Yospace and Seven extend partnership for server-side ad insertion into live OTT

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Successful monetisation of major events portfolio and scalable programmatic result in deal renewal with Australian TV network

Staines-upon-Thames, UK – 30th May 2019 – Yospace, the pioneering provider of server-side ad insertion (SSAI) technology, has today announced the extension of its partnership with Seven, Australia’s leading commercial TV network, enabling SSAI into live OTT channels.

The announcement marks the third year of apartnershipinwhich Yospace’s SSAI technology has been leveraged to create new, addressable ad spots during some of Seven’s largestlive events, including the Winter Olympics, Rugby League World Cup, Commonwealth Games and Melbourne Cup, an event that pulls the highest concurrent streaming audiences in Australia.

Yospace’s SSAI platform, used by leading broadcasters across the globe, solves the technical complexities of delivering addressable advertising for streamed television while maintaining a TV-quality viewer experience, This has enabled Seven to generate new revenue streams across the breadth of its enviable live sports portfolio and 24×7 Broadcast simulcast streams.

The platform successfully addresses a critical challenge in monetising live streams at scale, that of managing the load on ad servers and programmatic platforms when they are hit by a sudden surge in simultaneous ad requests, as happens with major live events.  Yospace’s “prefetch” system enables it to call ad servers and the wider programmatic ecosystem in advance, affording them the time needed to handle the spike in ad requests and deliver the highest possible fill-rate for the broadcaster.

“We’ve worked with Seven to pioneer new approaches to monetising its premium live content,” said Tim Sewell, Yospace. “Broadcasters, advertisers, and audiences are demanding more from OTT in terms of viewer experience, addressability and scale – and the extension of our partnership is testimony to our ability to deliver that. We’ll continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible with server-side ad insertion and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership with Seven for the long term.”

“Our viewers expect an engaging, high-quality viewing experience – whether they’re watching Broadcast or Internet streaming content – especially during high-profile live events,” said Darren Kerry, Director Digital Product and Technology, Seven. “Yospace has helped us elevate the OTT viewing experience while opening up whole new bodies of inventory at scale. Yospace will continue to be an important partner as we continue to maximise the value of that inventory through programmatic.”

 

Yospace and Seven extend their partnership to a long-term agreement for Dynamic Ad Insertion into live OTT channels to accelerate Addressable TV at Scale

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Sydney, Australia, Staines-upon-Thames, UK – 7th February 2018

Yospace and Seven extend their innovative partnership into a long-term agreement for enabling Dynamic Ad Insertion into live OTT channels at scale.

Yospace’s platform, the world’s foremost server-side DAI technology, allows Seven, the leading commercial broadcaster in Australia, to open up online ad breaks in live OTT streams in a way that is as seamless to the viewer as on broadcast television, with true one-to-one addressability at scale.

The system was used by Seven for the 2017 Australian Open (part of the Summer of 7Tennis season), during which ad breaks were editorially triggered.  There has since been a full integration between Yospace’s platform and the Imagine D Series automation system that drives the broadcaster’s linear TV channels, meaning that DAI can be applied 24/7.

This latest iteration of DAI was launched last year for the Rugby League World Cup in October, for which online streaming and resulting advertising opportunities were much higher than expected.  In further evidence of the proliferation of live streaming audiences, total minutes viewed during this year’s Australian Open, for which DAI was applied across sixteen simultaneous online channels, were double Seven’s expectations.

According to OzTAM, Australia’s official source of television audience measurement, 7Tennis occupied all top ten Video Player Measurement positions during the tournament.  Similar ratings are expected as Seven looks ahead to major sporting events that includes this month’s Winter Olympic Games and the Commonwealth Games, which are to be held on Australia’s Gold Coast in April.

Clive Dickens, Chief Digital Officer at Seven West Media, said: “We’re seeing emotionally-invested viewers with a high propensity to stream.  Average user sessions on web during the Australian Open were over 30mins.”

The automation integration also allows Yospace to automatically create VOD assets, making them available to Seven’s viewers for catch-up within minutes of a live programme’s end.  Ad markers in the VOD assets are retained from the live stream, allowing new advertising to be delivered whenever the catch-up content is viewed.

David Springall, Chief Technical Officer and Founder at Yospace, said: “Working together with Seven on major events such as the Australian Open and Rugby League World Cup has allowed us to set new standards for addressable advertising over OTT.  We’re delighted to be extending our partnership and enabling dynamic ad insertion across their channels 24/7.”

Yospace and Seven are presenting together at the Future TV Advertising Forum in Sydney on 22nd February.  Find out more here.