Streaming Sustainably — AI in Ethical Ad Content for VOD and OTT Platforms.

As video content becomes the dominant medium for entertainment and information, streaming platforms now account for a growing share of global internet traffic—and carbon emissions. Video-on-demand (VOD) and over-the-top (OTT) services have transformed how brands connect with audiences, but the environmental cost of streaming is rarely addressed.

A one-hour video stream can emit between 55g to 300g of CO₂, depending on quality, platform efficiency, and network conditions (IEA, 2022). Multiply that across millions of ad views and autoplay content loops, and it becomes clear that video marketing is not immune to sustainability scrutiny.

This blog explores how marketers and media buyers can use AI to design, deliver, and measure ethical, low-carbon ad content across streaming platforms—while still achieving performance and engagement goals.

The Carbon Footprint of Streaming Ads

Whether it’s a pre-roll ad before your favorite show, a mid-roll interruption on YouTube, or branded content baked into a mini-documentary—every streamed ad consumes energy through:

• Data centers powering content delivery

• Network infrastructure (cables, towers, servers)

• End-user devices (TVs, phones, tablets)

While platforms optimize for speed and quality, sustainability is rarely part of the ad equation. With video consumption rising, marketers need to account for:

• Encoding efficiency

• Bandwidth intensity

• Ad duration and repetition

• File size and format

• Carbon intensity of the chosen streaming platform

Enter AI: Reducing the Impact of Video Ads

AI can help sustainability-minded brands produce smarter, smaller, and more strategic streaming campaigns. Here's how:

1. Intelligent Creative Optimisation

AI tools like RunwayML, Pictory, and Magisto allow marketers to:

• Create multiple short ad variations from a single master video

• Automatically optimise for screen size, compression, and viewer preference

• Reduce unnecessary creative redundancies (e.g., dozens of re-exports)

By minimising editing cycles and total file weight, AI reduces both creative energy use and delivery load.

2. Low-Carbon Distribution Planning

Platforms like Scope3 now provide carbon data for programmatic inventory, helping media teams:

• Avoid high-emission OTT platforms

• Choose green-certified content networks

• Optimise bidding based on carbon per impression

AI can further assist by predicting audience overlap and removing redundant reach across platforms, helping reduce the total number of streamed ad views without reducing effectiveness.

3. Personalised Ad Delivery Without Waste

Instead of serving one-size-fits-all video ads, AI allows for dynamic creative assembly, where the ad components adapt in real time to:

• Region

• Device

• Language

• Viewer interests

This reduces the need to upload and stream multiple static versions, improving relevance while lowering energy-intensive delivery.

Tools like SundaySky and SeenThis offer dynamic video ad formats designed to stream with lower latency and lighter bandwidth.

4. Performance-Based Format Selection

AI analytics platforms like Wistia, Veo, and Google Ads Video Insights can determine:

• If a viewer drops off after 5 seconds

• Whether certain creative elements reduce the view-through rate

• How do different visuals perform across demographics

This lets marketers phase out ineffective content early, reducing waste and emissions by cutting underperforming video placements mid-campaign.

Designing Ethical, Sustainable Streaming Ads

Here’s how to rethink video ad production and delivery through a sustainability lens:

Principle	Application
Minimalism in Design	Avoid high-motion, high-brightness, or long looping intros
Compression Conscious	Export in efficient codecs (like AV1), and cap video at 720p when appropriate
Time-Conscious Creative	Use 6–10 second ad formats over 30-second heavy files
Hosted on Green Networks	Choose CDNs powered by renewable energy (e.g., Akamai's green infrastructure)
End-User Awareness	Encourage viewers to stream on lower settings or download once

Where OTT and VOD Platforms Stand Today

Some platforms are moving toward sustainability goals:

• Netflix has pledged net-zero targets by 2025 and publishes annual sustainability updates.

• YouTube is experimenting with energy-aware ad delivery.

• BBC iPlayer explores dynamic quality scaling based on environmental impact.

• SeenThis claims its adaptive streaming tech can reduce data usage by up to 40%.

Still, few platforms allow carbon-based bidding or emissions reporting on video ads—something brands can advocate for as part of their ESG commitments.

Case Study: AI-Optimised Streaming Ad for a Sustainable Fashion Brand

Brand: Circular fashion marketplace Campaign Goal: Promote sustainable denim across OTT platforms

Approach:

• Used AI to create 3 versions of a 10-second spot from one shoot

• Ran on video inventory verified by Scope3 as low-emission

• Used SeenThis’s adaptive streaming format

• Paused mid-campaign to remove poorly performing variants via AI insights

Outcome:

• 36% decrease in campaign carbon footprint compared to past streaming benchmarks

• 15% uplift in engagement on shorter AI-trimmed version

• Highlighted emissions savings in the post-campaign sustainability report

The Business Case for Streaming Sustainably

Sustainability isn’t just good for the planet—it’s also good for brand differentiation. As consumers grow more aware of digital emissions, brands that lead in transparency and low-impact media buying will:

• Build stronger ESG reputations

• Attract media coverage and industry recognition

• Improve ad performance through relevance and restraint

• Align with Gen Z and climate-conscious consumers

The future of advertising is not just about more reach—it’s about responsible reach. As VOD and OTT platforms dominate media, brands have a unique opportunity to shape their ad strategy around efficiency, ethics, and emissions.

AI makes it possible to create and deliver video content that performs without polluting, shaping the next era of streaming as one that entertains, informs, and respects planetary boundaries.