ABC Launches Programmatic Digital Video Test

Will Offer Limited Number of Upfront Advertisers Access to Summer Trial

First Sell-Side Participant in FreeWheel FourFronts Programmatic Initiative

NEW YORK - ABC Sales today announced a programmatic video sales effort aimed at helping marketers apply data and automation in the premium video marketplace.

Geri Wang, President of ABC Sales, described the first-of-its-kind initiative during remarks at ABC's annual upfront presentation.

The trial will take place throughout the summer and leverage new tools being introduced by ad monetization platform FreeWheel. ABC will be the first media company to offer premium video through FreeWheel's solution, called FourFronts Programmatic, which was unveiled earlier in the day.

"We know how important it is to help our clients create value by making media more targeted and the transaction process more streamlined," Wang said. "Our track record is to lead - we did it with digital distribution and ABC Unified and we will lead in the areas of data and automation as well."

FreeWheel provides digital inventory management and adserving solutions to ABC and a host of other broadcast and cable TV networks. Their new FourFronts Programmatic tool connects ad seller inventory systems with ad buyer demand-side platforms. Importantly, it creates safeguards for publishers to ensure that automated transactions are handled transparently.

ABC's summer trial will include digital video ad inventory across ABC Entertainment and News programming. Sister cable network ABC Family will also be participating in the trial, making video inventory available across its digital portfolio of shows. Neither network will include linear TV inventory in the trial at this time.

The foray into programmatic offerings will be limited to "reserved" inventory, meaning clients will need to commit to spend levels in advance over a defined time period. Its core value proposition will be to help better execute targeting strategies, automate the transaction process and ensure that campaigns are delivered to goal.

The company expects to work with trial participants on defining and testing a variety of data sources to drive ad targeting.

"We're especially excited to partner with clients to identify how their first party data can be used to enhance media delivery," Wang added.

"We're very excited to have ABC as our first launch partner for this important industry initiative," said Jon Heller, co-founder and co-CEO of FreeWheel. "This is a very exciting time in our industry, and FreeWheel is committed to help shape the programmatic landscape so that it works for both buyers and sellers."

About the Disney/ABC Television Group:

The Disney/ABC Television Group is composed of The Walt Disney Company's (NYSE: DIS) global entertainment and news television properties, owned television stations, and radio stations. This includes ABC Entertainment Group, ABC News, ABC Owned Television Stations Group, Disney Channels Worldwide, ABC Family, Radio Disney, Disney|ABC Domestic Television, and Disney Media Distribution. The Company's equity interest in A&E Networks, Hulu, and Fusion rounds out the Group's portfolio of media businesses.

About ABC Sales:

Composed of more than 275 executives and staff, ABC Sales handles advertising sales and integrated marketing initiatives on the ABC Television Network, as well as all digital and new media platforms. Through the leadership of President Geri Wang, ABC Sales has extended advertising opportunities and value beyond the traditional broadcast network into innovative approaches to new media and digital applications. She oversees a business group generating multi-billion-dollar revenues annually, through offices in New York, Chicago, Detroit and Los Angeles. ABC Sales encompasses ABC Primetime, ABC Daytime, ABC News, ABC Late Night, ABC Digital and ABC Sales Development. It also includes the sales and integrated marketing efforts for Disney/ABC Unlimited, the cross-divisional sales unit of The Walt Disney Company; Disney/ABC Domestic Television Syndication Group; and Fusion, an ABC-Univision joint venture.

About ABC Family:

Part of the Disney/ABC Television Group, ABC Family is distributed in over 97 million homes. ABC Family features programming reflecting today's families, entertaining and connecting with adults through relatable programming about today's relationships - told with a mix of diversity, passion, humor and heart. ABC Family's programming is a combination of network-defining original series and original movies, quality acquired series and blockbuster theatricals. For 2014, ABC Family has launched the "WATCH ABC Family" authenticated service which allows viewers with participating TV subscription services access to 24/7 live viewing of the network, as well as continued on demand access to such popular series at home and on the go via a wide array of devices. ABC Family is also the destination for annual Holiday events with "13 Nights of Halloween" and "25 Days of Christmas." ABC Family. A New Kind of Family.

About FreeWheel

FreeWheel helps the largest players in the television industry generate revenue from their ad-supported content through a robust technology platform for ad management and monetization, a private marketplace for premium television inventory, and advisory services. FreeWheel's solutions are used by companies like ABC, AOL, Inc., DIRECTV, ESPN, NBCUniversal, BSkyB, Turner Broadcasting System, and Viacom, Inc. to profitably monetize their professional content on desktop, mobile, OTT, and traditional STB devices.