Innovative Step Taken in Bridging Linear TV with the Digital Programmatic Advertising Landscape

EMX,  a leading marketing technology company and digital media exchange, and Viamedia, a leading cross-platform local video advertising company, announced the successful trial of QTT™, Viamedia’s cloud-based patent pending advanced television advertising product which is the first to use digital standards to programmatically request and receive ads from a digital ad exchange to enable live linear cable television ad insertion in real time utilizing existing cable TV ad insertion infrastructure.

During the first market trials of QTT™ in WOW!’s Columbus, Ohio system, EMX’s ad exchange responded to QTT™ ad requests to fill 30 second commercials allocated to WOW!’s cable TV network local ad breaks. Advertisers involved in market trials were from ENGINE, EMX’s parent company, as well as CTV Media, a local ad agency based in Columbus. The goal is to increase linear ad rates and cable TV revenues, all with the participation of digital programmatic players.

In an industry first for programmatic TV, over the last eight weeks, Viamedia’s QTT™ has utilized customizable business rules to identify thousands of data-driven targeted ad breaks in cable television and made real time IAB standard VAST standard ad requests to EMX’s ad exchange. EMX’s ad exchange processed and fulfilled the QTT™ VAST requests with VAST responses that QTT™ was able to automatically read and process, allowing for the insertion of brand-safe commercials originating from a pre-existing industry standard programmatic platform, that were then inserted into a linear cable television program in real time without a pre-set schedule and without the need for any upgraded set boxes. Using the latest in programmatic real time bidding (RTB) technology, the solution ensured a seamless user experience for the viewer while delivering the highest performing audience segment to the advertiser.

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Michael Zacharski, CEO, EMX said, “Our exchange was built with the future of TV in mind. We have been investing in both our supply assets and demand solutions to help clients capture the right audience at the right time, across any device. Through our partnership with Viamedia, we are excited to lend the capabilities of our sophisticated technology platform in bridging linear TV and programmatic digital media. We are now working to further scale access to linear TV for our managed clients and then across our demand platforms and to programmatic buyers in 2020.”

Mark Lieberman, CEO, Viamedia said, “We believe that QTT™ can raise the boat for the entire advertising industry, benefitting the digital demand side in accessing premium linear cable TV inventory while using current workflows and ad insertion technology. By partnering with EMX, CTV Media and WOW!, the initial QTT™ market trial represents an important step in marrying the fast growing $17 billion digital video advertising marketplace with the attractive $6 billion cable TV marketplace.”

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By matching audience characteristics to targeting parameters, the live market trial demonstrated that targeted linear cable television is now ready and available with the same ease of use expected by programmatic traders and television advertisers, alike. “The ease of integrating local television for our clients through our programmatic platforms is an indicator of the convergence to come, it’s an exciting time for all of us in the industry,” said Kyle Kreuger, SVP, media planning, ENGINE.

“CTV Media has prided itself on being at the forefront in providing advanced advertising TV solutions for our national and regional clients,” said Kathy Dixon, president of CTV Media. “Viamedia’s QTT™ now makes it possible for us to include linear cable TV in that solution set programmatically.”

“WOW! has always sought to ensure a great subscriber viewing experience while growing TV advertising revenue,” said Misty Jensen, vice president, advertising sales, for WOW! Internet, Cable & Phone. “We are excited to have successfully participated in Viamedia’s QTT™ market trial and look forward to rolling out QTT™ in other markets.”

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