COLOGNE — The UK’s TV networks have spent the last few years building up their distinct cross-platform catch-up services against which to sell pre-roll ads. Now they are showing interest in letting some of those ads be bought by programmatic, real-time bidding algorithms.

Speaking to Beet.TV, Danny Hopwood, the EMEA platform head for ad group Publicis’ VivaKi digital group, says: “Talking from a UK perspective, there has been some really strong conversations with some of the big broadcasters, and also some of the even bigger premium publishers that we start to use their inventory on a real-time, bidded basis.”

Hopwood oversees VivaKi’s Audience On Demand (AOD) trading desk. Programmatic ad sales techniques have been gathering pace in the static web display segment and may now disrupt video advertising. UK broadcasters’ interest in noteworthy because they have long been keen to sell their own inventory. But their interest doesn’t necessarily yet translate in to action.

“Most of the time, the conversations we have to have are helping them understand the technology and helping them tell that message to their seniors and internal colleagues,” Hopwood adds in this interview at DMEXCO.

Learn more about AOD’s programmatic video business in the full video.