ProSiebenSat.1 and RTL create JV for programmable addressable advertising

ProSiebenSat.1 and RTL Deutschland are teaming up to drive the development of addressable TV and online video advertising in Germany.

The pair are to establish a 50:50 joint venture to deliver a platform for programmable buying of addressable TV and online video ads.

The pair said that their joint demand side platform’s offer answers the needs of the advertising industry as it will provide broad reach in the German market – in a brand safe environment.

ProSiebenSat.1 and RTL said that their alliance woulkd also strengthen their technology independence from global tech platforms.

The broadcasters said that advertisers would be able to target relevant audiences in the area of addressable TV and online video across the complete portfolio of ProSiebenSat.1 and Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, directly and individually, with just a few clicks. The portfolio includes the digital offerings of both media houses as well as third parties.

ProSiebenSat.1 and RTL estimate that currently, around 18 million TV devices in German speaking territories are reachable by addressable TV providing the opportunity for individualized advertising.

The JV will tap the Active Agent platform, which is part of the Virtual Minds, the ad stack of ProSiebenSat.1 Group, to enable advertisers and agencies to programmatically book digital campaigns.

The partners will provide their respective inventories from a single source and with an offer that is independent of whether viewers and users are reached via TV or online.

The JV is subject to approval by the German competition watchdog, the Bundeskartellamt.

“Strong partnerships are crucial for success in the world of digital advertising. After having expanded Ad Alliance this joint venture completes our ad tech stack on the demand side and is therefore a logical next step. Our core strength is our own content and we now work in a world where TV stands for Total Video. The fact that we can now make these high-quality and 100% brand-safe environments bookable via a uniform technology offers the market a strong solution and a real alternative to international tech platforms,” said Matthias Dang, managing director of ad alliance and managing director of sales, technology and data at Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland.

“This joint venture is a milestone in the German advertising industry. We are creating a new standard for addressable TV and opening the way for intelligent and addressable reach. At the same time, we are simplifying the booking of combined addressable TV and video campaigns. Our advertisers have clearly signalled their need for approach. The joint venture will create a win-win situation: We offer advertisers a one-stop shop which will boost addressable TV. It also demonstrates the importance of our investments into relevant advertising technologies. This provides us with the technological basis for our joint venture with Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland,” said Thomas Wagner, chairman of the management board of SevenOne Media.

ProSiebenSat.1 is separately part of the European Media Alliance, an international grouping of broadcasters with a focus on developing at-scale advanced advertising businesses. Mediaset, one of its partners within the alliance, recently acquired a 9.6% stake in the German broadcaster.

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