Magnite unifies curation and activation within ClearLine platform

Magnite unveiled an evolved version of ClearLine on October 1, 2025, bringing together curation and activation capabilities into a unified platform. The update will enable buyers and curators to discover, package, and activate inventory across the company's premium omnichannel footprint, according to the announcement from the largest independent sell-side advertising company.

The beta release, scheduled for the coming weeks, will provide comprehensive access to differentiated supply, unique first-party data, and content signals within a single interface. Magnite also revealed plans to integrate AI assistance and agentic workflows into ClearLine, leveraging technology from its September 9, 2025 acquisition of streamr.ai.

ClearLine operates on the same infrastructure as Magnite's SpringServe, the company's video platform with ad serving and programmatic capabilities. This architectural approach enables curated campaigns to execute closer to the impression, delivering higher data fidelity, reduced signal loss, and stronger return on ad spend. Buyers and curators using ClearLine can define deal terms, pricing, and targeting directly, with additional flexibility to package deals using first and third-party audiences available through Magnite Access, the company's data and audience solution.

Mike Laband, Group SVP, US Revenue at Magnite, emphasized the platform's role in streamlining media buying. "The future of premium media buying lies in creating a frictionless path between advertisers and audiences," said Laband. "This evolution of ClearLine simplifies this process by empowering advertisers with one tool to curate and activate campaigns across every screen, including streaming TV, where they can directly reach 109 million US ad-supported households."

The announcement arrives as curation practices gain significant momentum across the advertising technology landscape. Industry adoption accelerated following the IAB Tech Lab's December 16, 2024 announcement of formal curation standards, though the framework had been available since early 2023. Major platforms including Google Ad Manager, Microsoft Advertising, and various supply-side platforms integrated curation frameworks throughout 2024 and 2025.

Jean Fitzpatrick, EVP, Commercial Strategy at IPG Mediabrands, noted the operational advantages. "Our clients expect solutions that deliver efficiency, scale, and transparency across every screen," said Fitzpatrick. "ClearLine's unique capabilities provide us with a more simplified path to inventory, positioning us to drive greater performance and unlock new opportunities across CTV and omnichannel video."

The evolution addresses growing complexity in programmatic advertising as industry leaders debate curation's real impact. During IAB Europe's Virtual Programmatic Day on July 3, 2025, executives offered conflicting perspectives on whether curation represents genuine innovation or rebranded existing practices. Frank Schofield, Director of Enterprise Sales and Commerce Media at Magnite, defended curation as genuinely transformative during the debate, arguing it gives buyers unprecedented control over supply chain decisioning.

Marika Roque, Chief Innovation Officer at KERV.ai, highlighted the broader industry implications. "When you improve efficiency across our industry, you make room for meaningful innovation and change for good," said Roque. "Magnite's ClearLine evolution does just that, streamlining access and reducing tech layers, improving the interoperability between buyers and sellers to drive even more value for brands."

The platform's integration with SpringServe builds on Magnite's April 23, 2025 merger of ad server and SSP technologies. That announcement marked a significant shift in streaming advertising operations by reducing layers between buyers and sellers. The unified platform currently operates in closed beta with major industry players including Disney Advertising, LG Ad Solutions, Paramount, Roku, Samsung, and Warner Bros. Discovery.

Carey Piraino, Director, Strategic Partnerships at Kinective Media by United Airlines, emphasized the commercial value proposition. "In commerce, the ability to connect the right product to the right consumer at the right moment is everything," said Piraino. "Magnite's ClearLine makes that achievable and allows us to more seamlessly activate campaigns that drive performance. With curation now possible within ClearLine, we look forward to being able to scale our curated offerings across demand partners with greater ease."

Kelly McMahon, EVP, Global Operations at LG Ad Solutions, pointed to operational consolidation benefits. "With Magnite ClearLine, the overarching benefit for us is that we can use a single platform to manage both our data and inventory," said McMahon. "That ability to centralize assets allows us to effectively streamline programmatic monetization, making it easier to preserve performance, maintain transparency, and scale curated offerings with efficiency."

