Advanced Television

FreeWheel acquires StickyADS.tv

May 10, 2016

In a move that strengthens its programmatic video capabilities, FreeWheel, a Comcast Platform Services company and provider of premium video ad management solutions for the world’s largest media and entertainment companies, is to acquire StickyADS.tv, a leading video supply-side platform (SSP) that offers premium publishers software to build, run and operate their own private exchange. The acquisition will create an end-to-end solution enabling clients to manage video inventory across all screens and access demand from any demand channel, while ensuring a brand-safe, TV compliant experience.

“We are very excited to make this announcement. We are bringing together two companies who deeply understand the opportunities for the ‘New TV’ ecosystem on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Doug Knopper, co-Founder and co-CEO, FreeWheel. “StickyADS.tv has been a preferred SSP partner since September 2015 and in that short time we have been thoroughly impressed by both the quality of their platform and the knowledge of their team.”

Since its inception, FreeWheel has remained steadfast in its responsibility to provide industry leading technology solutions for TV Programmers/Networks, MVPDs and select Digital Pure-Plays to unify their advertising businesses across screens and currencies and make automation work safely for premium video across all environments.

The addition of StickyADS.tv strengthens FreeWheel’s capabilities to deliver an end-to-end automated ad technology platform that enables publishers to maximise monetisation of their own video inventory across traditional direct sold and market demand sources while ensuring full control, compliance and creative safety.

“Our clients’ need to support automated sales has drastically accelerated over the last 18 months. We believe StickyADS.tv brings best-in-class SSP technology, specifically their focus on private exchange capabilities that put the publisher in control. We believe the combination of our platforms will deliver the solutions our clients need to thrive,” said James Rooke, Chief Revenue Officer, FreeWheel.

StickyADS.tv, headquartered in Paris, supports the advertising businesses of some of the biggest broadcasters in Europe, including TF1, France Télévisions, and M6. In addition, StickyADS.tv powers the advertising business of other premium publishers such as Spiegel, Corriere della Sera, The Economist, and La Place Media, and manages over 90 server-to-server buy side connections including all the market-leading Demand Side Platforms (DSPs).

“We are exceptionally excited to join FreeWheel and the Comcast Platform Services family. We are convinced that the combination of our companies will benefit our respective client bases, most notably the largest TV broadcasters,” said Hervé Brunet, CEO and co-Founder at StickyADS.tv. “Our focus on a private exchange, server-side architecture is perfectly aligned with FreeWheel’s technology in addressing the specific needs of premium publishers.”

Acquired by Comcast in 2014, FreeWheel works in concert with other Comcast Platform Services portfolio companies in unifying technologies to power the ‘New TV’ ecosystem.

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