The news: Independent supply-side platform (SSP) OpenX launched a new tool that allows advertisers to target high-attention connected TV (CTV) inventory in real time. 

The feature, OpenX Attention Targeting, integrates attention data from measurement platform TVision directly into the programmatic bidstream, moving beyond standard demographics to prioritize engaged viewers. 

This solution addresses a growing demand for accountability as CTV ad spend climbs, shifting attention metrics from a post-campaign report to a live optimization lever.

“For the first time, advertisers can activate attention as a targeting parameter at scale, in real time, and directly influence outcomes before the bid,” Erika Loberg, global head of CTV at OpenX, said in a news release.

Zooming out: The core innovation is the ability to act on attention data before the bid. TVision’s passive panel data, which measures actual person-level viewing, powers predictive models combined with OpenX’s real-time signals.

This reflects a broader push for supply path optimization that prioritizes quality and verified engagement over low-cost impressions and highlights the high-impact priorities of media buying and planning tools.

• Real-time optimization: Attention metrics now influence campaign execution during the flight, not just after.
• Scalability: Uses OpenX’s supply and identity graph to apply attention signals across millions of users without sacrificing reach.
• Actionable insights: Goes beyond guaranteed TV screen impressions to capture nuanced viewer engagement and message retention.

Implications for marketers: This offering represents a tactical upgrade in performance marketing. By layering attention signals onto existing contextual or audience data, campaigns can be optimized for outcomes like brand recall. 

• It bridges the gap between brand advertising and direct response by tying inventory cost to a proxy for human engagement. 
• It also allows buyers to build high-attention private marketplaces (PMPs) across multiple publishers without complex setup. 

Marketers should test attention-based buying to get better results and prove their ads actually hold viewer interest. Success will be measured by those who buy ad space where they know people are truly watching.