Observed Signal · Jun 2, 2026 · Hiring · Source: https://martechseries.com/feed/ · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Kouros Esfahany Joins Locality as CTO
Kouros Esfahany has joined Locality as Chief Technology Officer to lead the platform’s next phase of innovation, focusing on unifying broadcast, CTV and digital video within a single planning, buying and measurement workflow. In a MarTechSeries interview he referenced his prior engineering leadership roles at eBay, FreeWheel and Extreme Reach and described how Locality’s products — LocalX, Darwin, Audience Engine and Collective — aim to simplify fragmentation in local TV by integrating inventory, identity, data and measurement. He highlighted AI’s role in predictive planning, in‑flight optimization, audience unification (including ACR/IP signals), and scalable creative localization for local markets. The article notes Locality operates across all 210 U.S. DMAs and is wholly owned by One Equity Partners. Publication date: 2026-06-02.
Executive hire at an adtech vendor focused on unifying broadcast and CTV with AI-driven planning/measurement is relevant to local TV/CTV market dynamics and product roadmaps but is not a major industry‑shifting announcement.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Kouros Esfahany joined Locality as Chief Technology Officer.
- Locality is wholly owned by One Equity Partners and operates across all 210 U.S. DMAs.
- Locality’s proprietary technologies named in the interview are LocalX, Darwin (AI-powered local broadcast planning and optimization), Audience Engine, and Collective.
- Esfahany previously led engineering and technology at eBay, FreeWheel, and Extreme Reach.
- Locality acquired Deben and hired Prasad Joglekar as part of that initiative (mentioned in the interview).
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Locality Appoints Kouros Esfahany as CTO
Locality appointed veteran ad‑tech executive Kouros Esfahany as chief technology officer to lead the company’s next phase of cross‑platform product and data development for local TV advertising. Locality is advancing a unified platform that spans broadcast and streaming and is centralizing its data strategy around Audience Engine, its proprietary infrastructure that transforms more than 25 billion local data signals into predictive audiences. As CTO, Esfahany will oversee the evolution of Locality’s products—LocalX (planning/buying/optimization), Darwin (AI-driven broadcast planning) and Collective (national planning across local TV)—and expand Audience Engine’s data and AI capabilities. Esfahany brings prior senior technology roles at XR Extreme Reach, eBay and FreeWheel, is a published author and holds 14 U.S. patents.
Meet Kouros Esfahany, CTO
Kouros Esfahany is Chief Technology Officer of Locality, where he leads the ongoing evolution of the company’s technology platform, spanning …
Locality Boosts Geo-Targeted Ads for National Brands
Locality, a media-tech company formed three years ago when One Equity Partners merged CoxReps and Gamut, is expanding local, geo-targeted CTV advertising. The company works with 150 streaming publishers and 400 broadcast stations to fill local inventory across 210 designated market areas (DMAs). Locality has built an ID infrastructure using data from Databricks and Lovelytics to support measurement, data matching and frequency capping. In 2025, Locality launched LocalX, a media buying and measurement platform for direct access to streaming inventory, followed by Audience Engine in September, an AI-powered tool to help marketers analyze data and plan campaigns. Leadership notes that self-serve may come later, but current workflows still involve behind-the-scenes expertise for creative and messaging. The move signals intensified focus on local ads as national brands seek geo-targeted reach.
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