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Universal Player Plus (Beta) Details and FAQs

Universal Player Plus (UVP+) is a new video feature we are testing that leverages publisher videos PLUS a new video ad format for increased performance. 

Note: UVP+ is still in beta testing.

If you are interested in testing UVP+, you'll need: 

Universal Player Plus: Expected Behavior and Functionality

UVP+ combines Mediavine's Universal Player, which serves outstream inventory, with an updated player that serves an additional video ad format called accompanying content. Accompanying content (AC) ads require publisher video content to be present in the player. 

When UVP+ is enabled, you will see EITHER the Universal Player OR UVP+, depending on which inventory wins the auction. AC CPMs are typically higher than the Universal Player, but are lower than what you'll see for instream (click-to-play). 

UVP+ allows for multiple video ads to play ahead of publisher video content. 

UVP+ On-Page Behavior and Details

  • When a reader lands on a post or page, UVP+ functionality mimics Universal Player behavior: It observes your pagespeed settings and is lazy-loaded. 

  • When the reader scrolls down the page, you may see the Universal Player appear. You may also see UVP+, which will take your selected video or playlist and hoist it into the content so that it minimizes and moves with the reader as they scroll. 

You can see UVP+ in the content in the image on the left, and you can see UVP+ as the reader scrolls in the image on the right. 

  • Multiple ads of varying length can play ahead of the video; this is different than previous video player functionality, where you would see Ad-Video-Ad-Video. 
  • Embedded videos will still be click-to-play. If a reader clicks to play your embedded video, UVP+ will no longer appear. 
  • UVP+ is just like Universal Player in that the purpose behind the player is increased ad revenue. The purpose of including your content in the player is to lift the price of the inventory.
  • UVP+ should not play video ads with sound. If ads with sound play, please report them for removal. 
  • Readers can click "Watch" in the player if they would like to watch the video, but this is not typical reader behavior. UVP+ will play uninterrupted until the reader closes the player, just as Universal Player does currently. 
  • Videos will not play in full. Readers will see shortened clips of the video, accompanied by a countdown timer and the option to click "Watch". Then the reader will see video ads ahead of the next video. 
  • If a reader closes UVP+, the player will return to its hoisted position in the content. 

How to Enable Universal Player Plus

In the Dashboard, go to Settings > Video Settings. 

The setting to enable UVP+ behavior is labelled "Include My Videos". 

Select the video or playlist you'd like to feature. Be sure to save your settings. 

If you haven't created any playlists yet, you may want to take a few minutes to build at least one. 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How long should my videos be for the best performance?
    Videos need to be a minimum of 31 seconds long, but in early testing, videos of 61 seconds and beyond showed better performance. 
     
     
     
  • Is there a target number of videos to add to a playlist for best performance?
    The benefit of UVP+ is focused on the ability to play multiple ads and video ad types before the video. A longer playlist could potentially enhance UX because the reader will not see the same video play on repeat. 
  • I have video embedded on the page (or in my recipe card). Is that the video that will play in the UVP+ player? 
    Embedded videos will continue to be click-to-play. 
    Be sure that you have disabled the Optimize Video Placement settings if you want UVP+ to be able to play on pages that also have a click-to-play video embedded. 
  • Can I block UVP+ from appearing on certain posts or pages? 
    Yes. You'll select 'Auto-Insert Sticky Video' as the option to disable in the Disable Ads tab of your Dashboard. More details can be found here. 

  • If a reader closes the player, can it reopen?
    If a reader closes UVP+, the player will return to its hoisted position.

  •  How many ads will play before my video? 
    The number of ads that run before a video may vary, but they will never be longer than the video content itself. For example, a 1-minute video could have up to four 15-second ads.

  • Will ads play in a "mid-roll" fashion? 
    Videos will not play in full. Readers will see shortened clips of the video, accompanied by a countdown timer and the option to click "Watch". Then the reader will see video ads ahead of the next video. 
  • Can I change the player location? 
    In the future, we may add additional functionality that will allow you to adjust the location of the UVP+ player. For now, "Bottom Left" is the set placement on mobile.