FreeWheel, Comcast’s ad-tech company, said it would be integrating Samba TV automatic content recognition viewer data into FreeWheel’s Audience Manager, enabling the creation of targeted campaign across linear, streaming and on-demand programming.
FreeWheel clients will be able to create custom targeting segments based on TV consumption behaviors, content exposure, and demographics in as little as 24 hours, the companies said.
The speed will limit signal loss and enable advertisers to quickly retarged viewers exposed to a competitor's ads or who have watched a big event, such as a presidential debate.
“At FreeWheel, we are focused on connecting all parts of the TV advertising industry to make it work better,” said FreeWheel U.S. Chief Revenue Officer Katy Loria. “By partnering with Samba TV to add audience segments based on first-party ACR data for the first time into our Audience Manager platform, we are helping media buyers reach audiences that matter. With elections less than a month away, this new offering is a valuable asset for our clients who are looking to accurately re-target viewers in a privacy-centric way as early as the next day, such as after a debate or breaking news.”
FreeWheel clients are now able to activate audiences that use Samba TV data from 38 million U.S. TVs, including more than 1,000 prebuilt Samba TV audience segments.
"Our partnership with FreeWheel allows advertisers the ability to combine high-quality, biddable media with real-time targeting precision across TV, streaming and digital platforms to connect with audiences who are consuming media in new and diverse ways," said Samba TV Co-founder and CEO Ashwin Navin. “This is a crucial strategy to reach the entire electorate efficiently in one of the most pivotal elections in history.
Samba TV’s data comes from smart TV made by 10 manufacturers in the U.S. and 24 globally.
“Direct Persuasion takes an audience-first, not publisher-first approach, to all of our voter contact efforts,” said Daria Grastara, CEO of Direct Persuasion, a digital agency focused on Republican politics. “Samba has always been our preferred partner to find audiences accurately, scale reach quickly, and utilize real-time behaviors of linear and streaming consumption as well as advertising exposure. Samba's new integration with FreeWheel now ensures we can pair Samba's audience-first approach with FreeWheel's publisher quality, scale, and diversity.”
“The team at Bully Pulpit International is constantly seeking innovative solutions to deliver precision-targeted messaging to voters at the most impactful moments,” said Ivanka Farrell. Interactive Managing Director, Media, at Bully Pulpit an agency whose clients included the Biden-Harris campaign as well as McDonald’s and Goldman Sachs. “The integration of Samba TV's real-time audience targeting with FreeWheel’s advanced technology empowers us to harness the full potential of ACR data, allowing us to reach voters based on their actual TV viewership in near real-time. This partnership enables us to deliver the right message to the right audience exactly when it matters most, ensuring our campaigns are as effective and timely as possible.”
