ITV is ramping up its assault on the data-driven TV market with the launch of a new digital addressable TV platform, dubbed Planet V, which has been created with adtech business Amobee following a deal signed earlier this year.
The programmatic ad platform will go live at the start of 2020 and aims to tap into the huge growth in the discipline. According to Mindshare, addressable TV is forecast to boost its UK market share from 1% to about 30% of total TV adspend by 2022, making it worth over £1.35bn.
ITV insists Planet V will give advertisers and agencies more control over their campaign reach across ITV Hub video-on-demand, combining their own targeting data with ITV’s first-party data to buy online ads on a joined-up, “end-to-end” basis.
ITV Hub, which is available on 28 platforms and apps, currently has about 30 million registered users following an influx of new viewers sparked by the success of Love Island and the recent Rugby World Cup, which attracted 26 million simulcast requests during the tournament.
Back in April, when the Amobee deal was first unveiled, ITV said its new scheme would also be linked with other data and technology, including Barb audience data and the CARIA ad campaign management platform.
It is claimed the scheme will also give brands and agencies “total control”, allowing them to choose audiences and book ads programmatically on an automated basis with a “simple-to-use” dashboard.
ITV is now inviting other broadcasters to join Planet V. However, Sky’s AdSmart system, which was launched in 2014, has already signed up Channel 4, giving brand owners access to data-driven personalised ads across its linear TV channels to Sky and Virgin Media households for the first time.
As well as C4’s own channels, such as All4, More4, E4, Film4 and 4seven, the deal features broadcasters covered by its sales house, 4Sales, including UKTV and BT Sport.
Meanwhile, Sky is also reportedly in early talks with the BBC to enable the corporation to use its AdSmart-powered PromoSmart tool to personalise programming trailers based on viewer preferences.
Planet V will be available to agencies in the coming weeks but will not launch on the network behind Vera (pictured), The Chase, X-Factor and I’m a Celebrity until February.
ITV managing director of commercial Kelly Williams said: “Planet V is a significant step forward for us, meeting the widening demands of advertisers and bringing ITV’s unparalleled combination of mass simultaneous reach and targeted advertising.
“It will be a continually evolving platform, providing the very best frictionless, data-driven buy, in a premium, brand safe environment, for our clients.”
The move has already been backed by the Dentsu Aegis Network, whose managing director of commercial and trading Steve Ballinger welcomed ITV’s “leadership position”.
He added: “Planet V is exactly what the industry needs. ITV is investing in technology to enhance and evolve how we buy programmatic, data targeted VoD in premium inventory and that can only be a good thing for clients.”
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