Connected television has become a dominant channel for video consumption, yet the ad supply chain remains riddled with silos, opaque pricing, and limited access for smaller players. Advertisers often grapple with inconsistent CPMs and sub‑optimal fill rates, while platform owners struggle to monetize inventory without compromising user experience. The Trade Desk’s Ventura Ecosystem seeks to address these pain points by offering a shared monetization engine that can be activated with minimal technical overhead, allowing operating systems to retain branding control while tapping into The Trade Desk’s extensive demand pool.
Ventura’s core proposition
At its heart, Ventura is a set of tools that standardizes how CTV inventory is sold and bought. The platform promises a “more transparent and revenue‑optimized marketplace,” according to the company’s release, by enabling participants to plug into a common ad‑tech stack. The approach differs from traditional, proprietary solutions in that it emphasizes collaboration over competition, inviting multiple operating systems and ad‑tech vendors to operate under a shared set of protocols. This openness is intended to generate higher CPMs, improve fill, and ultimately deliver more value to both sellers and buyers.
First collaborators: V and Nexxen
V, the operating system that powers over 50 million connected devices worldwide, has long positioned itself as an independent alternative to the dominant OS offerings from major manufacturers. Nexxen, a global advertising‑technology platform with deep expertise in data‑driven TV, brings a full‑stack solution that spans demand‑side, supply‑side, and data management capabilities. Their joint participation marks the first real‑world test of Ventura’s collaborative model.
In a 2023 agreement, Nexxen already enabled programmatic activation of premium native ads on V‑powered smart TVs from OEMs such as Hisense and Toshiba. The new partnership expands that capability, allowing Nexxen’s clients to access V inventory through the Ventura Ecosystem. Both companies describe the move as a “great journey” that aligns their respective visions for a more open CTV advertising supply chain.
“While media consolidation may receive the attention, streaming’s future depends on something else: a healthy ecosystem with fair platforms and advertising that works,” said Matthew Henick, senior vice president of Consumer Products at The Trade Desk. “Most TV operating systems today are owned by companies that are focused on their own agendas, rather than strengthening the broader marketplace and creating winning opportunities for everyone. The Ventura Ecosystem is different; we’re building it together with contributors, like V and Nexxen, to create an open marketplace centered around collaboration and delivering value to all Ventura Ecosystem participants.”
Executive perspectives
Guy Edri, chief executive of V, highlighted the alignment of mission between the two firms: “When I met with The Trade Desk, I realized we share a similar vision: offer advertisers and industry partners a more open and equitable OS and advertising supply chain. That’s the promise of V as an independent TV OS. This is the beginning of a great journey for V, Nexxen and The Trade Desk’s Ventura.”
Nexxen’s CEO, Ofer Druker, echoed that sentiment, noting the company’s role in bringing “standardization, transparency and efficiency” to a market traditionally plagued by fragmentation. “Leveraging our full‑stack ad tech platform, we are innovating in ways that enable CTV OEMs to monetize their inventory, and buyers to seamlessly reach highly engaged audiences at moments of key decision‑making,” Druker explained. “In aligning with The Trade Desk’s Ventura, we are intentionally and broadly opening the opportunity. Our agreement represents the next major step in evolving the ways CTV is bought for the better.”
Technical underpinnings
Ventura’s integration model is built around a lightweight activation process that requires only a modest implementation effort from participating OSes. Once enabled, the system grants access to a suite of The Trade Desk’s proprietary tools:
- OpenPath – a streamlined conduit that directly links advertisers with inventory sellers, reducing the layers that often dilute revenue.
- Unified ID 2.0/EUID – an identity framework that enables cross‑platform targeting while respecting privacy constraints, allowing for more precise audience segmentation.
- OpenAds – a set of standards aimed at increasing fairness and transparency throughout the supply chain, mitigating concerns over hidden fees or opaque auction dynamics.
- OpenPass – a single‑sign‑on solution designed to personalize both the viewing and advertising experience without compromising user data.
These components collectively aim to boost programmatic demand, improve CPMs, and raise fill rates for participating operating systems. By leveraging The Trade Desk’s demand network, V and Nexxen can potentially attract higher‑value advertisers who might otherwise bypass fragmented or opaque marketplaces.
Business implications for OEMs and advertisers
For original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that embed V or similar operating systems, the Ventura Ecosystem offers a clear path to monetize additional screen real estate without sacrificing user experience. The “maintain control of their brand, system, and user experience” promise means OEMs can continue to differentiate their devices while tapping into a broader pool of ad spend.
Advertisers, on the other hand, gain a more reliable inventory source that spans multiple OEMs and operating systems. The promise of “better CPMs and stronger fill rates” could translate into lower cost‑per‑acquisition metrics, especially for brands targeting high‑intent moments such as product research or purchase decisions—situations where CTV’s large screen and immersive format excel.
Industry context and competitive landscape
The CTV ad market is currently dominated by a handful of large players—Google’s YouTube TV, Amazon’s Fire TV, Roku, and Apple TV—all of which operate their own ad exchanges or demand‑side platforms. These ecosystems often operate as closed loops, limiting the ability of third‑party platforms to compete on equal footing. Ventura’s open‑collaboration model positions The Trade Desk as a neutral conduit, potentially leveling the playing field for smaller OEMs and independent OS providers.
Analysts have long warned that the lack of industry‑wide standards could stifle growth, as advertisers become wary of investing heavily in a fragmented supply chain. By introducing OpenPath, Unified ID 2.0, and other open standards, Ventura may catalyze broader adoption of interoperable protocols, a development that could benefit the entire ecosystem.
Looking ahead
The Trade Desk indicated that additional partners are slated to join the Ventura Ecosystem in the coming months, though no specific names were disclosed. As more operating systems and ad‑tech vendors adopt the framework, the network effect could accelerate, delivering the “more transparent, collaborative, and revenue‑optimized marketplace” that the company envisions.
While the initiative is still in its early stages, its success will hinge on the willingness of OEMs, advertisers, and other platform owners to embrace a shared set of standards. If the model proves scalable, it could reshape how CTV inventory is bought and sold, moving the industry away from siloed, proprietary arrangements toward a more open, data‑driven future.
Conclusion
The Trade Desk’s Ventura Ecosystem represents a notable attempt to bring order to the increasingly complex CTV advertising space. By partnering with V and Nexxen, the company demonstrates a commitment to collaborative standards that could unlock higher revenue for device makers and more efficient media buying for advertisers. Whether the ecosystem can attract enough participants to challenge the entrenched dominance of existing closed platforms remains to be seen, but the move adds a compelling new chapter to the evolving story of programmatic transactions in TV.
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