The Trade Desk’s connected TV ambitions extend beyond ad transactions.
Last year, TTD announced plans to launch a TV operating system, called Ventura OS, that powers the viewing experience on smart TVs with an open, ad-supported system. It was a surprising step for a demand-side platform rooted in the buy side.
Sure, there’s some overlap between building ad tech and consumer-facing tech, but it’s still not the kind of move you’d expect – more like a sidestep than a natural progression, like hiring a makeup artist to decorate your wedding cake, for example.
The idea behind Ventura, according to The Trade Desk, is to build a neutral smart TV operating system that will allow hardware manufacturers and publishers to control their data and ad inventory. TTD claims to avoid conflicts of interest, because it doesn’t own content or inventory.
Leading the effort is Matthew Henick, SVP of Ventura OS, who joined The Trade Desk last year…