• by Tobi Elkin  @tobielkin, December 8, 2016

AerServ, a mobile video supply-side platform (SSP), on Thursday said it partnered with Mediaocean, an ad tech software provider, to offer local broadcast buyers a mobile device audience extension that will reach millions of mobile smartphone and tablet users. The partnership will enable AerServ to offer campaigns high quality in-app video inventory as the company seeks to extend an advertiser’s targeted message via mobile devices.

Through the partnership, local broadcast buyers will be able to access high-quality inventory through one source.

AerServ said that viewability for in-app videos running on its platform stands at more than 98%. Its video completion rate stands at more than 80%, which it said is higher than most industry average benchmarks.

The partnership "helps buyers that require access to guaranteed audiences in order to deliver to goal against TV campaigns. If buyers find there is a shortfall in audience for their planned TV buy, they can rely on AerServ to provide guaranteed, brand-safe, auditable audiences using the same TV commercial via the mobile video platform provided by AerServ," Cordie DePascale, Mediaocean's vice president, product management, told Real-Time Daily via email.

In addition, the partnership "will enable broadcast TV buyers using the Mediaocean Spectra platform to make the leap into mobile video, and secure video inventory on AerServ Apps using the same brand messaging and in the same market areas, but they'll be connecting with audiences in an entirely new way via smartphones and tablets," Dan Mauch, EVP of AerServ, told Real-Time Daily via email.

Mauch emphasized that both the Mediaocean and AerServ platforms are trying to help "advertisers find the right audiences, and publishers find great advertisers. Our partnership is an excellent step in the industry's progress toward convergence." He called the "leap" from TV to apps "significant."

“Prime-time viewership has naturally declined due to program content being available on multiple screens.  Traditional TV, by itself, is no longer attracting huge volumes of viewers across a specific broadcast. Mobile apps have increased to the point that they now have the same reach, if not more, as mainstream TV,” Mauch said.

AerServ also anticipates a future tie-in with programmatic TV. With respect to that tie-in, Mediaocean's DePascale noted: "The integration is the first step on the path to automation where TV and video can be bought as a single campaign. Our goal is to evaluate the integration with our agency partners to provide them with automation and easy access to inventory they demand."