Viant Technology Strengthens CTV Presence with Acquisition of IRIS.TV

Ad tech company Viant Technology announced its acquisition of IRIS.TV, a leading player in Connected TV (CTV) content data, for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition strengthens Viant’s presence in the CTV ecosystem, supporting both companies’ goals to expand standardized content identification across more major CTV publishers. IRIS.TV will continue to operate independently under the leadership of its co-founders, Field Garthwaite and Richie Hyden.

IRIS.TV has become a trusted source in the CTV industry for its proprietary IRIS_ID, an AI-powered identifier that categorizes video content through metadata analysis and normalization, regardless of how the content is presented. This identifier allows advertisers to achieve precise contextual targeting and brand safety classification by enabling third parties to enrich the ID with their own data. According to IRIS.TV, the IRIS_ID has already indexed over 60 million streaming video files via partnerships with more than 1,400 video content owners, platforms, and content management systems (IRIS.TV, Press Release).

Viant’s CEO, Tim Vanderhook, highlighted the value of IRIS.TV’s technology for advertisers navigating the complex CTV landscape: “The IRIS team has built an outstanding platform that addresses a huge problem in the ecosystem around standardizing content classification in CTV. We are excited to support their mission to enhance the value of premium CTV content in the bidstream” (Vanderhook, Viant Technology Statement).

Viant intends to support IRIS.TV’s long-term mission to make IRIS_ID an accessible tool across the entire ad tech ecosystem. By streamlining how CTV content is classified and targeted, Viant aims to empower advertisers with better data insights, allowing them to understand the content they’re buying in more detail.

Expressing his enthusiasm for the acquisition, IRIS.TV CEO Field Garthwaite said, “We are excited to join the Viant team while continuing our global CTV content identification mission. Tim and Chris are true industry visionaries, whose leadership in AI, CTV, and innovation will provide us with the support we need as we continue to expand IRIS.TV’s reach” (Garthwaite, IRIS.TV Statement).

This acquisition signals Viant’s commitment to advancing the CTV advertising landscape through improved content identification and targeting, making IRIS.TV a key component in its CTV expansion strategy. The deal aligns Viant’s vision of an enhanced, data-rich CTV ecosystem where advertisers can confidently invest in premium, well-categorized CTV content, benefitting both brands and consumers in a rapidly growing digital video environment.