Video advertising platform Unruly announced a global partnership with connected TV platform Publica that gives CTV and over-the-top (OTT) publishers access to ad pod monetization and automated deal management tools.

CTV ad spend is expected to reach $10B by 2021 (eMarketer), with consumers and advertisers expecting the same seamless viewing experience on CTV they’ve become accustomed to from linear TV.

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Through this partnership, Unruly and Publica will enable publishers to provide advertisers with similar buying techniques to linear TV. This includes competitive separation and the ability to purchase the first position within ad pods – similar to standard TV commercial breaks – while also helping publishers maintain higher yield per impression and more control over how their inventory is packaged, priced and sold.

The partnership combines Publica’s CTV ad serving capabilities, server-to-server header bidding solution and server-side ad insertion (SSAI) technology with Unruly’s unique, global demand and self-service automated deal management tools for publishers.

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Capabilities include:

• Ad Pod Monetization — Gives publishers the ability to guarantee an advertiser first position within an ad pod and category exclusivity within a pod in the context of a Unified Auction;
• Consolidated Deal Reporting — Creates enhanced efficiency for publishers, as well as unified management and reporting on deals through one holistic source;
• Automated Deal ID Workflow — Streamlines workflow for publishers and leverages first-party data for deal targeting.

“We’re excited to be collaborating with Unruly to bring publishers the tools they need to maximize the value of their inventory,” said Ben Antier at Publica. “With many publishers shifting away from the current VAST waterfall model, our partnership provides them with a one-stop shop for ad serving and self-service deal management.”

“With almost half (42%) of US consumers significantly increasing their time watching CTV content since the start of the Coronavirus, we’re thrilled to partner with Publica to empower publishers to take advantage of this trend and meet the needs of today’s buyers,” said Kenneth Suh, Chief Strategy Officer at Unruly. “With Publica’s CTV header bidding and ad serving capabilities and Unruly’s self-service tools and unique demand capabilities, we’re uniquely positioned to help our publisher partners efficiently optimize the value of their inventory to maximize revenue.”

Unruly’s trusted, premium supply-side ad platform, UnrulyX, enables publishers to access unique, unified demand from the world’s biggest advertisers and leading global and local DSPs.

As the leading independent CTV ad server, Publica helps publishers deliver seamless ad experiences while maximizing their revenue by running a unified auction between multiple supply platforms.

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