Clearleap, BlackArrow Partner To Increase Multiscreen Video Monetization Opportunities

ATLANTA, April 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Clearleap, the leading provider of multiscreen video logistics solutions for the television industry; and BlackArrow, a worldwide provider of advanced advertising solutions for New TV platforms, today announced a product integration that will streamline the monetization of on-demand and multiscreen video.

Through the Clearleap-BlackArrow solution, programmers and pay-TV service providers can increase the amount of ad inventory by reducing the complexities of mid-roll advertising. The integrated solutions also simplify monetization through all advertising windows (e.g. C3, post-C3) by automating the process of changing ads and ad payloads without the need to re-pitch content. 

The Clearleap platform uncovers the break point signals embedded in programming content to identify appropriate areas for mid-roll ad insertion. Using this data, the BlackArrow system then determines the amount of ads to play, which ads to play, and, if appropriate, what to do with the original "baked-in" ads (e.g. remove them or play them). Since the solutions are available pre-integrated, deployment of dynamic ad insertion is easier and faster for the pay-TV industry.

"Dynamic ad insertion has answered the question of how to make money in the new world of television consumption," said Chris Hock, senior vice president, product management and marketing for BlackArrow. "Our integration with Clearleap opens more monetization opportunities by combining two key capabilities:  the ability to identify natural ad breaks in programming, and the ability to control ad policies and dynamic ad insertion within those breaks."

"With this combined solution, programmers and video distributors have the tools they need to control different advertising windows, from the C3 ratings period throughout the long lifecycle of on-demand content," said David Mowrey, vice president of product management at Clearleap. "Our IP-based solution processes and delivers the content quickly so that our distribution partners can get that ad-supported content in front of viewers in a snap."

BlackArrow's multiscreen advertising solutions are in use by pay TV's biggest providers, touching more than 30 million North American homes. Clearleap's solutions have been implemented by major programmers such as HBO and Scripps Networks Interactive; and its completely IP-based distribution network reaches more than 97% of U.S. pay TV households.

About The BlackArrow Advanced Advertising System
The BlackArrow Advanced Advertising System is used by service providers such as Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Rogers Communications to manage the technological complexities and business issues associated with advanced advertising across multiplatform pay-TV environments. For pay-TV service providers, BlackArrow Central offers a central, open, standards-based platform for managing placement opportunities, business rules and ad policies, and for controlling real-time ad routing and return path data aggregation. BlackArrow Campaign enables ad sales and marketing organizations to define, manage and monetize multiplatform advertising campaigns. BlackArrow Audience enables pay-TV providers to aggregate disparate sources of customer information into a single view for enabling the delivery of relevant advertising to the appropriate audience.  BlackArrow Analytics provides ad sales organizations with verified on-demand ad impressions and reporting against programs, markets/zones, dayparts, and audiences. For content providers, the BlackArrow Affiliate offers advanced tools for managing avails, or placement opportunities, as well as ad policies, ad sales rights, and asset metadata.

About BlackArrow, Inc.
BlackArrow is a leading worldwide provider of advanced advertising technology for New TV platforms. Reaching nearly 30 million homes, BlackArrow's advanced advertising software platform enables customers to increase revenues by delivering more timely and efficient sales and marketing messages, extend TV business models and affiliate partnerships to new platforms, and gain real-time reporting and measurement insights across multiple screens. BlackArrow is privately held, and backed by Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO), Comcast Ventures, Intel Capital (NASDAQ: INTC), Mayfield Fund, Motorola Mobility Ventures, Polaris Venture Partners and Time Warner Cable. The company has offices in New York City and San Jose, Calif. For more information, visit www.blackarrow.tv

About Clearleap, Inc.
Clearleap accelerates the delivery of multiscreen services by alleviating the business, operational, and technical challenges facing content owners and video service providers in offering high-value video entertainment on all screens. Clearleap's innovative and modular software platform leverages massively scalable, secure, and redundant data centers and is in use today by many of the industry's largest brands.  Privately held Clearleap is based in Duluth, Ga. with offices in Atlanta and NYC. For more information, please visit www.clearleap.com.

SOURCE BlackArrow