PLYMedia Speaks Out; AMC Networks Enters Programmatic Market

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PLYmedia Rebuttal

This week, former AppNexus CTO Mike Nolet accused PLYMedia of driving fraudulent traffic, and the mobile video platform was subsequently axed from MediaMath’s DSP. On Wednesday, PLYmedia co-CEO Avishay Raviv penned a LinkedIn post to clear the air. While Raviv takes responsibility for what he calls “abnormal traffic patterns,” he refutes the allegation that fraud is to blame. Duplicated ads were not served, he added, but were due to a design flaw that lacked protective measures to field cap requests. According to Raviv, PLYmedia is working to correct the malfunction. Read it.

AMC Hits Play On Programmatic

AMC Networks is breaking into automation, Broadcasting & Cable reports. AMC will make portions of inventory on its national networks available to programmatic buyers, through WideOrbit’s WO Programmatic TV platform. “Our programmatic advertising initiative addresses our clients’ desire to apply their own data to more effectively target our networks’ valuable audiences,” said Arlene Manos, AMC Network’s president of national ad sales. AMC’s roster of networks include AMC, BBC America, IFC, SundanceTV and WE tv. Read on.

The Story On Page One

Apple is shuttering its Newsstand app to make room for Apple News, Wired’s Bryan Derballa reports. “Apple News offers publishers another way to get their content (and ads) in front of you, but within the confines of an Apple-controlled user experience,” writes Derballa. The competition to host publishers’ content is heating up, as Facebook, Snapchat, Google and Twitter all bring their own solutions. But Apple’s betting on wooing publishers by letting them keep 100% of ad revenue sold on Apple News, whereas Facebook’s history of choking off organic reach could give publishers pause. More.

App Markets

Vungle is getting down with the private marketplace trend. The in-app video platform rolled out Vungle Premium on Wednesday, an effort to help brands reach their audiences within the most popular apps – which can be a moving target. Vungle will rank the apps within its network of 12,000 and make the results available through a tool it’s calling Vungle Billboard. “Top apps come and go, so it’s been a challenge for brands to stay nimble and reach the right audience before users move on to another hit app,” Vungle CEO Zain Jaffer told AdExchanger. VentureBeat has more.

But Wait, There’s More!