SpotX to monetise the STV Player

Leading commercial broadcaster in Scotland extends programmatic infrastructure

LONDON, 12th July, 2017 - 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 areas. 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.

About STV

STV is Scotland's leading digital media brand, providing consumers with quality content on air, online and on demand.

STV's broadcast channel reaches 3.5 million viewers each month with first class programming including soaps Emmerdale and Coronation Street, big drama productions, entertainment hits The X Factor and Britain's Got Talent, strong home-grown productions and the most comprehensive local news service in the UK.

In April, STV launched a new channel for Scotland, STV2. The channel broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week on Freeview channel 8, Sky channel 117 and Virgin channel 159 and is streamed online and available for catch-up via the STV Player. STV2 features an exciting and distinct schedule including an enhanced hourly news service, weekday magazine show Live at Five, popular Irish soap Fair City, local sport, the best of UK and international drama as well as classic movies.

STV's digital business incorporates Scotland's most popular commercial media website, stv.tv, and includes an enhanced digital news app serving consumers local, national and international news as well as features, sport and weather in one place. The STV Player offers consumers within STV's licence areas in Scotland the opportunity to enjoy programmes live or on catch-up.

STV content is available across platforms including iOS, Android, Windows 8, YouView and Samsung Smart TV.

About SpotX

SpotX is a video ad serving platform providing media owners with monetisation tools for desktop, mobile and connected devices. The platform features modern ad serving and programmatic infrastructure, and other monetisation tools, like solutions for OTT and outstream video ad units. SpotX gives publishers the control, transparency and actionable insights needed to understand buyer behaviour, manage access and pricing, and maximise revenue. The company is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and has offices in New York, San Francisco, London, Sydney, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Hamburg, Belfast, and Singapore. In July 2014, RTL Group, a leader across broadcast, content and digital, acquired a 65% stake in SpotX. For updates, follow SpotX on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Yospace

Yospace is the foremost provider of Dynamic Ad Insertion technology in the world today. Its server-side solution allows live streams and on demand content to be monetised in a way that is true to the user experience of broadcast television, while allowing advertising to be curated to the interests of the individual viewer.

Yospace services major broadcasters and network operators across the globe, including DIRECTV in the US; Sky Media, ITV, BT Sport, Channel 4 and STV in the UK; BFMTV in France; Canal 13 in Chile; TV4 in Sweden; Seven West Media, Seve West Media, The Nine Network and Network Ten in Australia.

www.yospace.com

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