The AI integration stems from Magnite's streamr.ai acquisition, which brought artificial intelligence-powered tools that streamline connected television creative generation and campaign setup. The technology enables users to generate video advertisements and launch them on CTV platforms in under two minutes, addressing complexity and cost barriers that have historically limited small business access to television advertising opportunities.

Jonathan Moffie, CEO and co-founder of streamr.ai, described the strategic synergy during a podcast discussion about the acquisition. "Most white-label customers were already SpringServe customers, and streamr.ai had begun integrating with Magnite's ClearLine platform," said Moffie. This foundation created what he characterized as natural alignment that would "drastically accelerate the timeline by being part of a scaled company rather than doing it on our own."

Jill Steinhauser, Group SVP at Warner Bros. Discovery, highlighted how the platform enhances strategic priorities. "Magnite's evolution of ClearLine provides a more efficient path for buyers to curate and activate campaigns within our inventory, with direct connections that reduce friction and preserve visibility and control," said Steinhauser. "ClearLine enhances our strategic initiatives at WBD to simplify access to our premium storytelling across every screen while driving stronger performance outcomes for advertisers."

The platform evolution arrives as Magnite maintains dominant market position in connected television advertising. Independent analysis released March 5, 2025 revealed that Magnite covers 99% of the CTV supply market, maintaining a substantial 24% lead over its closest competitor. The company also commands 96% of overall omnichannel supply coverage.

Recent partnerships demonstrate ClearLine's expanding role across the advertising ecosystem. Best Buy selected Magnite on September 19, 2025 as its exclusive supply-side platform and curation partner, leveraging SpringServe technology to enable programmatic access to curated inventory through deal IDs. Western Union tapped Magnite on April 21, 2025 to become the first commerce media company leveraging ClearLine for direct access to premium streaming inventory.

The technology addresses fundamental efficiency challenges in programmatic advertising. With multiple systems operating independently, information often becomes siloed, creating discrepancies between what publishers can offer and what advertisers can access. By unifying curation and activation, ClearLine aims to provide a more coherent approach to campaign management across all screens.

Industry data underscores the strategic importance of these capabilities. Connected television's share of media budgets is projected to double from 14% in 2023 to 28% in 2025, while 72% of marketers plan to increase programmatic advertising investment in 2025, up from 62% in 2024. This growth trajectory emphasizes the need for streamlined platforms that can handle increasing complexity while maintaining transparency and control.

The platform's data integration capabilities address another critical challenge: effective audience targeting without relying on cookies or device identifiers. By bringing together curation and activation, Magnite will provide publishers the ability to apply audience segments consistently across both direct and programmatic sales channels, while advertisers gain more reliable access to targeted inventory.

Financial performance demonstrates market demand for these capabilities. Magnite reported on May 7, 2025 that CTV revenue grew 15% year-over-year in Q1 2025, reaching $63.2 million and exceeding company guidance. Agency marketplaces powered by ClearLine attracted aggressive participation from GroupM, Horizon, and Dentsu, indicating strong adoption among major holding companies.

The ClearLine evolution reflects opposing strategic directions in programmatic advertising. While The Trade Desk pushes toward transparency with OpenAds, announced October 2, 2025, Magnite moves toward curation and bundling with ClearLine. The Trade Desk's OpenAds platform directly challenges supply-side platforms by offering transparent auction mechanics that bypass traditional SSP intermediaries. CEO Jeff Green characterized the approach as countering "obfuscation over transparency" in the supply chain.

Magnite's ClearLine represents the inverse strategy. Rather than eliminating layers, the platform enables supply-side curation and packaging of inventory with first-party data and content signals. This bundling approach allows sellers to add value through intelligent selection and optimization, creating differentiated marketplaces rather than pure price transparency.

