Advertisers and consumers both love a good binge watch during the holidays, and Discovery Inc. and SpotX have teamed up to better manage their inventory just before winter break. Discovery will run automated programmatic guaranteed campaigns through SpotX, the SSP said Tuesday.
This development complements Discovery’s direct sales efforts and private marketplace offerings, said Bill Murray, VP of programmatic revenue and ad products at Discovery Inc. Advertisers will have access to inventory from Discovery’s entire TV Everywhere portfolio, including Animal Planet, HGTV and The Food Network. Discovery currently has 17 TV Everywhere apps.
“This is a strategy that we expect to carry through in perpetuity,” Murray told AdExchanger. “I’m sure that it will evolve as buyers become more informed and as the marketplace matures a little bit.”
This marks the first time Discovery is selling its CTV inventory in a programmatic guaranteed fashion since it acquired Scripps Network Interactive back in March. Discovery will sell a guaranteed number of impressions on a CPM basis, in exchange for a financial commitment up front, and SpotX will provide the technical infrastructure, by vetting impressions as they become available to see if they meet the requirements for one of the already agreed upon deals between Discovery and advertisers.
Discovery and SpotX have worked together since late 2017. SpotX has previously helped Discovery monetize its TV Everywhere inventory programmatically across apps, OTT and desktop, said Ryan Kenney, VP of platform services at SpotX.
SpotX and Discovery decided to launch their latest effort just before the holidays since it’s the busiest time of year for TV consumption. SpotX is the only SSP with access to the full range of Discovery’s CTV inventory.
“This is a way for Discovery to provide [a better experience] to whatever brands they’re working with,” Kenney told AdExchanger. “Whether they’re CPG, automotive or something else, they want to get their message out to the right audience. This better guarantees that for advertisers because the inventory is premium.”
’Tis the season for TV consumption!
