VIOOH just unlocked 60,000 streaming TV screens in bars and gyms for programmatic ads

VIOOH today announced a partnership with Atmosphere TV that brings programmatic advertising capabilities to over 60,000 business venues across the United Kingdom, North America, and Australia. The collaboration positions the digital out-of-home supply-side platform as a gateway to place-based streaming television inventory spanning restaurants, bars, gyms, airports, hotels, and office buildings.

The partnership delivers access to venues generating more than 1 billion monthly impressions, according to the announcement. Atmosphere TV reaches over 150 million monthly viewers through more than 30 channels of audio-optional, brand-safe content distributed across business locations rather than residential environments.

Atmosphere TV controls over 85% market share in North America's place-based streaming sector. The platform operates as what the company describes as the world's largest streaming TV platform built specifically for businesses, distinguishing it from residential-focused services like Netflix or Hulu that prohibit commercial exhibition.

Extended viewing sessions create advertising opportunities

The platform delivers average viewing times at 40 minutes, substantially longer than typical residential streaming sessions where viewers maintain remote control access and skip functionality. Atmosphere TV-enabled venues experience a 40% increase in visits during major sporting events, demonstrating the platform's ability to capture audiences during premium viewing moments when consumers have actively chosen to visit specific locations.

"Atmosphere TV opens up a completely new advertising opportunity - reaching audiences in the moments when they're relaxed, engaged and spending quality time in venues they've actively chosen to visit," said Gavin Wilson, Global Chief Commercial Officer at VIOOH. "With 40+ minute average dwell times and 100% viewable, non-skippable inventory, advertisers can connect with consumers who are genuinely attentive."

Wilson emphasized programmatic capabilities including targeting by venue type, location, and activation around live sporting events as distinguishing characteristics. The partnership positions place-based advertising with sophisticated automation rather than traditional direct-sale models typical of location-based media.

Supply-side platform integration enables automated buying

Through programmatic buying via VIOOH's supply-side platform, 100% of Atmosphere TV inventory became available with comprehensive targeting capabilities. These include content, audience, geo, context and business type, tentpole events and live sports with radius targeting, and first and third-party data integration.

The platform accepts video durations from six to 90 seconds. Buying options include preferred evergreen deals, first-look private auctions, and programmatic guaranteed transactions. These flexible deal structures mirror programmatic DOOH capabilities that infrastructure providers have introduced throughout 2025.

"Partnering with VIOOH brings a new level of programmatic sophistication to our offering," said Ryan Spicer, Chief Revenue Officer at Atmosphere TV. "Our platform already delivers exceptional reach and engagement for advertisers. Now, through VIOOH's technology and global marketplace, brands can access our inventory with the flexibility and precision that VIOOH programmatic enables, from preferred deals to programmatic guaranteed."

The partnership extends VIOOH's reach into place-based streaming environments that operate differently from traditional digital out-of-home screens. Unlike static billboards or transit displays, Atmosphere TV screens deliver streaming content continuously, creating what amounts to a captive audience in locations where consumers have chosen to spend extended time periods.

Business-specific streaming differs from residential CTV

Atmosphere TV positions itself as a premium CTV FAST platform designed exclusively for non-residential spaces. The platform offers more than 30 original and partner TV channels focused on sports, news, and entertainment content suitable for public viewing without audio requirements.

The company has received recognition including placement on Deloitte's 2023 Technology Fast 500, Fast Company's 2022 Most Innovative Companies, and Forbes' Next Billion Dollar Startups lists. This distinguishes Atmosphere TV from residential streaming services that explicitly prohibit commercial use in business locations.

VIOOH maintains operations in 35 markets and drives demand through partnerships with more than 50 demand-side platforms globally. The London-headquartered company launched in 2018 as a supply-side platform specifically designed for digital out-of-home advertising, connecting buyers and sellers in what it characterizes as a premium marketplace.

The partnership represents VIOOH's expansion into place-based streaming environments following numerous programmatic DOOH partnerships throughout 2025. Previous collaborations brought programmatic access to US grocery stores and transit hubs through partnerships with networks like Dolphin OOH and Vengo.

Infrastructure development accelerates across DOOH sector

The announcement reflects accelerating infrastructure development across the programmatic digital out-of-home sector throughout 2025 and into 2026. Place Exchange launched Programmatic Guaranteed for DOOH within Google's Display & Video 360 in December 2025, enabling advertisers to secure premium inventory with predetermined pricing and placement certainty while maintaining programmatic workflow efficiency.

Broadsign enabled advance booking capabilities through StackAdapt in November 2025, introducing programmatic guaranteed transactions to North American markets. That partnership eliminated manual negotiation processes typical of traditional outdoor advertising purchases while providing inventory certainty advertisers require when planning campaigns around specific events.

VIOOH reported in November 2025 that its platform generates carbon emissions of 0.041 grams CO2e per ad impression, demonstrating programmatic DOOH's substantial environmental advantage over traditional digital channels. The broadcast nature of digital out-of-home allows multiple viewers to simultaneously receive content, maximizing efficiency per impression compared to individualized digital advertising formats.

Place-based streaming inventory differs from traditional DOOH screens through extended content sessions rather than brief advertisement rotations. Where highway billboards might display advertisements for 10-15 seconds before rotating to another advertiser, Atmosphere TV screens maintain continuous programming with advertisements integrated into content streams similar to residential streaming services.

