Method and apparatus for context-specific content delivery

A method of providing encoded video content and contextually-related markup language advertising content to a plurality of user devices in data communication with at least one server via an Internet, said method comprising:

• receiving a request for said encoded video content for download to at least one of said user devices;
• in response to said act of receiving, downloading to said at least one user device a software application capable of running thereon and adapted to provide for a display of said encoded video content and markup language advertising content as a single uninterrupted and continuous stream so as to avoid disrupting the attention of a user of said at least one user device;
• accessing a metadata file descriptive of one or more content-based attributes of said requested encoded video content;
• processing said metadata file to derive one or more search terms;
• providing said search terms to a third party advertising server having a search engine running thereon, said search terms being entered into a search of a plurality of available markup language advertising content, said search producing said contextually related advertising content;
• receiving said contextually related markup language advertising content from said third party advertising server;
• and
• transmitting said requested encoded video content and said markup language advertising content to said at least one user device for display thereon via said software application;
• wherein said software application is adapted to display said requested encoded video content and said markup language advertising content within a single display window generated by said software application;
• and
• wherein said processing of said metadata file reduces an instance of said search producing irrelevant or marginally relevant markup language advertising content.