Imagine Communications' Ad Server Implemented by TVNZ for Seamless Commercial Delivery
DENVER, DOWN UNDER 🇳🇿 - After a successful trial run in 2024, New Zealand's broadcaster, TVNZ, has welcomed Imagine Communications' top-notch video ad server, SureFire, into its ad management lineup. This dynamic duo now supports TVNZ's three broadcast channels and digital platform, TVNZ+.
Under the spotlight, the SureFire video ad server proved capable of extending linear budgets into the digital realm and boosting ad break replacement rates, according to Imagine Communications and TVNZ.
TVNZ's ultimate ambition was to simplify and expedite its path to "Total TV" monetization by harnessing SureFire's linear control prowess. This nifty solution permits the broadcaster to echo portions of linear promotions onto the digital platform, creating a cohesive viewing experience and unlocking extra digital inventory—all without disrupting existing systems.
Prior to the deployment, TVNZ grappled with underfilled ad breaks on TVNZ+, resulting in lost revenue. To avoid this, when sufficient demand wasn't met within a given break, the entire break wasn't dynamically served, leading to a revenue loss. The trial demonstrated that TVNZ could use SureFire to spread already sold linear ads onto the digital platform, offering advertisers a new premium product, and enhancing inventory utilization and fill rates, Imagine explained.
John Fiddian, TVNZ's pricing and inventory manager, shared his thoughts: "Our audiences watch the same content across multiple platforms. It's crucial that our advertising strategy aligns with this audience fragmentation. By incorporating SureFire into our arsenal, we've been able to create an efficient solution that caters to cross-platform advertisers, effortlessly bridging the gap between traditional broadcasting and streaming services."
SureFire goes a step further by permitting direct sales with combined linear ad buys, and it harmoniously syncs with existing programmatic supply-side platforms. The solution boasts open APIs that effortlessly integrate with existing ad tech stacks—regardless of a TV operator's preferred sales, order management, and traffic solutions. This flexibility empowers broadcasters to sell ads more swiftly and deftly across their entire distribution network, complementing their programmatic capabilities, Imagine stated.
Utilizing the SureFire linear control functionalities, TVNZ can book components of its ad-served inventory as if they were linear, fulfill ad placement commitments across linear and streaming, and mingle linear control spots with tailored, targeted ads in broadcast-quality ad breaks.
Graham Heap, the vice president of product strategy, ad tech, at Imagine Communications, addressed a common misconception within the industry: "The incorporation of a new ad server into your workflow doesn't necessarily chip away at the profits of existing ones. SureFire enables broadcasters to blend direct sales with programmatic automation to eliminate unfilled breaks and achieve optimal CPMs. The trial at TVNZ demonstrated that SureFire didn't compete with programmatic strategies—it expanded the pie for all involved."
By pairing conventional linear monetization with programmatic adaptability, TVNZ has stepped into uncharted territories, pioneering a fresh wave in the digital advertising landscape.
Curious about the latest in Total TV monetization strategies? Imagine Communications will be dishing out the deets at the 2025 NAB Show (April 6-9, Las Vegas Convention Center, Booth W2067). Swing by for a hands-on demo of SureFire, or get more info about Imagine's appearance at this year's event by visiting www.imaginecommunications.com/event/nab-2025. 🎉
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- TVNZ, New Zealand's broadcaster, has incorporated Imagine Communications' video ad server, SureFire, into its ad management lineup, supporting its three broadcast channels and digital platform, TVNZ+.
- The SureFire video ad server has demonstrated the ability to extend linear budgets into the digital realm and boost ad break replacement rates.
- Built on the ATSC standard, SureFire allows TVNZ to echo portions of linear promotions onto the digital platform, creating a cohesive viewing experience and unlocking extra digital inventory.
- By combining linear control prowess with streaming capabilities, SureFire enables broadcasters like TVNZ to ease into the "Total TV" monetization, bridging the gap between traditional broadcasting and streaming services.
- At the NAB Show in 2025, Imagine Communications will showcase the latest in Total TV monetization strategies, including a hands-on demo of the SureFire ad server (April 6-9, Las Vegas Convention Center, Booth W2067).
- With open APIs and seamless integration with existing ad tech stacks, SureFire empowers broadcasters like TVNZ to sell ads more swiftly and deftly across their entire distribution network, complementing their programmatic capabilities and unlocking new opportunities in the digital advertising landscape.
