SAN JOSE, Calif.—Roku and Comcast’s FreeWheel ad tech platform have expanded their programmatic ad partnership to make Roku content, including The Roku Channel, available to FreeWheel demand-side advertising partners through the Roku Exchange.
For the first time under the partnership, a new, standard protocol and integration between Roku and FreeWheel will enable real-time bidding among programmatic platforms, providing advertisers with easier access to inventory on Roku’s app ecosystem and The Roku Channel.
This integration expands the existing partnership between Roku and FreeWheel, which has been focused on interoperability, data collaboration and signals. It will help reduce the fragmentation of the CTV marketplace and provide advertisers with better reach and performance.
“If we want to ensure that ad-supported streaming is a premium experience, the need for interoperability across the fragmented TV landscape is imperative,” said Adam Royle, director, ads business development and strategic partnerships at Roku. “This is why we are thrilled to give more advertisers access to our amazing content in a direct and transparent way with FreeWheel.”
“Having Roku inventory available alongside our other premium publishers is a major victory for not just FreeWheel clients but consumers as well,” added Mark McKee, general manager, FreeWheel. “Roku understands that providing viewers with the best experience and brands with a premium destination for their ads is only possible through a transparent TV landscape.”
