Success in today’s rapidly evolving media environment depends on the ability to seamlessly manage advertising across both linear and digital platforms. For broadcasters and publishers, that means relying on a connected technology stack that unifies sales, planning, execution, and reporting into one efficient workflow. Each system in this stack serves a distinct yet interconnected role, helping to streamline operations, improve accuracy, and maximize revenue potential. The following outlines the key components that make up a modern, converged linear and digital media ad sales and operations tech stack.

From managing client relationships and pricing strategies to executing ads across TV, radio, and digital platforms, these components work together to create a seamless end-to-end workflow for modern media ad sales and operations.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System

A CRM system (e.g. Salesforce) manages relationships and interactions with current and prospective advertisers. It stores client contact details, tracks communications, and manages sales pipelines, from lead generation to deal closure, helping sales teams forecast revenue, manage accounts, and improve advertiser retention.

Planning Systems

A planning system enables sales teams to develop media plans and proposals across linear and digital platforms. It supports functions like audience targeting, campaign scheduling, reach and frequency forecasting, and allocation of inventory to meet advertiser goals while ensuring efficient use of available ad space.

Agency Buying Systems

An agency buying system is used by advertising agencies to plan, buy, and manage media placements on behalf of clients. Agency systems connect with seller systems to send electronic orders, receive confirmations, and reconcile campaign delivery, facilitating efficient transactions between agency buyers and media companies.

Pricing System

A pricing system helps broadcasters and publishers set and manage advertising rates based on demand, inventory availability, audience data, and historical performance. It supports dynamic and data-driven pricing strategies to maximize revenue while maintaining market competitiveness.

Inventory System

An inventory system tracks available ad units across linear and digital channels, ensuring accurate visibility into what’s sold, reserved, or available. It serves as the foundation for yield optimization and campaign planning by preventing overbooking and aligning sales opportunities with actual inventory.

Converged Linear and Digital Campaign Sales and Management System

A converged campaign sales and management system (e.g., WO Fusion) provides a unified platform to sell, plan, and manage cross-platform advertising campaigns. It serves as a central hub, pulling opportunities from CRM and agency buying systems, integrating linear TV, radio, and digital inventory and pricing from their respective systems, and incorporating planning system outputs to generate a proposal that meets the buyer’s specifications. It then converts the approved proposal to an order, pushing completed orders to linear traffic and digital order management systems for execution and converged billing. Sales teams can create holistic, audience-based proposals and manage execution across all channels in one workflow.

Traffic System

A traffic system (e.g., WO Traffic, WO Network, WO Omni) manages the scheduling, placement, and delivery of linear ads (TV or radio). It ensures that booked spots air as contracted, handles makegoods and revisions, and provides reconciliation data for billing. It is the operational backbone of linear ad execution.

Digital Order Management System

A digital order management system (e.g., WO Digital Hub, Digital Orders for WO Traffic/WO Network) automates the workflow for digital ad campaigns, from order intake and creative trafficking to campaign delivery and reporting. It connects with ad servers and financial systems to streamline digital operations and ensure accurate fulfillment and billing.

Digital Ad Servers

Digital ad servers (e.g., Google Ad Manager, FreeWheel, AdsWizz, Ad-Juster) are platforms that deliver, track, and optimize digital ads across websites, apps, and streaming platforms. Using targeting criteria, they decide which ad to show, serve it to the right audience, collect performance data, and generate reports. Ad servers are essential for real-time campaign execution and performance measurement. Both WO Digital Hub and Digital Orders integrate with a variety of digital ad servers.

Data and APIs: The Connective Tissue

To allow these systems to work together effectively, a strong data infrastructure is essential. A centralized data warehousing solution (e.g., WO Data Bridge) provides a single source of truth by aggregating and normalizing data from multiple systems across the ad sales and operations ecosystem. Combined with robust APIs, like those available through WideOrbit.io, this infrastructure enables seamless data sharing between tools that were once siloed, including enabling the integration of AI agents to extend efficiency gains. The result is greater transparency, faster workflows, and more informed decision-making, empowering media companies to manage converged campaigns with accuracy and agility.

Connected Systems Power Converged Linear and Digital Media Operations

By connecting ad tech and operations systems through a unified platform, media companies can do more business by simplifying the complex process of selling advertising across linear and digital channels. With solutions that bridge CRM, planning, pricing, traffic, and digital order management, WideOrbit enables broadcasters and publishers to operate more efficiently, deliver cross-platform campaigns with confidence, and unlock new revenue opportunities in a converged media world.

To learn more about how WideOrbit can help you build a modern, converged ad sales and operations tech stack, please contact us.