• by Wayne Friedman , May 1, 2020

Connected TV platforms typically can’t guarantee placement and price of a particular TV spot in a TV commercial break -- in contrast to what is done on traditional TV networks/platforms.

Beachfront, a supply-side publishing ad tech platform focused on connected/over-the-top TV, says it want to change this with a bidding platform for those TV pods -- called Pod Bidding, a technology based on Prebid, the big header bidding platform for the internet sellers.

It will allow publishers to auction off all ads in a commercial break -- pricing each spot separately -- in a single auction. On average there are around four to six spots in a two-minute CTV advertising pod.

“We believe pod bidding is the next evolution of CTV advertising,” says Beachfront President and founder Frank Sinton, who adds that the bidding platform will help with rapidly growing CTV inventory. Due to higher viewership, this is leaving lots of inventory going unsold.

Currently, Pod Bidding is in beta testing with media companies and publishers, including one major broadcast network, and is running transactions under this system. Beachfront would not disclose deal specifics.

For a long time, many big brand TV advertisers have been getting guaranteed pod positions on legacy TV networks.  

For example, they might seek “A” position in a pod -- the first spot coming out of TV program content -- among three or four commercials in a two to three minute pod.  That “A” position (as well as the last spot in a pod) typically has the most value, according to research, and as a result a higher media cost.

Beachfront says Pod Bidding will help premium video publishers construct auction ad pods across more than 100 demand side platforms.  Connected TV advertising is expected to surpass $10 billion per year by 2021, according to eMarketer.