Blog

Freestar Publishers See $300K Incremental Revenue Lift with Highly Viewable Index Exchange Flex Ad Unit 

Overview

Freestar, which powers monetization for the world’s leading digital publishers, sought to enhance its publishers’ video inventory without disrupting the consumer experience. Freestar was particularly interested in an outstream video solution that would load swiftly, integrate seamlessly, and complement its overall monetization strategy. 

To meet Freestar’s specific requirements, the video solution needed to be: 

  • Lightweight and easy to integrate, with minimal impact on page load times 
  • Compatible with existing ad stacks and network partners 
  • Engineered to ensure a premium consumer experience 

Solution

Index Exchange provided a solution that aligned with Freestar’s requirements, incorporating both Flex Video and native formats.  

Flex Video is a clickable, interactive ad format that loads exclusively when an ad is in view and seamlessly integrates with the surrounding content. This format also supports sound-off by default and dark mode styling, prioritizing a positive consumer experience. 

In addition to meeting Freestar’s technical requirements, Flex Video offered several other benefits that made it an attractive solution: 

  • Flex Video is engineered to synchronize banner supply with video or native demand, granting Freestar access to a broader spectrum of marketers and increased CPMs. 
  • Implementing Flex Video is technically seamless and doesn’t incur additional costs, presenting an efficient way to broaden video inventory. 
  • The Flex Video product continues to grow as Index expands supported sizes.  

Results

The results of Freestar’s implementation of Flex have been impressive. In just a short time, Flex has become a significant contributor to Freestar’s revenue, accounting for more than 40% of all video revenue via Index Exchange. In just a few months, Flex achieved a peak daily revenue of $18K and sustained an average of $10K per day. 

Additional results included: 

  • Over $300K in publisher revenue generated from Flex Video (14% of total) 
  • 67% Higher CPMs compared to non-Flex Video 
  • 32% Higher slot RPM and 23% higher average bid rates compared to non-Flex Video 
  • Significantly higher completion rate compared to non-Flex Video 

With Flex Video, Freestar has expanded its video inventory and increased revenue, while enhancing the overall consumer experience across its publisher network. 

We are grateful for our partnership with Index Exchange, whose innovative solutions have played a key role in driving growth for Freestar and our publishers. We value our continued collaboration with Index as a strategic partner and look forward to building on this success together.

Shaina Lam, Vice President of Demand Partnerships
Freestar

Interested in how you might achieve a similar revenue lift for your business? Contact us to learn more about our video monetization solutions. 

Index Editor

Index Editor

This post was published by the Index Exchange editorial team.

Back to blog