SpotX to monetise the STV Player

Wednesday, July 12th, 2017
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Leading commercial broadcaster in Scotland extends programmatic infrastructure

LONDON — SpotX, the video ad serving platform, has been chosen by STV to help manage programmatic video monetisation for the STV Player. Now, advertisers and their agencies can target Scotland-based viewers of programmes such as The Loch, X Factor, The Voice Kids, and live events such as the recent Scotland v England World Cup football using programmatic techniques, including private marketplaces as well as Curated Marketplaces and leveraging data to target specific audiences.

The STV Player allows viewers to watch their favourite TV programmes live and on catch-up free of charge within STV’s licence areases. This includes premium network content, geo-blocked to Scotland, as alongside STV’s popular news and current affairs programming such as STV News at Six and Scotland Tonight. The broadcaster was the first in the UK to introduce dynamic ad insertion (DAI) to live channels in 2014, with SpotX partner, Yospace. Since then it has developed a cutting-edge data strategy, allowing this inventory to now also be monetised programmatically.

Leon Siotis, Managing Director, UK and Southern Europe at SpotX, explains, “STV is the leading digital media company in Scotland offering quality long-form content streamed online, on mobile and via Connected TV. The broadcaster has seen phenomenal growth in usage of the STV Player. Now it is moving forward with enabling agencies and advertisers to access this high quality, brand safe inventory programmatically.”

Siotis continues, “The move reflects STV’s agile and innovative approach, having been the first broadcaster in the UK to use digital ad insertion from Yospace across live simulcast programmes. This inventory will now be available programmatically on the SpotX platform.”

Paul Gidley, London Business Director of STV Commercial adds, “This decision to appoint SpotX reflects our investment in premium programming and news for Scotland. SpotX offers a leading technology platform enabling control, insight and transparency to help us manage our inventory holistically and benefit from increased demand for quality advertising inventory. We are looking forward to working with SpotX’s Demand Facilitation team in approaching pan-EMEA advertising agencies and participating in local marketing in order to grow the market together.”

The STV Player is available on 15 platforms, including iPhones and iPads, Android tablets and smartphones, Windows 8, Windows Phone, Samsung Smart TVs, YouView set-top boxes, Xbox 360 consoles, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire tablets, Freeview Play devices, Roku, NOW TV and via player.stv.tv.