NBCU, Fox, Viacom say group will continue

AT&T’s WarnerMedia unit said it is withdrawing from OpenAP, which is hoping to standardize targeted audience buying across the television industry.

“As our company has transformed, our advanced advertising strategy has evolved. As a result, we are withdrawing from OpenAP. We appreciate what OpenAP has supported to this point in widening the adoption of audience-based buying on television,” WarnerMedia said in a statement.

OpenAP was started by Fox, Viacom and Turner, which was part of Time Warner. Time Warner was acquired by AT&T, which is trying to build its Xandr advertising unit into a big player in the industry.

NBCUniversal later joined OpenAP.

The remaining members of the consortium said it will continue to operate.

"OpenAP is a strong and collaborative effort among leading television publishers dedicated to further increasing the effectiveness, transparency and security of the video advertising business for both viewers and brands. Fox, NBCUniversal and Viacom remain committed to working together in pursuit of a premium, open, independently verified marketplace that will continue to transform the industry. Over the next few months, we will be growing and expanding the OpenAP platform to simplify audience buying at scale, and you’ll hear more from us on these exciting developments in the coming days,” OpenAP said in a statement