Legal broadcast streaming service provider Didja has announced the addition of programmatically decisioned dynamic ad insertion (DAI) to its LocalBTV platform.
Los Altos, California-based Didja provides a free streaming app supported by Roku, Android TV, Apple TV, as well as Samsung and Vizio smart TVs, designed to enable consumers to stream local broadcast stations ... with the actual blessing of the broadcasters.
Also: Didja Raises $12M More to Fuel ‘LocalBTV’ Plans
The privately funded Didja aims to avoid the pitfalls of Aereo and Locast by actually working with broadcasters, gaining explicit permission from local broadcast signal owners for inclusion in its unique authenticated geo-fenced “antenna TV without an antenna” service. Didja claims to provided broadcasters with an OTT audience they otherwise might not get, one now monetized with real-time, location-aware DAI, processed in the AWS cloud.
Didja said that station sales teams can now enhance their clients’ linear over-the-air ads in LocalBTV with in-market, geo-fenced creative versioning. The can re-sell those avails as new inventory for digital-only advertisers. Broadcasters can also choose to tap into LocalBTV’s exclusive ad sales rep firm partnerships and/or Magnite’s SpotX programmatic sourcing platform for “hands-free” ad revenue generation.
“The utility of LocalBTV has enabled our broadcast stations to reach viewers in environments we intrinsically couldn’t reach with pay TV alone," said Josh Castro, general manager of the My Central Valley TV station group in Fresno, Calif. “In addition to entertaining new audiences, the inclusion of DAI/DAR is a brand-new revenue stream for our stations. As broadcasters, we have never been able to monetize live, linear digital video avails until now."
Added LocalBTV CEO Jim Long: “I’m very proud of how our world-class tech team is solving the very hard problem of integrating impressions-based digital ad insertion into traditional local broadcast TV ad breaks. I believe we are the only company in the world doing this, and it shows the power of our patented Edge Video Platform as a compelling way to create more revenue for broadcasters.”
LocalBTV provides more than 700 stations, as well as around 100 "hyper-local" community channels, across 21 designated marketing areas, serving around 30% of the U.S. Didja said around 200 of the stations provided by LocalBTV are enabled with DAI.
Didja has locked up digital over-the-air networks, including Cozi TV and EstrellaTV, but it's still trying to nail down deals with Big Four broadcasters. ■
