Astro Expands Programmatic Advertising Capabilities with Astro GO Premium Inventory
The launch brings together the strengths of Astro, OpenX and Hoppr to enable programmatic access to Astro GO inventory.
Astro, Malaysia’s leading content and entertainment company, is advancing its digital advertising transformation by making Astro GO's premium streaming inventory available through programmatic buying. Enabled through collaborations with OpenX, The Intelligent SSPTM, and Hoppr, the initiative allows agencies and advertisers to access Astro's premium content and audiences more seamlessly through the programmatic ecosystem.
Through this initiative, advertisers and agencies can now access Astro GO's premium streaming inventory programmatically, enabling a more seamless approach to planning, buying and optimising digital video campaigns alongside other programmatic media investments.
As advertising becomes increasingly data-driven and automated, the move expands the ways advertisers can engage with audiences consuming Astro's premium content that reaches 5.1 million Malaysian TV households and 14.2 million monthly visitors to its digital brands, while simplifying the integration of Astro GO inventory into broader digital video and programmatic media plans.
Astro contributes its premium content, audiences and streaming inventory through Astro GO, while OpenX provides the programmatic technology and marketplace infrastructure that connects Astro GO inventory with advertiser demand. Hoppr provides the addressable advertising and monetisation layer that enables Astro's premium streaming inventory to reach programmatic demand across streaming and connected TV environments.
“Advertisers today are looking for greater flexibility in how they reach audiences, while maintaining confidence in the quality of the content environments in which their brands appear,” said René Menezes, Chief Digital Growth Officer of Astro. “By making Astro GO inventory available programmatically, we are making it easier for brands and agencies to access Astro's premium content and audiences through the channels and workflows they already use, while providing a completely brand-safe environment and continuing to deliver the trusted, high-quality viewing experience that Astro is known for.”
“As more video investment shifts to programmatic, the supply side plays a growing role in how quality inventory is evaluated and valued,” said John Rogers, SVP, Global Publisher Development, OpenX. “OpenX connects Astro to differentiated demand, helping it realise more value from its streaming inventory as buyers increasingly rely on signals closer to the impression.”
“Malaysia is one of the most compelling connected TV markets in Southeast Asia, and Astro is its defining platform,” commented George Gelavis, Executive Chair, Hoppr. “This agreement opens up new ways for brands to reach Astro’s premium audiences through the programmatic channels they already use. Collectively, Astro, Hoppr and OpenX are not just adding inventory; we are turning on a new market opportunity. There’s pent-up demand from brands that have wanted to access Astro’s audience through digital channels and we are ready to deliver it.”
For agencies and advertisers, the new capability provides:
• Programmatic access to Astro GO premium video inventory
• Easier integration of Astro GO into existing digital video and programmatic media plans
• Access to audiences within Astro's premium, trusted and brand-safe content environment
• Greater flexibility in how Astro's digital video inventory is bought and activated
• Behaviour-based audience segments developed by Hoppr using Astro GO viewing signals and privacy-safe location behaviour, activated through OpenX
As audience consumption continues to evolve, Astro remains focused on creating new opportunities for advertisers to connect with viewers across its digital platforms.