Integral Ad Science Buys CTV Ad Platform for $220m

Digital ad verification firm Integral Ad Science (IAS) has announced the acquisition of CTV advertising platform Publica, in a 75% cash and 25% stock transaction valued at $220m.

Publica helps target ads for streaming audiences on TV screens, connects supply-side platforms (SSPs) to unique CTV inventory, and helps publishers up their income. IAS, which in June filed a registration statement with the U.S. SEC, for a proposed IPO of its common stock, says the buy accelerates its strategy to help publishers monetize their video programming across CTV devices, while building new tools to give advertisers more transparency into the quality of this inventory.

Specifically, the deal brings to IAS Publica's unified auction, over-the-top (OTT) header bidding for programmatic buying, audience management, campaign management, server-side ad insertion (SSAI), ad pod automation and advanced analytics. Once added to the new owner's existing CTV offering - including its pioneering CTV verification solution for global invalid traffic (IVT) and viewability - IAS says it plans to introduce a comprehensive brand safety and suitability solution for CTV advertisers and publishers in the coming months. The Publica brand will become part of IAS' product portfolio.

IAS CEO Lisa Utzschneider comments: 'CTV viewership and programmatic advertising have skyrocketed, and by acquiring Publica we're accelerating our growth to offer publishers the tools to capitalise on this opportunity... Now video publishers can increase their revenue, and in the future we will help advertisers with a trusted way to measure the results of their growing CTV budgets... I welcome Ben and the Publica team as we innovate together to increase CTV advertising quality and impact'.

Ben Antier, Publica's co-founder & CEO, says the firms have 'a joint vision to transform CTV advertising with a data-driven approach that benefits the entire industry, while delivering an exceptional user experience'.

Founded in 2009 and headquartered in New York, IAS is online at www.integralads.com while Palo Alto-based Publica has its home page at www.getpublica.com .