live TV specific
Channel name
Channel ID
Delivery integrity
Timestamp cache-buster 13-digit
Unique per-event ID
Chat to us about other parameters you may need.
While we are always on-hand to answer any questions you might have, here are answers to those most asked. If you have any other questions, please contact your account manager or email us at advertising@viasat.com
A tracking request is generated for every eligible ad play delivered through our platform, synchronized with impression and reporting.
Our platform utilizes server-side ad delivery infrastructure. As a result, impression-tracking requests are generated by our ad serving systems rather than solely relying on the end user's device.
The approach offers several benefits:
- Greater reliability in constrained connectivity environments
- Reduced impact from browser restrictions or client-side blockers
- More consistent delivery and measurement across devices and platforms
We can provide:
- Request-level log samples
- Verification of URL implementation
- Confirmation of successful outbound tracking requests
- Delivery reconciliation reports where appropriate
Availability may depend on campaign-specific agreements and setup.
Our team monitors tracking activity through platform logs and delivery validation processes. We can verify that:
- Tracking URLs are correctly configured
- Requests are generated when ads are served
- Requests are successfully transmitted to the designated endpoint
We work collaboratively with advertisers, agencies, and measurement partners to investigate discrepancies. Typical troubleshooting steps include:
- Comparing platform delivery counts with third-party reporting
- Validating tag configuration and implementation
- Reviewing request-level logs
- Confirming successful transmission of tracking calls
- Coordinating with measurement vendors to understand counting methodologies
Yes. We can work with common third-party measurement and verification solutions, subject to technical compatibility and campaign requirements.
We can support:
- Brand safety verification
- Fraud detection tools
- Campaign auditing and attribution solutions
Note: We do not currently support viewability measurement.
Yes. We can provide campaign delivery reporting and, where available, placement-level or creative-level performance data to support optimization and reconciliation.
Yes. In some cases, tracking requests may be successfully transmitted and accepted by a third-party endpoint while differences still appear in reporting systems.
When this occurs, the issue is often related to:
- Vendor counting methodology
- Filtering logic
- Attribution settings
- Reporting latency
Our team can assist by providing delivery evidence and supporting investigations with measurement partners.