NEW YORK—ITN and the sell-side advertising company Magnite have announced the launch of what they are billing as the industry's first Local Linear TV Private Marketplace.
The launch follows an earlier announcement in May, 2025, when ITN, a provider of a local linear supply side platform, and Magnite said they were working together to launch a programmatic solution for local linear TV in the U.S. They also reported that multiple Fox television stations successfully tested programmatic transactions of ITN-supplied inventory.
At launch the two companies reported that the new platform is designed to close the programmatic gap for local broadcast and that allows buyers to replicate digital-like workflows seamlessly.
"We've moved well beyond where previous programmatic linear efforts have stalled," said Todd Watson, CEO of ITN in announcing the launch. "This launch delivers the ease, visibility, and automation that will define the future of linear TV. The difference now is that activating it is just as simple as buying digital."
"The expansion of our partnership with ITN brings programmatic buyers closer to local linear TV inventory and makes it much easier to holistically activate, manage, and measure their total video advertising investments," added Matt McLeggon, senior vice president of advanced solutions at Magnite. "Bringing valuable local linear TV inventory to ClearLine gives digital-native advertisers a more comprehensive access point to premium video supply with executional ease and efficiency."
Key features include:
- Self-service deal ID creation
- Precision controls for geo targeting, daypart, affiliate, program, and genre
- Auto-bidding for delivery management
- Digital-like delivery dashboards
- The result is a new level of flexibility, visibility, and automation for linear TV—while ensuring local stations retain full control of their inventory.
The two companies said that local linear TV inventory is available through Magnite's ClearLine platform, where buyers can discover, package, and activate video ad campaigns. Within Magnite's ClearLine solution, buyers can now access local linear TV and digital video programmatically in one place.
The result combines the scale, reach, and cultural impact of local broadcast with the efficiency, precision, and automation of digital execution, marking a major step toward the industry's long-held goal of fully independent local TV programmatic activation, they said.
More specifically, it provides advertisers have access to a powerful suite of capabilities that bring linear and digital video together for maximum campaign impact. Buyers can now activate live local linear TV alongside streaming and digital video through real-time bidding and VAST workflows—enabling a truly converged media strategy. And, stations gain streamlined workflows that enhance their ability to operate with the speed of national networks and digital platforms.
Those features were applauded by some media buyers. "Today's announcement has been a long time in the making," said Jennifer Hungerbuhler, chief publisher direct officer at Dentsu. "We are now witnessing technology that has the potential to revolutionize the local TV workflow and unlock the inherent value that agencies have always seen in this medium."
The two companies said that future enhancements will include advanced capabilities for spot TV, direct-to-station access, more precision audience targeting, and specialized features for key verticals such as political advertising, further cementing linear TV's place in the modern programmatic landscape.
