OTT pilot in process with Microsoft Azure Media Services and News-Press Gazette, launch coming Q4 2016

SAN FRANCISCO, April 18, 2016 — WideOrbit Inc., the leading provider of advertising management software for media companies, announced an “Over The Top” (OTT) initiative for enabling the sale and delivery of digital video advertising in streamed broadcaster inventory. WideOrbit’s OTT solution will benefit both broadcasters and advertisers by providing a method for easily monetizing digital viewers and generating incremental reach for TV campaigns from existing linear creative.

The planned Q4 2016 rollout will initially address monetization of video streams in owned and operated IP-based environments like web pages, mobile sites and smart TVs.

The OTT functionality will be integrated in WO Traffic, making it simple and seamless for broadcasters to sell nonlinear inventory through existing channels. Broadcasters may also opt to offer their digital video inventory through WideOrbit’s WO Programmatic marketplace to third party demand sources.

WideOrbit’s OTT initiative is being developed in a pilot program in association with News-Press & Gazette Co., which owns or operates 42 TV network affiliates in markets throughout the midwest and western United States. Its Colorado Springs ABC affiliate station KRDO is testing a version of WideOrbit’s OTT functionality with live and pre-recorded feeds that incorporate traditional ad breaks scheduled via its implementation of WO Traffic.

WideOrbit is using Microsoft Azure Media Services to enable a turnkey OTT solution with seamless integration with WO Traffic. Azure will be used in the pilot program to stream content from stations to viewers and incorporate ad breaks.

“We are always looking for new ways to deliver more value for our advertisers,” said Michael Fabac Director of News and Marketing, News-Press Gazette Co. “We are excited to work with WideOrbit to develop an OTT solution that will make it absolutely seamless for our sales and operations teams to deliver more reach and revenue from our content and streams.”

“Integrating OTT capabilities in WO Traffic and WO Programmatic is consistent with our mission to make it easy for broadcasters and networks to build advertiser value from all of their inventory, regardless of medium,” said Ian Ferreira, Executive Vice President, Programmatic at WideOrbit. “We are dedicated to helping broadcasters access new revenue from their nonlinear inventory on video streams and keep pace with audiences that are increasingly consuming broadcast content on a variety of screens.”

“It’s increasingly important for linear broadcasters to have turnkey solutions for managing digital video streams,” said Nicole Herskowitz, senior director of product marketing, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Corp. “WideOrbit’s OTT initiative is an excellent example of how technology companies can use the Microsoft Azure Media Services comprehensive media platform to easily extend their offering and deliver new opportunities to media companies and their clients.”

WideOrbit will demonstrate its OTT solution at the 2016 NAB Show, Booth N5129 in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, April 18-21.

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For press inquiries, contact media@wideorbit.com.

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