Massive CTV potential in India due to the sheer size of population: Marc Lauriac

In a dynamic landscape where streaming is reshaping television consumption, FreeWheel, a Comcast company renowned for its technological prowess in the television ad industry, has recently forged a strategic partnership with CereOne, a digital media company. This alliance aims to expedite FreeWheel’s footprint in the burgeoning Indian market. Marc Lauriac, Executive Director of Business Development & Strategic Initiatives at FreeWheel International, sheds light on the global trends in Connected TV (CTV) growth and the immense potential India holds in this domain.

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Please share global trends in CTV growth and the potential that you see in India?

CTV continues to grow in the US and Europe. The rapid growth of FAST channels in the US has really propelled CTV viewing, which now represents almost 80% of ad views.

In Europe, while CTV only represents 28% of ad views currently, we’ve seen a very strong growth last year which we expect will continue in the months ahead (this is based on our VMR data).

Streaming is transforming the TV landscape. The major transformation we’ve seen is around the growth of HVOD; that is, the hybridation of the market, with the shift from SVOD offerings to ad-supported options or even some AVOD/ BVOD moving into some payable ad-tier as well.

We’ve seen some interesting developments in France for instance, with the launch of TF1+. It was important for TF1 to have a strong presence directly on the Smart TV home page. It will also allow for data gathering and greater targeting.

In the UK, we’ve seen a recent interesting development with the launch of ‘Freely’, a CTV app that brings together Channel 4, ITV, Channel 5 and BBC.

This is a fascinating development, showing the importance (as mentioned above with TF1+) of being present and facilitating access to content directly from the TV set.

While CTV will remain for some time primarily limited to the metropolitan areas, the potential of the Indian market is massive due to the sheer size of its population. What can be seen is that the market is currently quite fragmented which brings along challenges for buyers to access these audiences.

In what ways does this partnership correspond with the strategic growth visions of FreeWheel in the Indian market?

As the main technical platform to enable the evolution of the TV ecosystem in the US and Europe, FreeWheel works with its customers at increasing the quality and value of advanced TV, CTV, FAST and other forms of video consumption for the benefit of both viewers and advertisers. Our customers use our solutions for all economical models where advertising has a role to play, which is key to allow for the transition from an industry largely based on linear TV advertising towards a future where digital advertising. Our ambition is to build the same bright future for the Indian TV ecosystem by making our expertise and technology available to companies active on this market. With CereOne, we found a partner with an undisputed reputation on the Indian market to help us bring value and scale to CTV and video advertising.

What are the distinct advantages that this partnership offers to advertisers and brands operating in India?

The partnership between CereOne and FreeWheel will offer buyers the possibility to access quality CTV and video supply out of one unified pool of inventory. CereOne and FreeWheel will package premium video supply currently scattered across many publishers within curated media packages available to buyers out of one single source.

What specific technological innovations or advancements does FreeWheel’s digital full stack introduce to CereOne’s advertising solutions?

With FreeWheel’s technology and expertise in CTV and video advertising, CereOne will be able to curate and package quality video supply across many publishers into specific audience verticals relevant for advertisers.