Newsy, E.W. Scripps Co.’s over-the top video news service, has selected the SpotX platform to manage its ad inventory and facilitate programmatic sales on connected TVs.
The arrangement makes Newsy among the first programmers to monetize the Apple TV tvOS and take advantage of advertiser demand for connected TV video ads that reach young consumers who don’t subscribe to traditional pay-TV services.
“The power of connected TV is its ability to reach audiences who are cord-cutters and cord-nevers and engage them in meaningful ways,” said Blake Sabatinelli, general manager of Newsy. “This audience is increasingly harder to find on cable TV, which is why we’ve developed video news experiences in formats specifically for digital devices.”
Working with SpotX will enable advertisers to use data to target viewers using Apple TV to watch Newsy video on big screens.
“Advertisers want to execute cross-screen strategies, and that has quickly extended to data-driven buying on large screens,” said Allen Klosowski, VP of mobile and connected devices at SpotX. “We’re seeing digital-centric agencies shoot for the living room TV, then attempt to match the same viewers on smartphone and desktop to execute retargeting video campaigns.”
Ad spending via SpotX on connected TVs increased 570% between the third quarter of 2015 and the fourth quarter, Klosowski said. At the same time ad prices in terms of cost per thousand viewers (CPM) doubled on average.
In addition to Apple TV, SpotX’s inventory management platform can integrate with Roku, gaming consoles and other connected TV devices.
