Methods and systems for generating and providing program guides and content

A system, comprising:

• a network interface;
• at least one processing device;
• non-transitory memory storing programmatic code that when executed by the at least one processing device, cause the system to:
• access or generate, for a first user, a first algorithmic technique, the first algorithmic technique accessed or generated based at least in part on:
• a determination, with respect to a plurality of different positionings in time of items of ancillary content relative to corresponding reference time points, of:
• user interaction with, and/or engagement with, items of ancillary content, including one or more of:
• a skip action, a fast forward action, a rewind action, a pause action, a mute action, a channel change, a navigation-away action, a selection action, a completion rate, or a view duration with respect to the items of ancillary content;
• and
• one or more of user preference information, metadata associated with the first item of primary content, or metadata associated with one or more items of ancillary content;
• access, using the network interface, data that enables identification of the first user;
• use the identification of the first user to access associated user data;
• determine a first number of items of ancillary content that are to be presented during playback of a first item of primary content to a first user device of the first user;
• select, using at least the accessed user data, an algorithmic technique from a pool of algorithmic techniques, the pool comprising techniques configured to generate predictions of user responses to different positionings in time of ancillary content with respect to items of primary content;
• execute the selected algorithmic technique, selected from the pool of algorithmic techniques, to generate predictions of user responses to a plurality of different positionings in time of the first number of items of ancillary content to:
• determine respective positionings in time of the first number of items of ancillary content based at least in part on the generated predictions of user responses to the plurality of different positionings in time of the first number of items of ancillary content;
• based at least in part on the determined respective positionings in time of the first number of items of ancillary content, enable at least a portion of the first number of items of ancillary content to be provided to and presented by the first user device as interstitial content using the determined respective positionings in time.