Xandr, AT&T’s advertising and analytics unit, said it formed Community, a marketplace that in addition to content from AT&T’s WarnerMedia unit, includes content from Vice, Hearst Magazines, Newsy, Philo, Tubi and Xumo.
At its upfront-week event dubbed the Xandr Front, the company also said its addressable TV products now have reach and frequency capabilities and can access set-top-box video no demand inventory across more than 80 TV networks.
The reach and frequency capabilities can help advertisers reach light TV viewers.
Xandr said its Community marketplace simplifies and improves advertisers’ ability to connect with hard-to-reach audiences across TV, CTV, OTT, mobile and online.
Community also helps publishers achieve better yield on premium multi-platform inventory.
“After only eight short months since the launch of Xandr, Community delivers on our promise of a brand-safe, insight-driven, premium video marketplace,” said Brian Lesser, CEO of Xandr. “Building on one of the largest technology platforms in the industry and integrating Xandr’s unique audience insights from AT&T, we created the foundation of Community. Now, with the incredible inventory from our inaugural Community partners, the marketplace is open.”
Community targets audience using AT&T data, which improves the efficiency of media buying.
Xandr also said that Community is integrated with Xandr’s Cross-Screen Addressable solution, allowing advertisers to combine addressable TV with the scale of digital.
“We're pleased to be working through Community to pair the largest free ad-supported movie and TV audience with unique addressable targeting through AT&T data,” said Mark Rotblat, chief revenue officer, Tubi.
“At Philo, we want to offer the best experience for both our subscribers and advertisers. By partnering with Xandr, we build upon our seamless programmatic solutions that allow advertisers to reach their audiences via the Philo platform,” said Reed Barker, Philo’s head of advertising.
Xandr said the improvements to its addressable offerings give media buyers better control over their TV buys during the upfront season.
“Since we launched addressable TV seven years ago, we’ve run thousands of campaigns, and continue to see demand for addressable skyrocket as advertisers demand better results and greater control over their TV buys during this Upfront season,” said Rick Welday, president of Xandr Media.
The new addressable TV offering limits the amount of times a particular household sees a specific brand message. It also helps determine which households are light TV viewers who have not seen a specific advertisement at all, creating the appropriate balance of advertising frequency.
Xandr also released research that found that TV advertising was the most effective way to help viewers discover new shows and influence content choices.
The research found that 56% of viewers learn about new shows from TV ads. It also found that roughly 2 in 3 viewers consume content across both linear and digital platforms. Consumers divide their viewing time between linear and digital based on the platform that is most convenient for their schedule, the research found.
“Despite today’s increasingly complex, expanding media landscape, linear TV advertising remains a core mode of show discovery that can cut through the clutter to drive engagement,” said Jason Brown, SVP and head of advertising sales partnerships at Xandr. “TV advertising remains a critical part of a strong cross-platform campaign strategy and a key component in their marketing mix.”
Xandr conducted the research with Insight Strategy Group, which surveyed 2,000 TV viewers.
