SpotX and smartclip announced the formation of a joint management team as their parent company RTL takes step to take advantage of the combination of the ad-tech firms announced in November.
SpotX co-founder Mike Shehan and Steve Swoboda will serve as CEO and CFO of the combined company, with smartclip founders Jean-Pierre Fumagalli and Roland Schaber reporting to them as general managers for Europe.
The companies will operate under the SpotX brand globally, although the smartclip name will continue to be used in certain market. The combination generates more than 40% of its business outside the U.S.
"In the ‘total video’ industry, scale matters and the combination of SpotX and smartclip will enable us to compete more effectively in the dynamic programmatic video landscape, enhancing the enormous, exciting potential of our best-in-class technology platform, products, and services,” said Shehan. The results speak directly to our companywide commitment to making our clients and partners successful and combining the strengths of two great companies with a common goal. This is a key element in RTL Group’s ‘Total Video’ strategy.”
The new organization will have over 550 employees. In addition to its leading position in the US and Asia Pacific, the combined SpotX spans its global footprint across 18 additional markets in Europe and Latin America with 220 employees in Germany, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Nordics, Ireland, and Italy with additional license partners in Spain as well as in Latin America.
“Especially in Europe data-driven technical solutions and cross-device monetization are key. It is exciting to see that the combined company provides local talents and excellent expertise on the ground as well local product offers throughout Europe like no other market player,” said Fumagalli
RTL Group will roll out the new joint SpotX platform for its own broadcasting businesses in Europe, starting with the leading German commercial broadcaster, Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland in March 2018, the company said.
The shift from multiple external service providers to one unified solution results in a fully integrated, holistic, data-driven ad tech stack. The stack includes a combined ad serving and programmatic platform covering the full range of ‘total video’ advertising across all screens, including TV screens through OTT/connected TV as well as addressable TV.
RTL expects SpotX and smartclip to complete their combination during 2018.
