Using ad insertion technology from VoD technology provider SeaChange, ads will be inserted before and after on demand content in real time, allowing campaigns to be kept up-to-date and specific to time of day or region.
Virgin Media's trial, in its north London cable franchise, will match ads to programme genres, test a range of ad lengths, including single 30-second pre-rolls, consecutive pre-rolls and end rolls, and update campaigns weekly. The number of ads will be capped and there will be a limit on the volume of programmes that will have ads placed around them.
Ids and Channel 4 are managing the ad space for the trial with advertisers.
Mark Schweitzer, chief commercial officer at Virgin Media, said: "As consumer usage of on-demand continues to build, this trial will help us explore the best ways to reach a large and growing audience with engaging and relevant advertising."
Virgin Media claims to be the UK's leading on demand TV service with 4,600 hours of available content, with half of Virgin Media's 3.5 million TV customers using its VoD service regularly.
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