JW Player (JWP), the leading video streaming and data insights platform, today announced it is merging with Connatix, the leading video delivery and monetization solution, forming JWP Connatix. By unifying JWP’s broadcast-level live and on-demand streaming, data, and workflow capabilities with Connatix’s full stack advertising and content technology, JWP Connatix becomes the industry’s most comprehensive independent video technology and monetization platform for broadcasters, publishers, and advertisers.
This merger arrives as the digital video ecosystem is experiencing transformational change. Consumers are increasingly cutting the cord in favor of Connected TV (CTV) and streaming services, leading to rapid shifts in global advertising spend and the emergence of new direct-to-consumer subscription and pay-per-view offerings. In 2024, global CTV ad revenue will surpass $30 billion, while the top ten streaming services alone will support nearly 1 billion subscribers. Given this, publishers, broadcasters, and advertisers must transform their video strategies to meet these evolving viewer expectations and business needs.
“How and where viewers consume video is rapidly changing. As a result, media companies require innovative solutions that allow them to maximize audience engagement and help optimize revenue across disparate monetization models, whether it be advertising, subscriptions or commerce,” said David Kashak, Co-founder and CEO of Connatix. “Together, JWP Connatix fulfills that requirement, by accelerating our companies’ mutual visions to create environments where premium video viewing, powered by best-in-class technology, meets high-quality monetization experiences, enabling media leaders to deliver exceptional results.”
JWP Connatix creates an indispensable partner in this rapidly changing video ecosystem, powering streaming for over 2,000 blue-chip media companies, including 80% of the top 25 Comscore US publishers. As the largest independent global video network across CTV and OLV, the company reaches over 1 billion unique users and delivers 30 billion+ combined video plays and ad impressions every month. Key benefits for customers include:
Global reach and reliable scale: Streaming 7 billion minutes of VOD and live content to over 1 billion unique users on any screen around the world
Hybrid monetization models: Support for subscription, advertising and e-commerce business models, leveraging insights from content and audiences to help maximize revenue
Unique insights to optimize outcomes: Leverage AI to combine trillions of contextual, consumption, and monetization data signals to match customers with content and ads, boosting engagement
Single end-to-end platform for OLV and CTV: Streamlined video management platform enabling diverse monetization opportunities across content, commerce, and creative
“By joining forces, JWP Connatix ushers in a new era for digital video. The complementary nature of our businesses enables us to bring a unique combination of scale, product breadth, and industry expertise to the market,” added Dave Otten, CEO and Co-Founder of JWP. “Perhaps more importantly, we are bringing together two knowledgeable, and dedicated teams, whose skill-sets and values are a perfect match. We could not be more excited about this partnership and look forward to shaping the future of digital video together.”
As part of the transaction, Dave Otten will become CEO of the combined company, while David Kashak will serve as its Chairman. JWP Connatix will be headquartered in New York City with additional offices in London, Cluj-Napoca, Eindhoven, Skopje, and Tel Aviv.
About Connatix
Connatix is a video technology company that powers the world’s stories with effortless and inspiring solutions. Through a proprietary full-stack platform, Connatix helps publishers deliver, monetize, analyze and create video, while providing advertisers with premium video inventory and a collection of data intelligence solutions including Deep Contextual™and predictive audience targeting. Sitting at the forefront of innovation, Connatix leverages the power of AI to optimize revenue and ensure relevancy, efficiency and scale across campaigns.
Connatix currently works with 350+ publisher groups across thousands of sites and leading brands and agencies. The private equity-backed business has been named an AdExchanger Programmatic Power Player for two consecutive years and included on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing companies for three consecutive years. Founded in 2014, Connatix is headquartered in New York City and continues to expand its global footprint with offices in London, Cluj-Napoca, and Tel Aviv.
About JWP
JW Player (JWP) is a leader in video streaming and player technology, providing broadcasters and publishers with a platform for delivering and monetizing video content across web, OTT, CTV, and FAST platforms. JWP’s technology helps deliver exceptional video experiences, engage audiences, and increase viewing time. Pioneering innovations like HLS streaming, header bidding for video, and contextual content recommendations, JWP offers a comprehensive end-to-end streaming management platform. Founded in 2008, JWP is one of the fastest growing SaaS companies in the world with a vision to power video-driven businesses so they thrive in the digital video economy. Serving over 2,000 global broadcasters, publishers, and video-driven brands, JWP powers video for over 1 billion users each month and 5 billion minutes of video watched. Headquartered in New York, JWP has offices in London, Eindhoven, and Skopje.