FREEWHEEL STRENGTHENS ITS PROGRAMMATIC VIDEO CAPABILITIES WITH THE ACQUISITION OF STICKYADS.TV
FreeWheel announces acquisition of StickyADS.tv, a leading video SSP, bringing together best in-class traditional and programmatic sales capabilities, architected for the TV industry.
(NEW YORK, NY– May 9, 2016) - FreeWheel, a Comcast Platform Services company and leading provider of premium video ad management solutions for the world’s largest media and entertainment companies, today announced the acquisition of 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-toend 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, coFounder 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 PurePlays 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 maximize monetization 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 like 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 & Co-founder at StickyADS.tv. “Our focus on a private exchange, serverside 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.
About FreeWheel
FreeWheel’s superior end-to-end technology, premium marketplace, and best in market advisory services power the advertising businesses of the largest media and entertainment companies in the world, including AOL, DIRECTV, NBC Universal, and Turner in the U.S., and Sky and Channel 4 in Europe. From our unique position at the center of the premium video economy, we enable our clients to unify audiences across desktop, mobile, OTT, and traditional STB devices, and profitably monetize their content. Headquartered in San Mateo, with offices in New York, London, and Beijing, FreeWheel stands to advocate for the entire industry through the FreeWheel Council for Premium Video. For more information please visit www.freewheel.tv, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
About StickyADS.tv
StickyADS.tv is a multiscreen video ad tech company whose mission is to help premium publishers embrace programmatic video, in a controlled and totally transparent manner. StickyADS.tv’s publisher-controlled platform allows publishers to build, run and operate their own video private exchange across web, mobile, and IPTV. The main benefit for publishers is simple: ability to monetize their video content directly with their clients - removing intermediaries -in order to better control their margin. In addition, StickyADS.tv’s exclusive analytical insights, available through the platform, further contribute to maximize video inventory value to its full potential across all screens. Founded in 2009, StickyADS.tv is the leading private exchange software technology, powering 150+ private exchanges controlled by major TV broadcasters, large media groups and premium syndicators. In 2015, StickyADS.tv secured a ranking among the fastest growing technology companies in the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 EMEA 2015. StickyADS.tv’s reach is global - more than 7,000 websites in 150 countries worldwide - with regional teams in the US, Europe and more locations coming soon. For more information, please visit www.StickyADS.tv.