• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, September 15, 2020

Verizon Media has launched a header bidding-like solution for premium video publishers that delivers long-form on-demand or live streaming content through connected TV or mobile apps. 

OTT Smart Auction is a server-to-server container integration that enables OTT programmatic demand to compete with reserved demand in a real-time, unified auction in a publisher’s ad server and avoid the inefficiencies of ad-serving waterfalls, according to the company.    

The solution passes ID information directly to the Verizon Media demand-side platform, allowing VM advertisers to find their audiences on inventory monetized through VM's supply side platform more efficiently. 

Other benefits being promoted: 

The solution is optimized for delivering ads on long-form content, with support for advanced ad podding, including competitive separation, ad deduplication and frequency capping. That allows publishers to sequence ad delivery to optimize revenue and reduce consumer frustration, and gives advertisers better access and opportunities to target premium supply, says Verizon Media. 

Enabling programmatic demand to compete with reserved bids within the publisher’s ad server helps publishers fill each ad opportunity with the highest bid, regardless of the demand source. Publishers also get improved transparency into bidding data and auction activity. 

OTT Smart Auction was built using Prebid Server. Prebid is an open source codebase that supports demand-agnostic auctions, and offers a large demand ecosystem to help ensure that all advertisers can bid on supply with minimal incremental development. 

OTT Smart Auction is also the first solution to be integrated with Verizon Media Platform’s Smartplay Prebid, a server-side integration that exposes inventory directly to Smart Auction and uses Smartplay’s server-side ad insertion (SSAI) capability to provide a seamless transition between content and ads on any device or platform.