Programmatic TV ‘Not a Race to the Bottom’ #AdvancedAd

New York — While the idea of using automated programmatic-style technologies and processes to sell and buy TV advertising has drawn perceptions that it’s solely about squeezing more value out of underperforming inventory, it should instead be viewed as a way to drive premium value across a broader scope.  

That was the prevailing view of ad execs here at the Advanced Advertising: Profiting from a Targeted Audience event hosted Wednesday by Broadcasting & Cable and Multichannel News during a panel focused on programmatic TV moderated by B&C business editor Jon Lafayette.   

Programmatic TV “is not a race to the bottom,” Zachary Chapman, ESPN’s VP of digital and publishing sales, said.  

ESPN has been using an automated approach to sell separate inventory – isolated, 30-second spots that appear on-set during SportsCenter, the network’s flagship show. ESPN will only sell that inventory if the bids it receives come in at the right value.

To read the full story, visit Multichannel.com