Media Square

xpln.ai Expands to US, Taps Gina Cavallo as CRO

xpln.ai, an attention-measurement platform, announced its official expansion into North America on 29 January 2026 and appointed Gina Cavallo as Chief Revenue Officer, US. CEO and co-founder Fabien Magalon has relocated to New York to support the commercial push. xpln.ai positions itself as a research-grade, privacy-safe, transparent attention measurement solution spanning YouTube, social platforms, connected TV (CTV) and the open web, using techniques such as advanced eye-tracking and semantic analysis to link media quality, creative impact and business outcomes. The company, launched in 2022 and previously active across six European and APAC markets, cites advertiser customers and endorsements from MondeIēz International and Danone. Cavallo joins from Audigent (part of Experian), where she served as CRO ahead of Audigent’s 2024 acquisition by Experian.

FreeWheel acquires StickyADS.tv

FreeWheel, a Comcast platform service company and leading provider of Premium Video Ad Management, has acquired StickyADS.tv, a Paris-based Video SSP. The acquisition links two top-tier technologies for traditional and programmatic TV sales to form an end-to-end solution that enables publishers to monetize video inventory across all screens while providing access to multiple demand channels and ensuring brand safety and compliance. StickyADS.tv serves major European broadcasters such as TF1, France Télévisions and M6, and offers a Private Exchange framework with more than 90 Server-to-Server Buy-Side connections to leading DSPs. The integration positions FreeWheel to deliver an automated, inventory-wide ad technology platform with comprehensive visibility and enforced business rules across demand sources. Executives Doug Knopper (FreeWheel CEO) and Hervé Brunet (StickyADS.tv CEO) welcome the combination, with James Rooke (FreeWheel CRO) highlighting private exchange capabilities and geographic reach.

European Video CPMs Rise as Bid Density Surges

An interview with Massimo de Magistris of StickyADS.tv discusses European programmatic video dynamics. CPMs in top EU markets vary, with France around 12€, Germany 16–20€, and the UK 13–16€, driven by buyer density outpacing supply. The piece highlights the growth of publisher co-operatives, such as La Place Media in France, and StickyADS.tv’s role as a private exchange technology provider that helps publishers run their own private exchanges while retaining control of monetization. It notes rapid Italian progress, where private exchanges grew from 30 million to 300 million video impressions per month after StickyADS.tv expanded in December 2013, and mentions office openings in Madrid, London, and Hamburg. The discussion underscores the ongoing shift to programmatic in Europe and the strategic value of co-operatives and private exchanges for publishers.