FreeWheel, the Comcast-owned advanced ad-tech firm, said it is strengthening its programmatic video capabilities via the acquisition of StickyADS.tv, a supply side platform (SSP) that helps publishers build, run and operate their own private exchange.
The deal, FreeWheel said, will give the company an automated system that will help its clients manage video inventory across multiple screens, while also providing a “TV compliant experience.”
Paris-based StickyADS.tv supports several major broadcasters in Europe, including TF1, France Télévisions and M6, as well as premium publishers such as Spiegel, Corriere della Sera, The Economist, and La Place Media. StickyADS.tv was founded in 2009.
“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,” Doug Knopper, co-founder and co-CEO of FreeWheel, said in a statement. “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.”
“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,” added James Rooke, FreeWheel’s chief revenue officer.
Comcast acquired FreeWheel in 2014. Its clients include AOL, DirecTV, Turner, Europe’s Sky Channel 4, as well as corporate cousin NBCUniversal, which recently launched a linear programmatic sales initiative.
