RTL Group have led a $15M funding round VideoAmp, a video DSP that also enables advertisers to buy linear TV inventory. The investment brings VideoAmp’s total funding to $17.2M which the company says will be spent on development and adoption of the new platform. And a platform it is: the VideoAmp platform enables customers and partners to develop on top of their technology via application programming interface (APIs).
RTL Group have been making significant inroads into video ad tech and into MCNs, and announced it will be seeking to make additional investments when the company launched the RTL Digital Hub in June. Alongside VideoAmp, past investments include:
- A $144M controlling stake in SpotX (formerly SpotXchange), a video SSP. Depending on the performance of the company, RTL could acquire additional stake in the company through the terms of an earn-out agreement.
- RTL led a $19.4 million Series B round in Clypd, a programmatic TV advertising platform that focuses on the sell-side. Clypd recently partnered with SpotX to offer cross-screen sales.
- A $36 million investment to take a 51% stake in BroadbandTV, a leading multi-channel network (MCN).
- A $127 million investment in StyleHaul, a beauty and fashion MCN.
VideoAmp fits perfectly into RTL Group’s digital strategy as it is complementary to our current ad tech businesses SpotX and Clypd,” said Rhys Noelke, senior vice president strategy, RTL Group, who will also join the VideoAmp board of directors. “For example, VideoAmp’s solutions will enable SpotX publishers to identify, target and optimize the same audience across multiple devices. The transaction with VideoAmp positions RTL Group as the first European broadcaster to invest in the increasingly important field of cross-field expertise.With this move into the digital space with VideoAmp, RTL Group strengthens the advertising technology arm of the recently created RTL Digital Hub.”
RTL Group’s Rhys Noelke spoke on the programmatic TV panel at New Video Frontiers last month:
