Alliance will support global MVPD and broadcaster migration to next-gen solutions that grow revenues and reaggregate audiences across video platforms.

Imagine Communications, which provides open, end-to-end ad tech solutions for broadcasters, content owners, MVPDs, and vMVPDs, today announced an alliance with Innovar Media Solutions to accelerate the adoption of next-gen ad tech solutions by MVPD and broadcasters globally. The companies will tightly integrate Innovar’s ad automation solutions and consulting services to help Imagine customers migrate to feature-rich platforms for inventory management and optimization, traffic and billing. This is an important step toward Imagine’s goal of helping MVPD customers advance to next-generation, cloud-based advertising technology architectures that streamline advertising management processes, support revenue growth and help reaggregate audiences across platforms. Today, Imagine and Innovar share three of the top five North American MVPDs as customers.

“We’ve long recognized the integral role Innovar’s talented team and innovative product suite have played in helping our MVPD customers quickly deploy Imagine solutions to solve emerging challenges and meet new opportunities,” said Tom Cotney, CEO of Imagine Communications. “We are formalizing our relationship with a global alliance that sees our philosophies and values fully aligned, as content distributors seek new solutions to complex and dynamic media environments. I think it’s a true win for our customers to blend our depth in product knowledge with Innovar’s consultative view of the overall workflow that we serve.”

The new alliance will see Imagine and Innovar collaborating on tightly integrated solutions and future product innovation. This includes striking strategic product synergies that extend the value of Innovar’s solutions suite to Imagine’s xG Linear^TM platform and its internationally acclaimed broadcast traffic and billing platform, Landmark^TM Sales.

Imagine has recently completed the second major release of its industry-leading xG Linear traffic and billing platform, which is now fully cloud-capable, highly scalable, and able to support web-based workflows and open APIs. xG Linear is also fully compatible with Imagine’s award-winning xG GamePlan optimization engine, which has been proven to increase linear video revenues by up to 30 percent.

Innovar is a leader in the automation of operational workflows, system integration and dynamic pricing. Its extensive portfolio of products already integrates into Imagine’s xG Linear platform, providing significant added value to customers. Innovar’s ad operations solutions, such as InnVue, seamlessly connect buy and sell-side operations and workflows by automating creative instructions and streamlining media distribution to reduce operational expenses significantly. The company’s renowned consultancy services complement Imagine’s professional services capabilities with additional deep expertise and in-depth knowledge of media workflows and technology.

Shawn Coffman, CEO of Innovar, said, “We are excited about our alliance and the opportunity to leverage Imagine’s proven platforms to enrich integrations, enhance capabilities and drive efficiencies for our clients. This is a natural fit from a technology and organizational perspective.”

About Imagine Communications
Imagine Communications empowers the media and entertainment industry through transformative innovation. Broadcasters, networks, video service providers, and enterprises around the world rely on our optimized, future-proof, multiscreen video, and revenue enablement solutions every day to support their mission-critical operations. Today, nearly half of the world’s video channels traverse our products, and our software solutions drive close to a third of global ad revenue. Through continuous innovation, we are delivering the most advanced IP, cloud-enabled, software-defined network, and workflow solutions in the industry. Visit https://imaginecommunications.com for more information, and follow us on Twitter @imagine_comms.

About Innovar Media
Founded in 2014, McKinney, Texas-based Innovar Media, LLC, provides operational improvements focused on streamlining buy and sell-side transactions and workflows. The firm leverages extensive operational experience to deliver practical solutions that help reduce costs, enhance revenue streams, and improve customer experiences. Innovar specializes in identifying, designing, and implementing changes to processes and systems that improve the performance of critical business operations. Its solutions span ad operations optimization, process improvement, and project leadership. For more information, visit www.innovarmediasolutions.com.