The targeting capabilities enabled through VIOOH's platform include venue type specifications that allow advertisers to differentiate between restaurants, bars, gyms, airports, hotels, and office buildings. Geographic parameters enable location-based targeting, while contextual capabilities allow activation around specific events including live sporting competitions.

Market adoption demonstrates steady growth

Programmatic digital out-of-home adoption reached 30% in mainland China in 2025, marking a 6-percentage-point increase from 24% in 2023, according to VIOOH's State of the Nation 2025 report. The research showed 32% of respondents plan to deploy programmatic DOOH within the next 12 months, positioning it as the fourth most popular advertising channel among 14 major media formats.

Google implemented new requirements for Connected TV and DOOH inventory in May 2025, establishing technical parameters publishers must include in ad requests for programmatic monetization. Those requirements included mandatory screen location parameters and session identifiers specifically for DOOH implementations.

The partnership addresses what IAB Australia identified in August 2025 as a significant barrier to programmatic DOOH adoption: 36% of surveyed marketing professionals cited lack of understanding as preventing larger investment shares. Australia maintains 26,000 screens available for programmatic campaigns, representing 80% of total digital screens accessible through automated buying infrastructure.

DIRECTV made its live TV network available for programmatic DOOH buying earlier in January 2026, reflecting growing convergence between traditional television distribution and place-based advertising infrastructure. That announcement positioned DIRECTV Remote screens in sports bars, restaurants, hotels, and retail locations as programmatic inventory accessible through Place Exchange.

The convergence of streaming television advertising formats with place-based environments creates new measurement challenges for the advertising industry. Connected television advertising spending approached $33.35 billion in 2025, with 72% of marketers planning increased programmatic investment, according to industry forecasts.

Atmosphere TV's business model centers on providing free streaming content to venues in exchange for advertising inventory. Businesses install Atmosphere TV screens without subscription fees, with the platform monetizing through advertisement sales. This differs from residential streaming services that charge monthly subscription fees while operating with minimal or no advertising in premium tiers.

The platform's audio-optional content design addresses business environment requirements where background noise levels vary significantly. Restaurants during busy lunch periods require different audio considerations than airport terminal waiting areas or gym cardio equipment zones.

VIOOH's platform provides measurement capabilities aligned with Out of Home Advertising Association of America guidelines, utilizing what the company describes as deterministic mobile device data updated continuously to reflect current viewing patterns. This measurement framework enables impression, reach, and frequency metrics for campaigns purchased both programmatically and through direct relationships.

The partnership positions VIOOH within expanding competition among supply-side platforms seeking to aggregate diverse digital out-of-home inventory types. While traditional DOOH focused on static digital billboards and transit advertising, newer partnerships encompass retail point-of-sale screens, office building lobbies, and now place-based streaming television environments.

Timeline

• 2018: VIOOH launches as supply-side platform for digital out-of-home advertising
• August 2025: VIOOH partners with Vengo for US programmatic advertising expansion across 65,000 screens
• November 2025: VIOOH reports 0.041g CO2e per impression, demonstrating environmental advantages
• November 2025: Broadsign enables advance DOOH booking through StackAdapt partnership
• December 2025: Place Exchange launches Programmatic Guaranteed for DOOH in Google DV360
• January 2026: VIOOH announces partnership with Dolphin OOH for 5,000 US screens
• January 8, 2026: DIRECTV makes live TV network available for programmatic DOOH
• January 15, 2026: VIOOH announces partnership with Atmosphere TV, providing programmatic access to 60,000+ venues across UK, North America, and Australia

Summary

Who: VIOOH, the London-based premium global digital out-of-home supply-side platform, announced a strategic partnership with Atmosphere TV, the world's largest streaming TV platform built for businesses. Key executives include Gavin Wilson, Global Chief Commercial Officer at VIOOH, and Ryan Spicer, Chief Revenue Officer at Atmosphere TV.

What: The partnership delivers programmatic access to over 60,000 venues generating more than 1 billion monthly impressions across restaurants, bars, gyms, airports, hotels, and office buildings. VIOOH's supply-side platform now provides 100% of Atmosphere TV inventory with comprehensive targeting capabilities including content, audience, geo, context and business type, tentpole events and live sports with radius targeting, and first and third-party data integration. The platform accepts video durations from six to 90 seconds with flexible buying options including preferred evergreen deals, first-look private auctions, and programmatic guaranteed transactions.

When: VIOOH announced the partnership on January 15, 2026. The collaboration provides immediate programmatic access to Atmosphere TV's place-based streaming inventory across three major markets.

Where: The partnership operates across the United Kingdom, North America, and Australia, providing advertisers access to over 60,000 business venues. Atmosphere TV maintains over 85% market share in North America's place-based streaming sector and reaches over 150 million monthly viewers through more than 30 channels of audio-optional, brand-safe content.

Why: The partnership addresses advertiser demand for reaching consumers in high-dwell time environments with average viewing times at 40 minutes. Place-based streaming differs from traditional digital out-of-home through extended content sessions and captive audiences in locations where consumers have actively chosen to spend time. The collaboration enables sophisticated programmatic capabilities including venue type targeting, geographic parameters, and activation around live sporting events, positioning place-based advertising with automation capabilities rather than traditional direct-sale models typical of location-based media.