Keeping Up with All Things Freestar

The Ever-Changing Landscape of User Experience

One of Freestar's top-tier publishers recently experienced a game-changing, YoY revenue boost, thanks to key optimizations our team recommended and implemented. Their gross revenue for January 2025 increased by an impressive 214% in comparison to January 2024!

The secret? A strategic approach to video monetization on their highest-traffic page.

Previously, their Mock Draft Simulator page only featured the Primis discovery player and sticky sidewalls, but once users entered the simulator, ad opportunities became limited. In late November, we introduced a sticky footer and an on-call Primis slider video player, ensuring ads could run seamlessly throughout the entire user session. The impact was remarkable—page RPM soared by 46.54%, increasing from $14.31 in January 2024 to $20.97 in January 2025. At first, the publisher was hesitant to implement a small player on their most visited page, fearing it may disrupt UX. However, after thorough testing and collaboration, they agreed to move forward. The results speak for themselves: minimal impact on user experience with a substantial revenue increase.

This success story highlights a critical takeaway—video ads are no longer disruptive; they are expected. In a digital landscape dominated by TikTok, Meta/Instagram Reels, and YouTube, users are accustomed to video content. If you’ve been hesitant to test video on your site, now is the time to take the leap. Trust the experts, embrace change, and maximize your revenue potential!

Audience Development Services Available

• We’re available for audience development support to all Freestar publishers! If you’re interested in a website audit to identify audience and traffic opportunities, get connected with one of our audience strategists. Areas of opportunity include SEO, content strategy, newsletters and first-party data, Google Discover, News syndication, and push notifications. ?
• Additionally, we also have audience data available for you to leverage for editorial insight and direct sales initiatives. This data includes audience demographics, geo-location, top user interests, advertisers spending and more! Let your customer success manager know if you’re interested in either of these services.

Google Chrome update leaves lingering questions

You might well be asking when Chrome is going to drop a meaningful update on Cookie choices, but if the last 5 years have taught us anything, it’s that this project moves slowly. ?Speaking at the IAB’s Annual Leadership Meeting in Palm Springs, California, Anthony Chavez, Google’s VP of Privacy Sandbox, explained that the choice will come via a “one-time global prompt,” with the industry getting several months to prepare before it goes live. ?Chavez also revealed plans for a new Chrome feature that lets users hide their IP addresses. ?This form of protection will be limited to those using “incognito mode” — the browser’s private browsing option designed for discretion.

KEY TAKEAWAY: It’s very unclear if there will be meaningful information provided to Chrome users on what the impact of their decision is or what they’re opting out of. There’s a really good chance that the crackdown on third-party cookies at the user level could have serious implications for Publishers, much in the same way as it did when Apple ushered in App Tracking Transparency in 2021.?

Fresh Reads for Our Publishers

• Why January is a Chill Month for Publisher Ad Revenue: Seasonal Trends Explained
• Freestar grows revenue by 27% by integrating OpenPath
• Freestar Publishers See $300K Incremental Revenue Lift with Highly Viewable Index Exchange Flex Ad Unit
• Learn more about our Deepsee partnership
• Learn more about our partnership with Sertify

Looking to grow your revenue while navigating the complexities of ad tech? Freestar is here to support you.

Take the next step toward maximizing your site’s potential.

Contact Us Today!