FreeWheel to launch programmatic OTT offering for local TV buyers

Comcast-owned FreeWheel has announced the launch of new OTT buying capabilities for agencies and advertisers.

FreeWheel Advertisers’ network of 1,200-plus agencies using the Strata platform can now programmatically access the full OTT marketplace through exchanges and direct premium publisher integrations.

The company says that the offering is particularly important for mid-sized and independent media buying agencies. The move, it says, is designed to remove the barriers that stop agencies efficiently buy OTT inventory. These limitations include minimum spend levels enforced by demand-side platforms (DSPs), the complexity of managing multiple campaigns for local clients across different vendors and geographies, and lack of transparency in ad placements.

“Our clients are very interested in tapping into new opportunities to connect with audiences on OTT, but the solutions available to them don’t meet the needs of every agency,” said FreeWheel Advertisers General Manager Joy Baer.

“We developed this new industry offering for our clients based on their collective input, which included the expressed need for geo-targeting, greater transparency and pricing efficiency. By solving for these challenges, we’ve opened up OTT for a new base of buyers.”

Adam Herman, chief integrated media officer at Zimmerman Advertising said: “The expectation for our media team is to be metric-obsessed and ambidextrous in all forms. FreeWheel empowers buyers by allowing them to be more agile and to make smarter, more integrated decisions faster. Their latest solutions around OTT are an example of this type of empowerment.”

FreeWheel Advertisers plans to extend its local OTT programmatic offering to all forms of TV, beginning in the second half of 2019.