OpenAP Launches Supply-Side Platform to Surface Available TV Advertising Inventory for Buyers, Brings Transparency and Visibility to Marketplace

New SSP provides access to premium array of national linear inventory, enabling buyers to build media plans using accurate and real-time marketplace data

Interoperability of APIs adds workflow automation to planning and buying by connecting directly to buyside tools, delivering on the needs of advertisers for more control of cross-publisher optimization within existing workflows

Omnicom Media Group becomes the first agency to integrate its in-house tool, Omni, in new partnership with OpenAP

OpenAP, the advanced advertising company bringing simplicity and scale to audience-based campaigns in television,  announced the launch of its new supply-side platform (SSP) that provides advertisers access to available linear inventory from TV publishers. The launch delivers on requests from advertisers for more transparency and visibility of the TV marketplace and maximizes investments buyers and sellers have made in data and technology by enabling more sophisticated buying of advanced TV across premium viewing environments.

Built on APIs, OpenAP’s SSP now provides approved buyside tools the ability to access and retrieve available inventory from across the largest footprint of national TV publishers. Once integrated, buyers log into their existing systems to plan and buy media through an automated workflow using accurate and standardized information on audiences and inventory avails. Buyers build optimized plans by selecting networks and dayparts based on inventory that has been supplied by the sellers, then configure a plan by selecting cross-publisher media using their own optimization processes. Forecasted reach and frequency are provided for plans and resulting orders are sent to participating TV publishers. Each publisher reviews and confirms orders and provides final media plan to the buyer. The integration enables the buying process to take place within a brand or agency’s existing system, adding valuable workflow standardization and automation for buyers to control cross-publisher optimization.

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As marketers continue to invest in data and technology, this announcement signals considerable efforts made by both advertisers and TV publishers to maximize and accelerate those investments. OpenAP represents the largest cross-publisher footprint of inventory avails accessible to buyers in one environment, including AMC Networks, Fox Corporation, NBCUniversal, Univision and ViacomCBS, with inventory coming soon from A+E Networks and The Weather Channel. Combined inventory will reach virtually all U.S. households.

Omnicom Media Group (OMG), the media services division of global marketing communications holding company Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC), is the first agency to enable a full integration of its in-house platform – the Omni marketing operating system – with OpenAP, enabling real-time sourcing of inventory avails and centralized linear media buying through the platform. The integration with Omni launched in January, with rollout testing across OMG agencies to take place in Q1-Q2 of the 2021 calendar year.

Commenting on the launch Matthew Kramer, managing director of advanced advertising at Omnicom Media Group North America, said: “Delivery against advanced audiences within the linear TV space is the goal. Connecting Omni to OpenAP marks a significant step towards automation of traditional TV by bringing more speed, efficiency and visibility to TV inventory, enabling more flexibility and accountability in this medium.”

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David Levy, chief executive officer at OpenAP, said: “It takes partnership from all sides to truly drive the entire industry forward. Making our technology interoperable with existing buyside tools and providing this granular level of inventory awareness is a direct result of the feedback we received from our Advertiser Advisory Board and agency partners. By enabling this new way to buy alongside agency planning capabilities, we are ultimately fueling a more vibrant ecosystem for advanced advertising. We’re grateful for our publishers and partners at OMG who have remained firm in their commitment of investing in and building more sophisticated ways to buy and sell premium TV advertising.”

Access to supply via OpenAP is granted through OpenAP’s API Gateway, which ensures data is transferred safely between OpenAP and approved buyside platforms. As an open and agnostic platform, OpenAP is able to integrate with agency optimization tools. VideoAmp – the software and data platform that specializes in the measurement and optimization of media investments across linear TV, OTT, digital and walled gardens – is the first partner to integrate with OpenAP as OMG’s preferred vendor. Additional integrations will be explored based on client demand.

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