• by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, February 18, 2015

With its new deal, A+E Networks will use Rovi's Ad Optimizer to power audience-driven selling. Rovi built an analytics platform that lets media owners use larger data sets than they typically would to better understand their audience. They sell the data to their agency and advertiser partners.

The deal provides A+E Networks with a next-generation sales and planning tool, so account executives can sell the network's advertising inventory supported by data sets. Historically advertisers purchased inventory based on a specific demographic, but Rovi helps advertisers find more specific characteristics.

Ad Optimizer can process viewing data from set-top boxes, panel sources such as Nielsen and Rentrak, as well as from multiple third-party consumer data sources.

Horizon Media plans to purchase data-driven inventory from A+E Networks. The agency will offer its clients a new way to utilize data based on audience behavior for television media investments. With Rovi’s Ad Optimizer, Horizon Media will be able to use the same audience-based media planning capabilities from a buyer’s perspective.

According to John Hoctor, Rovi's general manager of analytics, Optimizer provides an optional API for programmatic exchanges to offer more control of available inventory and yield management.

Rovi's analytics platform only works with television, but adding in other media like online video is part of the product roadmap, Hoctor said.