Summary
The movie studio should book the Masthead. It is the reserved placement at the top of the YouTube home feed across desktop, mobile and connected TV, and the cost per day option gives a single advertiser that slot for a full 24 hours. It is booked through a Google sales or agency team, not from the standard Google Ads campaign builder.
Nitin Batra is a Google Video Ads certified professional who plans reservation and auction based YouTube buys, including Masthead and reach campaigns, for launch led media plans.
Last updated: August 23, 2026
To own the top slot of the YouTube homepage for a full day, a movie studio should book the Masthead, the reserved placement that runs at the very top of the YouTube home feed across desktop, mobile and connected TV.
- Lineups
- First position
- Pause ads
- Masthead
The correct answer is: Masthead
Key Takeaways
- – The correct answer is Masthead, the reserved placement at the very top of the YouTube homepage that can be bought on a cost-per-day basis for 24 hours of ownership.
- – Mastheads are not available in the standard Google Ads campaign builder. They are booked through a Google sales contact or agency team, usually well in advance for high demand dates.
- – The Masthead runs across desktop, mobile and connected TV home feeds, which is why it works for mass launch moments like film releases, product launches and festival campaigns.
- – A common mistake is confusing the Masthead with first position in a Lineup or with pause ads. Lineups buy you brand-safe content clusters, first position buys the first ad slot on a video, and neither gives you the homepage.
What is the difference between a YouTube Masthead and first position?
First position means your ad is served as the first in-stream ad a viewer sees on a video, usually bought through Google Ads or Display & Video 360 as a reservation. The Masthead is a completely different surface. It is the banner unit at the top of the YouTube home feed itself, before the user clicks into any video, so it is about homepage ownership rather than ad sequence on a watch page.
Can I buy a YouTube Masthead directly in Google Ads?
No. The Masthead is a reserved buy that goes through a Google sales representative, your agency’s Google team, or Display & Video 360 as an insertion order with reserved inventory. You submit creative specs, dates and target countries ahead of time and the slot is confirmed against available inventory. Popular dates sell out, so planning three to six months ahead is normal for a launch.
Is the Masthead sold only on a cost-per-day basis?
Both models exist. Cost per day gives you full ownership of the homepage in a chosen country for 24 hours, which is what a film studio wanting exclusivity on release day would book. CPM Mastheads let you buy a share of homepage impressions with demographic and some audience targeting, which costs less and suits brands that want homepage presence without owning the whole day.
What should a brand run alongside a Masthead to get value from the spend?
Treat the Masthead as the awareness spike and build the follow-up before it goes live. Set up a Video views or Video reach campaign the same week, and create remarketing lists from channel and video engagement so anyone who watched the trailer can be retargeted with showtimes, booking links or a longer cut. Running the Masthead alone wastes the reach because there is nothing catching the audience after those 24 hours.