FreeWheel Strengthens Programmatic Position with Strategic Beeswax Acquisition

In a significant move to consolidate its leadership in digital video advertising, FreeWheel has finalized plans to acquire Beeswax, a prominent player in programmatic ad technology. The deal, anticipated to close in January 2021, marks a strategic expansion of FreeWheel’s marketplace infrastructure across Connected TV, Set-top Box Video on Demand, and broader television advertising channels.

Strategic Rationale Behind the Deal

The acquisition reflects the industry’s growing demand for flexible, customizable bidding solutions. Beeswax brings its proprietary Bidder-as-a-Service™ (BaaS) platform—a sophisticated bidding stack that has earned recognition among leading media companies and brands. By integrating this technology, FreeWheel aims to equip both its supply-side and demand-side clients with enhanced automation capabilities and greater control over programmatic transactions.

FreeWheel’s General Manager, Dave Clark, emphasized the complementary nature of the two platforms: “The market increasingly demands automation, simplicity, and data-driven campaign management across diverse endpoints. This acquisition enables us to deliver enhanced value to our clients, helping them navigate a more complex advertising landscape with greater ease and precision.”

What Beeswax Brings to the Table

Founded in 2014 by veteran Google executives, Beeswax has established itself as a programmatic buying platform offering unparalleled control and transparency. The company’s client roster includes prominent names such as Uber, DraftKings, and Nexstar. With $28 million in funding from respected investors including Foundry Group and RRE, Beeswax demonstrated strong market validation before this acquisition.

The platform’s BaaS technology allows brands, media companies, and advertising technology firms to access broader inventory pools and manage complex campaign requirements with enhanced flexibility and visibility. This capability directly addresses a critical pain point for both publishers seeking incremental inventory and advertisers pursuing data-driven optimization.

Mutual Benefits and Market Impact

Beeswax’s customers will gain access to FreeWheel’s extensive global infrastructure, scale, and expertise in video and Connected TV advertising sectors. Concurrently, FreeWheel clients will benefit from Beeswax’s advanced bidding capabilities, enabling more sophisticated inventory trading and campaign execution.

CEO Ari Paparo of Beeswax highlighted the forward-looking vision: “This partnership allows us to scale our platform across programmatic channels while delivering greater transparency and control to media buyers. The combined organization can now support advanced television advertising at unprecedented scale.”

About the Companies

FreeWheel, a Comcast Company, operates as a comprehensive solutions provider for the New TV Ecosystem. With global offices spanning New York, San Francisco, Chicago, London, Paris, and Beijing, FreeWheel facilitates transactions across all screens, data types, and sales channels. The company serves as an industry advocate through the FreeWheel Council for Premium Video.

Beeswax, headquartered in New York City, has carved out a distinctive niche as a programmatic platform emphasizing customer control and operational transparency. The acquisition allows both organizations to deepen their commitment to innovation in television and video advertising.