Charter Communications has made an undisclosed investment in the advertising data and analytics company 605, which is run by former Cablevision COO Kristin Dolan.
Under the agreement with 605, Charter will supply the company with aggregated and anonymized data culled from its network of pay-TV set-top boxes. In turn, 605 will use its proprietary data infrastructure and analytics capabilities to enhance Spectrum Reach, Charter’s advertising sales unit.
More specifically, the data processed by 605 will be used to support Spectrum Reach’s recently introduced AudienceApp, a tool for media planning and optimization within linear television.
RELATED: Cablevision's Kristin Dolan: 'I never faced any glass ceilings' for women in the cable biz
“605’s data and analytics capabilities will revolutionize our approach to advertising sales by improving our ability to provide our clients with solutions to reach the right target audiences and ensure that every dollar invested in advertising with us delivers a real and meaningful return,” said David Kline, executive VP of Spectrum Reach.
Former Cablevision chief executive James Dolan and Kristin Dolan launched 605 last year through their Dolan Family Ventures unit, which was set up following the $17.7 billion buyout of Cablevision by Europe’s Altice.
Under the new agreement, Kline, as well as James Blackley, executive VP of engineering and information technology for Charter, will sit on the 605 board of directors alongside Kristin and James Dolan.
The Dolan’s relationships with Charter executive team run deep, starting with Charter Chairman and CEO Tom Rutledge, who left the Cablevision team in 2012 to run Charter.
“Charter is an important strategic partner that brings a powerful and significant data set to 605,” said Kristin Dolan, who holds the title of CEO of 605. “Programmers, distributors, advertisers and agencies are moving quickly to embrace audience-based advertising and measurement, and we are at the forefront of this trend. We believe our efforts can accelerate the transformation in the advertising industry’s approach to measurement and accountability by moving beyond traditional ratings to include impressions in buying decisions. Given our close and longstanding relationship with their management team, we are pleased to have Charter as our strategic partner.”