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Instream largest video ad inventory on the net
MUMBAI: US video ad network Instream has announced that it has emerged from its Beta period as one of the largest sources of managed video advertising inventory on the Internet.
Instream president and CEO Tom MacIsaac says, “Some have said there is a shortage of quality in-stream video ad inventory on the Internet — the truth is there is a shortage of quality managed video ad inventory. Instream aggregates high quality Internet video sites onto the leading video advertising technology platform, forming a new, high quality, high reach, single source for brand advertisers embracing video advertising. We believe that, after the major portals, Instream is the single biggest source of managed video ad inventory on the Internet.”
The company says that when advertisers venture beyond the few places with sophisticated in-stream video ad management capabilities, such as the major portals and a handful of other leading video internet sites, they have little control over the delivery of their ad campaigns in terms of targetting, frequency capping, session management, ad unit standardisation (such as a synchronised IAB banner) and other requirements.The reporting they receive back is equally limited.
Advertisers who buy the Instream network can receive not only state- of-the-art ad delivery but also get consolidated, rolled up reporting including the enhanced reporting requirements emerging for Internet video such as closed loop auditing and per cent-of-ad-played reporting.
Instream says that it is able to deliver such highly managed inventory because its technology platform is built on the best-of-breed Lightningcast video advertising platform, which is also used by AOL, Microsoft, ABC News, Scripps Networks, A&E Networks, The Employment and Career Channel and others.
As a result, Instream has the opportunity to leverage the Lightningcast network to provide remnant inventory sales for Lightningcast technology customers.This platform also enables dynamic ad insertion into live streams and downloaded content as well as on-demand streams.
Instream claims to have experienced strong demand from publishers and advertisers. Since the launch of the Publisher Beta in July, Instream has been delivering more than 100 million video streams per month and anticipates total monthly volume of more than 500 million monthly streams by early 2006.
Since the launch of the Advertiser Beta in September, Instream claims to have been embraced by major brand advertisers, and has more than a dozen other advertiser campaigns planned for Q4 2005 and 2006.
Carat Fusion media supervisor Christine Peterson said, “Video advertising has become an important part of our clients’ digital media strategy. We are excited about the growth in high quality managed video advertising inventory such as that amassed by Instream”.
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Microsoft names Asha Sharma CEO of Gaming division
Nadella appoints AI exec to lead Xbox after Phil Spencer’s retirement; 500 million MAUs mark new era from 20 February 2026.
MUMBAI: Xbox just levelled up its leadership and this time the boss comes with an AI cheat code. On 20 February 2026, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced Asha Sharma as the new executive vice president and CEO of Microsoft Gaming, overseeing the Xbox empire from Redmond, Washington. She steps into the role after Phil Spencer, who led the division since 2014, announced his retirement. The move follows the earlier departure of Xbox president Sarah Bond.
Nadella, writing on the Microsoft Corporate blog said, “I am long on gaming and its role at the center of our consumer ambition… Asha has helped build and scale services that reach billions of people and support thriving consumer and developer ecosystems.” He highlighted Sharma’s track record scaling platforms at global level from her time as chief operating officer at Instacart and vice president at Meta Platforms to her recent stint as president of Microsoft’s CoreAI product division since joining in 2024.
Sharma, a Carlson School of Management graduate with a BSc in Business, has held product leadership roles at Meta, board seats at Home Depot and Coupang, and worked on AI initiatives like Foundry, a platform embedding AI models into third-party apps. She described gaming as “a fusion of art and technology, empowering creators worldwide to push the boundaries of hardware and software.”
Microsoft Gaming boasts more than 500 million monthly active users, cementing its spot as one of the world’s top platforms. This autumn marks the 25th anniversary of the division (the original Xbox launched in 2001), a milestone Sharma will steer alongside renewed AI-driven innovation.
Matt Booty, head of Microsoft’s gaming studios, will report to Sharma as executive vice president and chief content officer. Nadella praised the duo for blending consumer product savvy with deep gaming expertise to fuel platform advances and content pipelines.
Industry eyes are fixed on how Xbox consoles fare against Sony and Nintendo amid fierce competition. Whether Sharma’s AI background sparks a new golden age for Xbox or simply keeps the lights on remains the big boss-level question but one thing’s clear, the next chapter of gaming at Microsoft just got a fresh player with serious strategic depth.
