Overview
Playlist-based advertising is used by organisations on Rive themes. Ads are controlled through Automated Game Plan playlists — you define exactly when and where ads appear by adding ad slots to playlists. Each playlist fires at a specific moment during the broadcast, such as pregame, halftime, or in-game intervals, and any ad slots within that playlist display at the configured time.
An ad slot defines the placement, size, position on screen, timing, and which team the placement belongs to. Once a slot is configured in a playlist, you assign an ad set to fill it.
How ad slots work in playlists
Ad slots are items you add to playlists within your Automated Game Plan. When the playlist fires during a broadcast, the ad slot displays according to the settings you configured.
Each ad slot includes:
* Ad Slot Name: A descriptive name for reference
* Ad Sizes: One or more sizes this slot accepts (Small, Medium, Large, XLarge, Square, Long, Banner, or Custom)
* Ad slot for: Whether this slot belongs to the Home team, Away team, or is a general competition placement
* Team type: Home, Away, or Neutral context
* Start Time (Offset): When within the playlist this ad should begin, in mm:ss format
* Duration: How long the ad displays (leave blank to show indefinitely until the next item in the sequence)
* Ad Position: Placement on the 1920×1080 canvas using Grid Snap or Manual positioning
In-graphic ads vs detached ads
Playlist-based advertising supports two ad types:
In-graphic ads are embedded within a broadcast graphic — for example, a sponsor banner integrated into a scoreboard or lower third. These are constrained to the ad areas defined within the graphic itself.
Detached ads are standalone ad overlays that sit independently on top of your broadcast at any position and size you define. These are not tied to a specific graphic and can appear anywhere on screen.
Adding an ad slot to a playlist
1. Navigate to the Automations tab and open the relevant Automated Game Plan
2. Open the playlist where you want the ad to appear (for example, a halftime or pregame playlist)
3. Click Add Item to Sequence at the bottom of the playlist timeline
4. Select Add Advertisement from the menu
5. The Configure Ad Slot modal opens
6. Fill in Ad Slot Name
7. Select Ad Sizes (one or more sizes this slot will accept)
8. Select Ad slot for (Home team, Away team, or competition placement)
9. Select Team type (Home, Away, or Neutral)
10. Set Start Time (Offset) in mm:ss format
11. Set Duration (leave blank to show indefinitely until the next item)
12. Set Ad Position by dragging the position marker on the 1920×1080 canvas
13. Click Add Ad Slot to save it to the playlist timeline
14. Assign an ad set to the slot by selecting one from your organisation's library or delegating it to the home or away club
In-game ads
For ads that appear during live gameplay rather than breaks, configure your ad slots in the In Game (Live) tab of your Automated Game Plan. These work the same way but fire in response to match events or time triggers during active play.
Enabling ads on an overlay
Ad slots will only display if the overlay assigned to your match has ads enabled.
1. From the Matches tab, find your match and expand it
2. Click the three-dot menu next to the overlay and select Settings
3. Confirm the Ad Type is set to Brands (this is required for your own sponsor ads to appear)
4. Toggle Enable Ads to on
5. Save
If Enable Ads is off or Ad Type is not set to Brands, no sponsor ads will display on that overlay regardless of how your playlists are configured.
Club delegation
Instead of assigning a specific ad set to a slot yourself, you can delegate the slot to the home or away club. The club then manages their own sponsor content through the Club Portal and their uploaded ad set displays automatically for their matches.
To delegate a slot, select Home Club or Away Club instead of a specific ad set when assigning to the slot in your playlist. The club must have an ad set uploaded and assigned in their Club Portal for the slot to display. If they haven't uploaded one, the slot will be empty during the broadcast.
Common issues
Ads not appearing on output
Check these in order:
1. Feature type: Confirm the match overlay is using Graphics + Brands. If Ad Type is set to Graphics only or Free, your ad sets will not display. Check the overlay settings in the Matches tab
2. Enable Ads toggle: Go to the overlay settings and confirm Enable Ads is toggled on. This must be enabled even if the ad type is set to Brands
3. Ad slot configuration: Confirm the ad slot exists in the correct playlist in your Automated Game Plan and that the game plan is assigned to the correct competition
4. Green dot: Confirm the ad set has a green dot. All seven image sizes must be uploaded before an ad set can display
Ad set not available when assigning to a slot
The ad set may be assigned to a different club. Ad sets assigned to clubs are locked to that club until unassigned. Go to Ads > Ad Sets, find the ad set, check the Assign to Club field, remove the existing assignment if needed, and save.
Delegated slot is empty during broadcast
The club has not uploaded an ad set to their Club Portal or has not assigned it to the delegated slot. Contact the club to confirm their ad set is uploaded and assigned.