Partner content
In October Rakuten Advertising unveiled its CTV portfolio of premium content and brand-safe ad inventory for European broadcasters.
Stuart Keith, senior director, Media Business Development, tells The Media Leader what’s next after the ecosystem’s reach has now expanded by 50% since launch.
The Media Leader: As part of your announcement, you acknowledge that scale is important. Are you planning to expand CTVision’s reach further?
Stuart Keith: Launching with an initial reach of 8.4m households in the UK alone, our content ecosystem has already grown by over 50% in a few months to 13.8m.
Currently collaborating with more than 20 publisher partners — including Virgin Media, CNN, Funke Digital, Filmzie, LoveTV Channels, and WeDoTV — we are continuously expanding our portfolio and welcoming new premium additions on a monthly basis.
We’re excited for the growth of CTVision+, as our publisher collective promises to become a compelling consideration alongside well-established global streaming platforms.
TML: How do you ensure that programmatically bought content remains brand-safe?
SK: There’s no doubt that brand safety remains a significant concern for advertisers; we will soon be releasing some research reflecting the viewpoints of 750 decision-makers in the media industry and it confirms exactly that.
Nearly half of the respondents expressed the importance of pre-screening and approval processes, as well as content verification and whitelisting.
For CTVision+, we are currently in collaboration with third-party verification and brand safety vendors to be able to guarantee verified supplied inventory — both on a pre-bid and post-bid basis. This will ensure an enhanced and secure experience for our advertisers, whilst targeting diverse and captive target audiences.
TML: How does CTVision+ assist advertisers in overcoming challenges related to fragmented devices and platforms in the CTV ecosystem?
SK: Our goal is to deliver significant scale of premium supply, providing buyers the option to pick and choose premium CTV video inventory, whether AVOD or FAST, on an a-la-carte basis.
This approach allows us to provide a transparent and simplified CTV offering on the biggest screens in the house — with the flexibility to target specific channels, genres, devices, and geographies. Buyers will receive a comprehensive list of publishers and bundle IDs, empowering them to navigate the fragmented CTV landscape seamlessly.
TML: Given the evolving viewership patterns in CTV, how does CTVision+ help advertisers reach audiences amidst shifts in viewing behaviours?
SK: Audiences have more choice than ever in how they consume content, though tightening budgets and the growth in ad-supported content is driving down paid and subscription-based viewing.
TV is undoubtedly undergoing a digital shift, and CTV advertising — whether through FAST or AVOD — gives TV advertisers the opportunity to target audiences that are proving difficult to reach elsewhere.
By harnessing our interest-based targeting on our O&O content, and extending this strategic approach to our third-party suppliers, we will be able to help advertisers reach the tailored audiences that matter to them.
Offering access to premium content inventory from multiple publishers through one single gateway, CTVision+ empowers advertisers to reach their target audience, whatever their viewing habits may be.
