• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, January 23, 2008

Responding to the increasingly complex world of video distribution, a start-up called Freewheel is launching its own brand of monetization rights management technology.

Founded by three DoubleClick alums and digital media veterans, the company offers content owners, carriers, and distributors end-to-end video ad management technology, which attempts to simplify the task of managing video ad sales, ad serving, and ad sales rights across widely syndicated distribution channels.

"Our job is to help clients solve today's billion-dollar questions: 'Who sells the ads on videos, no matter where they're played,' and 'who gets paid how much," explained Freewheel co-CEO Doug Knopper, formerly CEO of the now-defunct micro-payments provider BitPass, and senior vice president and general manager at DoubleClick.

Already on board is Web TV company Joost, along with digital studio NextNewNetworks, and Jumpstart Automotive Media, which is owned by Hachette Filipacchi.

"Joost works with multiple content providers and distributors, which creates operational challenges and complex advertising relationships," said David Clark, Joost's executive vice president and general manager.

"Our MRM solution enables maximum revenue for all of the partners across a widely syndicated advertising ecosystem," added Knopper, who is leading the company with co-CEO Jon Heller, who previously served as vice president and general manager at both Yahoo and DoubleClick.

Freewheel's MRM is also a single platform for clients to manage advertising across all their syndication relationships.

"Building a large audience in an online video world requires super syndication, which in turn changes the game for online advertising management," Heller said. "With FreeWheel's MRM technology in place, content owners can freely syndicate their content, while still keeping control over their advertising relationships, inventory management, and financial rev share accounting."