ITG (InTheGame) delivers non-linear overlay ads — meaning they appear on top of video content without interrupting playback. Unlike pre-roll or mid-roll ads that replace the video stream, ITG overlays co-exist with the content. GAM refers to these as NonLinear or Overlay ad creatives.
ITG supports several distinct overlay formats. Each renders differently on screen. GAM itself does not know which format to show — it simply traffics a creative. Format selection is handled through targeting, described in Step 1.
| Ad Type | Description |
|---|---|
| DoubleBox | Two side-by-side panels overlaid on the lower portion of the video frame |
| L-Band | An L-shaped banner along the bottom and side edges of the player |
| Banner | A standard horizontal overlay strip, typically at the bottom of the player |
| Animation | An animated overlay creative (motion graphics, branded animations, etc.) |
| PauseAd | A full or partial overlay displayed when the user pauses playback |
Location: Admin → Inventory → Key-Values
Key-values are custom parameters you define in GAM and pass in every ad tag request. GAM evaluates them against line item targeting to decide which line item to serve.
1a. Ad type selection — If you are only running a single ITG ad format, no key-value is needed at all: one line item, one creative, done. But if you need to serve different ITG formats depending on context (e.g. DoubleBox in some placements, L-Band in others), you need a key-value so GAM can route each request to the right line item. Without it, GAM has no basis to distinguish between formats.
Picture 1. Key-value setup example (Admin → Inventory → Key-Values → New key-value)
You choose the key name — there is no name required by ITG or GAM. Common choices are things like ad_type, offer_type, itg_format, or anything that fits your conventions. What matters is that the name is consistent across three places: the key-value definition in GAM, the line item targeting, and the cust_params sent in your ad tag.
The value style depends on your trigger source — pick one:
| Trigger source | Value style | Example values | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| App / campaign logic | Named string | doublebox, lband, banner, animation, pauseAd |
Your code resolves the format name and passes it directly |
| SCTE-35 marker (live stream) | Integer | 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 |
Value comes from the stream as-is; must be ≤ 255 (8-bit field) |
If using SCTE integers, define and document your own mapping, for example:
| SCTE value | ITG format |
|---|---|
10 |
DoubleBox |
20 |
L-Band |
30 |
Banner |
40 |
Animation |
50 |
PauseAd |
Keep this mapping consistent across your stream encoder, middleware, and GAM line item targeting.
1b. Audience / content targeting (optional) — These are additional parameters to restrict which line items are eligible based on content context. Not required for ITG to work, but useful when you need finer campaign or content-level control.
| Example key | Example values | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
genre |
action, comedy, drama, sports |
Target by content genre |
AppName |
app1, app2, myapp |
Target by app or platform |
contentType |
live, vod, replay |
Target by stream delivery type |