Hoppr announces the launch of AI-powered server-side ad insertion (SSAI) mid-roll across live channels on StarHub, making premium TV advertising easier to access than ever. The partnership gives brands and agencies access to dynamically optimised ad pods, so every break is filled with the most relevant ads. The result is greater campaign efficiency, better use of inventory, and measurable results with guaranteed reach and frequency.

Hoppr combines the storytelling power of TV with the precision of digital. Brands now have real time control: setting the budget, choosing how often their ads play and deciding which audiences to reach. With Darwin, Hoppr’s AI-powered audience intelligence platform, every impression is tracked, targeted and measurable. This removes the guesswork from TV buying and gives advertisers confidence that their spend is delivering.

Darwin also provides live feedback while campaigns are running, allowing advertisers and agencies to refine targeting mid-flight, optimise frequency and confirm exactly which audiences have been reached. This closes the gap between digital and TV, giving marketers the transparency and accountability they expect from online platforms, but now with the scale and impact of television.

Smarter ad pods, built for advertisers

Most SSAI systems still rely on broad categories to fill breaks, resulting in wasted airtime and limited control. By contrast, Darwin enriches every ad call with audience segmentation, sponsorship rules, and campaign objectives.

For advertisers, that means brand-safe campaigns without competitor clashes, access to premium slots that were previously off-limits. And it ensures more impressions reach the right audiences at the right time, with measurable results.

An audience’s viewing experience is smoother, more relevant. Ad breaks are filled with ads aligned to their interests and values, making them feel less disruptive and more in tune with what matters to them.

“Mid-roll is just one part of the advertising potential unlocked by Darwin,” said George Gelavis, Executive Chair of Hoppr. “We’ve created the ability for brands to tap into the reach and resonance of TV, but with the same precision and control they expect from digital. This is TV on advertisers’ terms: transparent, measurable and built to deliver real impact.”

StarHub is the first operator globally to integrate Hoppr’s technology and early campaigns have already demonstrated success. Activations with premium airlines, leading household tech companies, global sports brands, and many others have shown advertisers can achieve guaranteed frequency with defined audiences, enhanced brand safety, and far greater accountability than traditional linear buying. One campaign, targeting five unique niche segments, achieved 100% of planned impressions, reached over 75% of those audiences, and delivered a cost per reach of just US$0.08.

What makes this partnership especially powerful is the circular value it creates: advertisers gain precision and transparency, agencies can plan and optimise with confidence; operators and broadcasters reclaim and monetise unsold inventory; and audiences enjoy better, more relevant ad experiences. Every part of the TV advertising chain benefits.

“With Hoppr as our technology partner, we’re setting a benchmark for what’s possible in the future of TV advertising,” commented Yann Courqueux, VP of Entertainment at StarHub. “This creates new opportunities for advertisers to connect with audiences in smarter and more engaging ways – and all while improving the viewing experience.”

Behind the scenes, Hoppr integrates seamlessly with StarHub’s Broadpeak SSAI infrastructure. Broadpeak delivers the scale and reliability needed to insert ads smoothly into live TV. Darwin adds the intelligence that transforms this delivery into precision advertising. It enriches ad requests with audience data, guides placement, and validates every impression in real time. Together, they provide advertisers with both reliable execution and accountable, data-driven targeting. Together, they make TV advertising both scalable and precise, giving brands the reach of television with the control of digital.