The divergent strategies highlight a fundamental tension in programmatic advertising. The Trade Desk, operating as a demand-side platform, pursues supply chain optimization and direct publisher connections through OpenPath and OpenAds. Publishers adopting OpenPath demonstrated significant revenue improvements, with The New York Post reporting a 97% boost in programmatic display revenue. However, these transparency initiatives reduce seller control over auction dynamics and inventory packaging.

Magnite's curation approach preserves seller autonomy while adding sophistication to inventory offerings. By unifying curation and activation within ClearLine, the company enables publishers to compete on value rather than pure price discovery. This strategy aligns with broader industry momentum around curation standards established by the IAB Tech Lab in December 2024.

The opposing movements reflect different business model imperatives. Demand-side platforms like The Trade Desk benefit from transparent, efficient supply paths that minimize costs for advertisers. Supply-side platforms like Magnite profit from differentiated inventory packages that command premium pricing through added data and targeting capabilities.

The October 1, 2025 announcement positions Magnite to capitalize on multiple industry trends simultaneously: the shift toward streaming television, the adoption of programmatic curation standards, the integration of artificial intelligence into advertising workflows, and the growing demand for supply chain transparency. The unified ClearLine platform represents Magnite's response to these converging forces shaping the future of digital advertising.

Timeline

• December 16, 2024: IAB Tech Lab announces formal curation standards following two years of framework development
• February 27, 2025: Microsoft Advertising Partner Program expands to include curators, marking first expansion to curation technology providers
• March 5, 2025: Magnite dominates CTV market with 99% supply coverage according to Jounce Media analysis
• April 21, 2025: Western Union taps Magnite as first commerce media company to leverage ClearLine solution
• April 23, 2025: Magnite announces merger of ad server and SSP technologies into unified SpringServe platform
• May 7, 2025: Magnite reports strong Q1 results with 15% CTV growth as agency marketplaces powered by ClearLine attract major holding companies
• July 3, 2025: Industry leaders debate curation benefits during IAB Europe's Virtual Programmatic Day
• July 16, 2025: OpenX launches curation platform for agencies, reflecting broader industry momentum
• July 24, 2025: Dentsu expands Magnite partnership for CTV advertising across EMEA markets
• August 26, 2025: Magnite rolls out pause ads for streaming TV with DIRECTV and Fubo
• September 9, 2025: Magnite acquires streamr.ai to bring AI-powered CTV ad creation tools to small business marketers
• September 19, 2025: Best Buy selects Magnite as exclusive SSP and curation partner for programmatic expansion
• October 1, 2025: Magnite announces evolution of ClearLine to unify curation and activation with AI integration

Summary

Who: Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI), the largest independent sell-side advertising company, announced the evolution alongside statements from industry partners including IPG Mediabrands, KERV.ai, Kinective Media by United Airlines, LG Ad Solutions, and Warner Bros. Discovery.

What: The evolution of ClearLine unifies curation and activation capabilities within a single platform, enabling buyers and curators to discover, package, and activate inventory across Magnite's premium omnichannel footprint. The update includes plans to integrate AI assistance and agentic workflows powered by technology from the streamr.ai acquisition.

When: Magnite announced the ClearLine evolution on October 1, 2025, with beta availability scheduled for the coming weeks. The announcement builds on the September 9, 2025 streamr.ai acquisition and the April 23, 2025 SpringServe platform merger.

Where: The platform operates across Magnite's premium omnichannel footprint, providing access to 109 million US ad-supported households for streaming TV, along with online video, display, and audio inventory. ClearLine operates on the same infrastructure as SpringServe, Magnite's video platform with ad serving and programmatic capabilities.

Why: The evolution addresses fragmentation in programmatic advertising by creating a frictionless path between advertisers and audiences. Unifying curation and activation reduces technology layers, improves interoperability between buyers and sellers, and enables campaigns to execute closer to the impression for higher data fidelity, reduced signal loss, and stronger return on ad spend.