AMC Networks, Weather Channel Join OpenAP


AMC Networks and The Weather Channel are the latest companies to make their television inventories available through OpenAP Market, which was opened up to all advertisers as of last October.

Existing members of OpenAP include Fox, NBCUniversal, ViacomCBS and Univision. With the new network additions, it now also encompasses 26 cable channels and video properties.

OpenAP is one of the solutions designed to offer advertisers audience-based, cross-platform reach at scale, using common TV audience targets. A major goal is better positioning television to compete against the digital platforms for advertising.

It became the largest such advanced advertising platform as of this past December, when CBS added its inventory after its merger with Viacom, which was a founding member of OpenAP.

Reflecting its emphasis on enabling ad buyers maximum flexibility in their cross-platform media strategies, AMC Networks is also a participant in AT&T's Xandr, OpenAP's direct competitor. AMC joined Xandr, along with Disney and WarnerMedia, in April.

Xandr has been undergoing changes as part of AT&T and WarnerMedia restructurings, starting in March with the resignation of the unit's then-CEO, Brian Lesser. Last month, AT&T announced the merger of Xandr into the WarnerMedia entertainment division. The unit’s leader, Chief Business Officer Kirk McDonald, now reports to Gerhard Zeiler, WarnerMedia’s chief revenue officer and international president, who oversees all advertising across AT&T.

This week, days after the launch of HBO Max, new WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar brought in longtime business partner Richard Tom as his chief technology officer.

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