VIZIO and Verizon Media Announce Strategic Partnership to Advance Connected TV, Omnichannel Advertising

Leading smart TV manufacturer with viewership data from 18M opted-in TVs and media & tech powerhouse with 200B daily cross-screen signals align to deliver new advertising opportunities

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NEW YORK and IRVINE ― April 29, 2021 ― Verizon Media and VIZIO (NYSE: VZIO), today announced a strategic partnership to deliver new cross-platform and connected TV (CTV) advertising solutions, anchored in unique TV viewership data and premium programmatic inventory access.

Effective immediately, Verizon Media gains demand-side platform (DSP) access to VIZIO’s Inscape viewership data from more than 18M opted-in VIZIO Smart TVs. Verizon Media will be the exclusive DSP to access this data beginning in 2022. The alliance will enable expanded CTV targeting, optimization, and measurement opportunities for Verizon Media’s DSP advertisers, independent of cookies. While VIZIO remains the exclusive seller of its guaranteed inventory and data licensing, the agreement now also makes Verizon Media its preferred supply-side platform (SSP) for programmatic ad monetization. 

“The evolving TV landscape creates unique opportunities and challenges for our customers. To meet and exceed the needs for growth in this area, we continue to strengthen our unified ad stack, which is an end-to-end, integrated ecosystem that delivers sustainable Identity, access to premium inventory and data, and the tools that drive performance and efficiency,” said Iván Markman, Chief Business Officer, Verizon Media. “This partnership with VIZIO illustrates the deep and meaningful integrations we can forge, and reflects our commitment to leading in the CTV space. Together, we’re empowering our advertisers with exclusive data from the industry’s top hardware and software provider, and strengthening our solutions for publishers.”

The deal also strengthens VIZIO’s cross platform ad retargeting product, Household Connect. Through Verizon Media’s unified ad platform, VIZIO can now offer audience extension campaigns to its advertisers that are fueled by Verizon Media’s unique omnichannel marketplace and diverse cross-device Identity Graph, matched with near real-time Inscape ACR data. Verizon Media's consent-based Identity Graph is fueled by 200 billion daily cross-screen signals derived from direct consumer relationships across Verizon Media. Combining Verizon Media’s Identity Graph with Inscape, VIZIO’s leading TV data set, enables advertisers to intelligently optimize ad delivery to consumers in the home and on the go. Using this, advertisers can extend the reach and frequency of their VIZIO CTV campaigns while reinforcing brand messaging in an omnichannel manner.

“VIZIO has built a CTV advertising ecosystem centered around premium partnerships and our direct-to-device offering,” said Mike O’Donnell, Chief Revenue Officer, Platform+ at VIZIO. “Our relationship with Verizon Media will enable us to expand our reach, bridge the gap between TV and mobile, and create more impactful and actionable premium advertising experiences across platforms.”

Together, VIZIO and Verizon Media will have joint transparency into demand from advertisers, the ability to maximize performance, and access unique insights to drive targeting, incremental reach, optimization, and measurement across platforms. This partnership marks the beginning of a long-term collaboration focused on innovation and next-generation capabilities, including initiatives around immersive and co-watching viewing experiences, interactive cross-platform campaigns, new ad formats, commerce, and AVOD content library development.