Yahoo expands ID tools into CTV

Stream TV Insider

As digital marketers look to spend on connected TV, Yahoo has expanded its digital identity products to the CTV advertising channel to help them continue to omnichannel target in an identity-constrained ecosystem.

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The aim to make it easier for digital marketers to incorporate CTV within their digital media plans. NBCUniversal, Paramount and Fox-owned Tubi are already on board as streamers that will pair CTV inventory with Yahoo's cookie-less ID. Comcast’s FreeWheel, meanwhile, is serving as an ad server and supply-side platform.

“As CTV investments increase, identity signals are declining, impacting targeting and performance across channels, including CTV,” Elizabeth Herbst-Brady, Chief Revenue Officer at Yahoo said in a release. “Yahoo is committed to helping advertisers evolve with the landscape, safeguarding addressability and measurement for our partners while supporting consumer privacy.”

Herbst-Brady told AdExchanger that parity between CTV and digital media for data and targeting is a top ask from Yahoo customers.

Yahoo is porting a couple of its existing ID solutions over to CTV. ConnectID is first-party cookie-less ID product for addressable environments based on data from 205 million authenticated users in the U.S. Advertisers can also match ConnectID with data from more than 30 third-party providers including Acxiom, Adobe, Epsilon, LiveRamp and Twilio Segment. The company’s Next-Gen Solution leverages ConnectID users as a panel audience to create “inferences” for advertisers to maintain targeting and measurement even when user identity is not available.

Bringing more first- and third-party data into the fold should lead to higher match rates for advertisers, Herbst-Brady told AdExchanger, resulting in better return on ad spend. It also enables campaign performance comparisons of CTV with digital channels, such as display and online video, AdExchanger noted.

NBCU’s Ryan McConville, EVP of Ad Platforms & Operations, in the announcement said the company is committed to make television “a full funnel performance vehicle for advertisers of every size.”

“That is why we are so excited for this integration with Yahoo ConnectID,” McConville added. “By bringing together our first party data assets with the latest programmatic technology, we are ensuring that our advertising partners can maintain the gold standard in automated addressability even as the cookie is deprecated this year and beyond, all while supporting consumer privacy.

Jon Mansell, VP, U.S. Head of Demand at FreeWheel highlighted combating factors like signal loss.

“These advancements provide marketers with essential tools and insights to enhance viewer experiences and meet the rising expectations that come with addressable programmatic technology,” he said.

Leo O’Connor, SVP of Advertising at Paramount said, “The enrichment of our premium inventory with Yahoo ConnectID will allow our clients to optimize their campaigns with precision targeting and accurate performance insights.”

CTV campaigns are achieving engagement rates 4.6x higher than mobile video and 10.3x higher than desktop video, according to a  CTV Advertising Insights Report  released by Innovid.