Ionic Studios Debuts at CES 2026 as the CTV Studio for the Open Ecosystem

Launch portfolio spans 89 exclusive, brand-safe FAST channels; former Paramount & Pluto TV leader Ulysses Davalos joins executive team

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Ionic Studios today announced its public launch at CES 2026, introducing a next‑generation CTV studio model built for the open streaming ecosystem. Ionic unifies a scaled portfolio of exclusive, brand‑safe FAST channels from leading independent studios, content owners and distributors into one buyable system, allowing advertisers to reach contextually matched audiences that are packaged and available through programmatic or direct buys.

Ionic's channels portfolio spans entertainment, sci‑fi, live sports, multicultural, fashion and more and is built for advertisers that want scale, consistency, and a simpler way to plan and activate across independent CTV.

Ionic gives advertisers and agencies a more seamless way to buy across the open FAST channel ecosystem, offering a distribution footprint that currently delivers:

• 89 FAST channels
• 250M+ hours streamed per month
• 5.2B monthly ad impressions
• 100M+ U.S. household device reach

"CTV is growing rapidly, but the open ecosystem still fails to offer an efficient buying experience. The current landscape is fragmented, inconsistent, and harder than it should be for advertisers to achieve clean scale," said Shafi Mustafa, Managing Director of Ionic Studios. "Buyers love what the big closed ecosystems deliver: standardization, reach, and simple activation. Ionic Studios now brings that same consistency to independent CTV with a unified, brand‑safe portfolio packaged into data‑activated audiences. We built this solution to remove friction for advertisers and drive efficiency in CTV campaigns."

Built for how CTV is bought

Ionic is designed around how agencies and brands actually plan CTV today: audience‑first. Ionic merchandises channels into clear audience packages, backed by data and content alignment, with consistent standards across platforms. Buyers can activate through programmatic deal paths (PMP/PG) or work directly with Ionic on premium sponsorships, branded slates, integrations, and bespoke "new & nevers" built around the channel experience.

Ulysses Davalos joins executive team

Ionic Studios also announced that Ulysses Davalos has joined the company as VP, Publisher Solutions, where he will lead the expansion of Ionic's channel portfolio through strategic partnerships and acquisitions, and help scale the operating playbook that turns premium channels into repeatable, monetizable businesses.

Davalos brings more than a decade of hands‑on experience running streaming and FAST platforms, including leadership roles at Paramount and Pluto TV, where he helped build and grow one of the world's largest FAST advertising businesses.

"Independent CTV has the programming and the audiences but consistency at scale has remained a gap," said Davalos. "Ionic is building the operating layer that makes premium independent channels easier for buyers to access with the standards and efficiency they expect. I'm excited to help implement that model with partners across the ecosystem and achieve consistent monetization for its stakeholders."

Partnering with independent studios to drive the next wave of CTV

Ionic works with content owners and distributors through two complementary paths:

• Ionic Exclusives: exclusive monetization and representation that helps rights holders unlock incremental CTV revenue with minimal lift.
  
  
• Ionic Channels: co‑launching and scaling new channels through strategic investments and partnerships with an underwrite‑and‑operate model.

To learn more, visit ionic.tv.

About Ionic Studios
Ionic Studios is building the studio layer modern CTV has been missing: a unified, buyer‑ready system for addressable audiences across the open streaming ecosystem. Our cross‑genre portfolio of exclusive, brand‑safe FAST channels from leading independent studios and distributors is packaged using data and audience insights for standardized execution across platforms. Ionic makes independent CTV easier to plan, buy, and scale with the consistency buyers expect at portfolio size.

Media Contact
Warda Baig
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SOURCE Ionic Studios