By Jonathan Easton

Independent sell side advertising platform Magnite has expanded its CTV business in India via a new partnership with Samsung Ads.

The deal will see Magnite power OTT and CTV inventory for Samsung TV Plus, the FAST service, in India. This expands upon Magnite’s relationship with Samsung in the US, EMEA and LATAM.

Samsung TV Plus initially launched in India in March 2021 and offers 45 free live TV channels, including 38 global and 7 Indian channels.

Managing director of Asia at Magnite Gavin Buxton said: “We are delighted to be Samsung Ads’ key SSP in India, connecting advertisers to premium CTV inventory from one of the largest consumer electronics brands in the world. While India is still a mobile-first market, CTV adoption is on the rise as smart TVs gain popularity and become more accessible to consumers. Advertisers now have a canvas to interact and engage with CTV viewers in a big-screen brand-safe environment.”

Senior director, India and Southeast Asia at Samsung Ads Prabhvir Sahmey said: “Connected TV presents a tremendous opportunity for brands to reimagine how TV can be utilised to connect with key audiences. VOD has grown exponentially over the last year and viewers are exploring new ways to consume high quality content. With the recent launch of Samsung TV Plus in India, the service is now available in 14 countries and gives our viewers exclusive access to free high quality curated global & local content.

“Our ad supported video service gives advertisers a unique opportunity to reach this rapidly growing streaming audience. As we scale Samsung TV Plus inventory, working with a leading SSP like Magnite will help accelerate our expansion plans by making it programmatically available to brands and agencies in India.”