Beachfront And SeaChange Launch Linear TV Programmatic Ad Solution For Cable Operators

Beachfront, the convergent TV advertising platform, and SeaChange International, a provider of video delivery platforms, have partnered to enable real-time, programmatic monetization of linear spot, over-the-top (OTT) and video-on-demand (VOD) ad inventory.

The joint solution is already deployed in the U.S. — including with a global operator and regional cable company — and enables Beachfront’s demand partners to automate cable TV ad buying through SeaChange’s value-based Framework video delivery platform.

SeaChange recently signed agreements with Tier 1 TV providers with an estimated ad inventory of hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Effective immediately, agencies, brands and demand-side platforms (DSPs) who utilize Beachfront can automate their ad buying across the entire video ecosystem, including linear TV as provided by the SeaChange Framework. These advertisers can activate this premium linear TV ad inventory — along with VOD, connected TV (CTV), mobile and desktop inventory — much faster than traditional direct buys through the use of real-time bidding (RTB).

“Linear TV inventory has long been excluded from programmatic marketplaces due to technical limitations and infrastructural challenges,” said SeaChange CEO Yossi Aloni. “In partnership with Beachfront, we’ve completed the difficult work of connecting modern, digital-oriented ad buyers to linear TV inventory. This is a major milestone for the media and advertising industry, which we expect will serve as major catalyst for improving the CPMs for our cable operator and media owner partners.”

The companies said this partnership “builds on Beachfront’s work developing solutions for multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) that address technical challenges surrounding set-top boxes — and solve major infrastructural problems inhibiting monetization of traditional TV viewing environments.

“In 2019, Beachfront launched the first-ever set-top box VOD programmatic ad solution, allowing MVPDs and media owners to expose VOD inventory to modern programmatic ad buyers and increase the average cost per thousands (CPMs) in the process. Now, Beachfront is bringing that same programmatic VOD solution to linear TV, effectively enabling demand partners to automate their ad buying across the entire video ecosystem.”

Beachfront CEO Chris Maccaro said: “When you look ahead at the next decade of TV consumption, there will surely be a continued proliferation of cord cutting and Internet-based TV streaming, as well as a continued base of consumers who will get their content via a traditional cable box. For these reasons, we don’t over emphasize any one consumer viewing endpoint. Rather we prioritize all premium TV viewing platforms — from smart TVs to cable set-top boxes — and we’re excited to continue bringing uniformity and simplicity to the convergent TV ad marketplace, while empowering agencies and brands to automate their media buying across the video ecosystem.”

Three SeaChange customers have made their inventory available for the solution: Westcoast (via WeVu),  KitchenTV (a large content operator from central/western Europe, developing a big DTC AVOD service) and MultiMedius (out of LATAM, growing into the U.S.).