Pre-roll ads during listening sessions can occur due to various factors related to streaming technology and listener behaviour. Here are some of the key reasons.

Session resets

Interruptions in the listener's connection to the stream, such as network instability, can cause the streaming service to initiate a new session, which typically triggers a pre-roll ad.

Cellular handoff

During cellular handoff, when a mobile listener moves from one cell tower's range to another, the streaming service can see this as a new connection, prompting a new pre-roll ad. This is a common issue for listeners who are on the move.

What can be done to avoid this?

On request, SharpStream can implement a solution to cap pre-roll ads per session to one based on the listener ID. This will have an adjustable time-based reset value, for example, one pre-roll per session per hour.

If you would like to explore this option, contact our support team.