Draft:FreeWheel

FreeWheel
IndustryAdvertising
FoundedFebruary 14, 2007; 19 years ago (2007-02-14)
FoundersJonathan Heller, Doug Knopper and Diane Yu
Headquarters
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

FreeWheel is an ad exchange platform company founded in 2007 and now owned by Comcast since 2014. The service provides a way for media sellers to publish their supply of ads and consequently provides a way for media buyers to acquire such content. The company has offices in nine countries.

History

Jonathan Heller, Doug Knopper and Diane Yu co-founded FreeWheel on February 14, 2007. All had worked previously at DoubleClick.[1] Knopper, who became CEO[2], has stated that he was looking for a business opportunity while Heller wanted to help monetize digital TV inventory. They brought in Yu, whom they knew previously. They wanted to protect television and the associated advertising ecosystem: as television shows moved to streaming services, the company sought to monetize shows, rather than lose them like the music industry had for albums. Investment firm Battery Ventures supported FreeWheel with $10.5 million, combined with financing from Foundation Capital for a total of $12 million.[3]

FreeWheel partnered with Nielsen so shared customers could plan ad buys based on ratings. Similarly, the company partnered with AOL to sell ads through FourFronts.

Comcast acquired Freewheel in 2014 for $320 million.[4][5][6]

Subsequently, FreeWheel acquired Adazzle[7], AudienceXpress, and Visible World[8] in 2015. In 2021, FreeWheel acquired BeesWax, a demand-side platform.[9]

In advance of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, FreeWheel announced a set of new programmatic advertising tools that would advance diversity of advertisers and support server capacity.[10]

Products and Components

FreeWheel has expanded its capabilities through strategic acquisitions:

StickyAds: FreeWheel acquired StickyAds, a European programmatic advertising platform, strengthening its presence in international markets and enhancing its programmatic capabilities for premium video advertising. This acquisition expanded FreeWheel's footprint in Europe and added supply-side platform (SSP) technology to its portfolio.[11]

Beeswax: In 2021, FreeWheel acquired Beeswax, a customizable demand-side platform (DSP) that allows advertisers and agencies to build tailored programmatic buying solutions. The acquisition added buy-side capabilities to FreeWheel's predominantly sell-side technology stack, enabling more complete advertising workflow solutions.[12] Integration of Beeswax into FreeWheel began in November 2021.[13]

Industry Position And Achievements

FreeWheel globally serves major media companies, broadcasters, and streaming services, positioning itself as infrastructure for the converging television and digital video advertising ecosystem. The company's technology addresses challenges related to fragmented viewing across multiple devices and platforms, helping advertisers reach audiences regardless of how they consume content. To this end, FreeWheel publishes the Video Marketplace Report (VMR), a quarterly analysis of trends in premium video advertising. The VMR provides industry benchmarks and insights based on aggregated data from FreeWheel's platform, covering metrics such as advertising impressions, viewing patterns, device usage, and market dynamics across different content types and distribution methods. The report has become a widely referenced resource for understanding shifts in the video advertising landscape, including the growth of connected TV, changes in ad formats, and the evolution of programmatic transactions.[14]

Freewheel launched an industry organization in 2015 to foster relationships between video providers, evaluate areas of concern, and propose new standards, known as the FreeWheel Council for Premium Video.[15]

References

  1. ^ "Freewheel Lets CBS, Warner Bros. Run Ads on Any Video Player". Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  2. ^ Liyakasa, Kelly (11 February 2014). "FreeWheel Co-Founder On Growth And Video Ad Alliances With Amazon, AOL". AdExchanger. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  3. ^ ""DoubleClick for Web Video" Start-up FreeWheel Raises $12 Million". AllThingsD. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  4. ^ Johnson, Eric (1 March 2014). "Comcast To Acquire Video Ad Platform FreeWheel". Vox. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  5. ^ "Comcast buys advertising startup Freewheel for $360 million". Reiters. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  6. ^ Nail, Jim (3 Mar 2014). "Comcast And FreeWheel: Cementing An Addressable Future For TV Ads". Forbes. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  7. ^ "Progress Partners Announces Sale of Adazzle to Comcast". Progress Partners.
  8. ^ Liyakasa, Kelly (5 June 2015). "Comcast's Acquisition Of Visible World Could Bring It Closer To The Buy Side". AdExchanger. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  9. ^ Joe, Ryan (17 December 2020). "FreeWheel Buys Beeswax". AdExchanger. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  10. ^ Szalai, Georg (18 June 2024). "Comcast's FreeWheel Unveils New Live Events Tool Ahead of Paris Olympics". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  11. ^ Liyakasa, Kelly (9 May 2016). "In Buying StickyAds, FreeWheel Becomes A Full-Stack Solution". AdExchanger. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
  12. ^ Joe, Ryan (17 December 2020). "FreeWheel Buys Beeswax". AdExchanger. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  13. ^ "FreeWheel Integrates Beeswax Technology Months After Acquisition | Radio & Television Business Report". 9 November 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
  14. ^ Only, Subscription (20 November 2014). "FreeWheel Report: TV Everywhere Presents Huge Opportunity for Broadcasters". Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  15. ^ Friedman, Wayne. "Freewheel Starts Council For Premium Video". www.mediapost.com. Retrieved 30 April 2026.

Category:American companies established in 2007

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