FreeWheel provides a platform for dynamic ad insertion in on-demand and live video feeds online and offers monetization rights management to help pay TV and streaming providers monetize digital content. The company targets cable, satellite, and telco TV providers seeking to make TV shows available on mobile, tablet, and connected-TV devices while creating incremental ad revenue. DirecTV has become both a client and a strategic investor, planning to deploy FreeWheel across its online properties to manage ad sales, delivery, and partner compensation. FreeWheel’s platform is already used by partners including AOL, ESPN, FOX, NBC Universal, Sky, Turner, and VEVO. The startup previously raised two rounds totaling about $30 million from investors such as Battery Ventures, Foundation Capital, Turner Broadcasting, and Steamboat Ventures; terms of the DirecTV investment were not disclosed. Co-founder Doug Knopper said strategic investments provide contacts and industry insight that help the company execute commercial relationships and adapt to changing digital-distribution models. FreeWheel builds technology that lets marketers and publishers manage video advertising campaigns across a variety of distribution sites. Its platform enables media companies to operate an advertising platform for online video, including managing ad sales rights, producing inventory forecasts for live or on-demand content, delivering a yield-optimized set of ads, and analyzing video business performance. The company serves over two billion ad impressions per month and counts clients such as Turner, VEVO, CBS and MLB.com. FreeWheel announced formalized agreements with Discovery Communications and ESPN Internet Ventures to help manage ad businesses and monetize digital video content. Founded in 2007 by former DoubleClick employees, the company has raised a total of nearly $30 million to date. It plans to use the new investment to build out product development and scale its infrastructure.

Total raised

$17M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Equity

Latest activity

Apr 2010