The Trade Desk’s Ventura this week took another step in its vision to bring more transparency and enhanced monetization to programmatic CTV advertising with the launch of the Ventura Ecosystem. Independent TVOS player V and ad tech platform Nexxen have signed on as the first collaborators.
The Trade Desk introduced its Ventura OS for retailers and manufacturers in 2024, with the intent to offer a streaming platform optimized for revenue generation. The main aim with the Ventura OS is to improve how money flows through the CTV ecosystem and give OEMs and publishers a path to more meaningful and efficient revenue streams – where the TTD DSP also stands to benefit from more CTV ad dollars and broader integration and use of its tools.
And with the Ventura Ecosystem it’s looking to further that mission and bring together collaborators to solve for streaming industry ad supply chain issues like lack of uniformity and transparency.
In a Q&A with StreamTV Insider Matthew Henick, SVP of consumer products at The Trade Desk shared the impetus behind the new Ventura Ecosystem.
“Streaming has become the primary way people watch TV, but the ad infrastructure underneath it is broken: too many middlemen, inconsistent identity, and a lack of transparency in how inventory gets priced and sold,” he explained. “The Ventura Ecosystem is a collaboration across TV OSes and the broader streaming industry to solve those problems together, and to align on ad formats that actually work for viewers.”
Collaborators within the ecosystem access Ventura and TTD’s ad monetization engine comprised of tools, including OpenPath (offering a direct connection between ad buyers and sellers), UID2/EUID (privacy-conscious identity product for holistic targeting and measurement), Open Pass (a single sign-on tool for a more personalized user and advertising experience), and soon OpenAds.
“The result is stronger demand, better CPMs and higher fill rates,” Henick said, noting that additional elements of the Ventura streaming OS will be integrated over time.
V and Nexxen first to collaborate
The company expects integrations with V (formerly VIDAA) and Nexxen to go live within a few weeks.
Once partners sign on, integration planning starts right away and most collaborators can be up and running in a matter of weeks. Initially Ventura is focused on SSP integrations for the OS and its ad stack to get the most impact quickly, per Henick.
Nexxen is already a partner of V, last year introducing the ability to programmatically activate native smart TV advertising across multiple OEMs, including Hisense and Toshiba, as part of a multi-year agreement with V operation systems. Programmatic access to that inventory is now also available via Nexxen, with plans to be powered by the Ventura Ecosystem.
V powers more than 50 million connected devices worldwide, while Nexxen offers a global ad-tech platform.
“When I met with The Trade Desk, I realized we share a similar vision: offer advertisers and industry partners a more open and equitable OS and advertising supply chain. That’s the promise of V as an independent TV OS. This is the beginning of a great journey for V, Nexxen and The Trade Desk’s Ventura,” said Guy Edri, CEO of V, in a statement.
In addition to monetization, Henick said V and Nexxen have signed on to tackle shared industry challenges and will utilize the TTD and Ventura tools to bring consistent identity resolution, clearer measurement and more competitive auctions across their platforms.
“That translates to stronger demand and better pricing for their inventory,” he said, noting “the goal is to bring more programmatic demand to their inventory through a cleaner supply chain.”
Integrations with Ventura Ecosystem can also improve the viewing experience, per Henick, as the ad experience becomes more relevant.
As for what V and Nexxen bring to the table, the SVP cited “meaningful scale and a conviction that the status quo isn’t serving anyone well.”
And working together allows TTD to “demonstrate what's possible when the industry pulls in the same direction.”
There’s incentive for The Trade Desk’s CTV DSP business as well, where he acknowledged an open and well-functioning ad marketplace is good for the company’s advertiser clients.
“When campaigns perform better, brands invest more and that increased spend flows back to Ecosystem collaborators as revenue. The incentives point in the same direction,” Henick said. “The more that supporters of the Open Internet win, the more funding there is for quality shows, news, sports and movies which is the ultimate win for audiences.”
Evolution not a pivot
Since introducing the Ventura OS, TDD has primarily set its sights on retailers and original equipment manufacturers, while also building a custom version using the DirecTV UX announced last year.
And with the launch of the Ventura Ecosystem Henick assured it represents “an evolution, not a pivot” from the original aim. Where the Ventura streaming OS remains the core product, but “the two efforts feed each other.”
The Ecosystem extends the strongest elements of the Ventura platform, including ad tech, identity and measurement standards, to partners across the industry that are trying to solve the same industry challenges as TTD, he commented.
The launch comes as TTD reported fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 earnings Wednesday, with the DSP seeing $13.4 billion in gross ad spend for 2025. It also marked revenue gains, with Q4 revenue of $847 million up 14% year-over-year and 2025 revenue of $2.89 billion up 18% yoy. Its first quarter 2026 outlook forecasts lower revenue of at least $678 million and Adjusted EBITDA of approximately $195 million.
TTD expects more partners to join the Ventura Ecosystem soon and is open to any OS or industry player that aims to solve what Henick categorized as foundational problems.
And with each new partner it onboards, they bring more scale and strengthen value for other collaborators in the system.
“While media consolidation may receive the attention, streaming’s future depends on something else: a healthy ecosystem with fair platforms and advertising that works,” said Henick in a statement. “Most TV operating systems today are owned by companies that are focused on their own agendas, rather than strengthening the broader marketplace and creating winning opportunities for everyone. The Ventura Ecosystem is different; we’re building it together with contributors, like V and Nexxen, to create an open marketplace centered around collaboration and delivering value to all Ventura Ecosystem participants.”