CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 18, 2026--
Iridio has enhanced its Connected TV (CTV) digital solution, debuting a custom-built AI-powered channel identification engine that brings transparency, accuracy and performance to streaming media. RRD’s proprietary technology maps billions of fragmented bid signals to more than 200 validated channels and 88 contextual genres, enabling genre or channel identification for up to 94% of impressions served. The solution also rejects inefficient bids, reduces fraud and improves placement quality without sacrificing scale.
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As CTV ad spend continues to increase, the industry has reached a tipping point. Despite the platform’s growth, a majority of marketers remain plagued by a lack of transparency, frequently struggling to justify their investments without clear insight into where their ads are actually running.
Traditional programmatic CTV often obscures specific show and channel data. Iridio’s technology utilizes a sophisticated three-step content classification pipeline – combining multiple LLM passes together with manually-curated verification rules – to ingest and normalize app store information, network signals and content data, transforming them into standardized, high-confidence reporting for advertisers.
Precision engineering and AI logic
At the core of Iridio’s CTV offering is its Channel Identification. By processing over 44 billion CTV bid stream signals per day, Iridio’s AI confidently labels impressions with high accuracy. This precision allows Iridio to offer a level of granular detail usually reserved for higher-cost direct deals, but with the scale of the open web.
Central to Iridio’s AI is its contextual solution, which is built in-house and fully customizable. It allows clients to define specific focus genres to match brand identity. Iridio combines granular customization with non-skippable, quality inventory across all major streaming devices and apps culminating in delivery of precision targeting at the scale of 130 million households.
Unlike the industry standard to charge a premium for contextual layers, Iridio provides this capability at no additional cost, allowing brands to prioritize 88 proprietary genres and 1,300 interest categories to drive deeper viewer relevance and reduce ad fatigue. Ultimately, Iridio’s optimization capabilities and contextual targeting solution provide that premium relevance at programmatic scale and cost.
Protecting value over volume
Iridio’s technology prioritizes value over volume, effectively rejecting inefficient bids that fail to meet strict verification standards. Iridio ensures that every impression is served alongside premium, verified inventory by avoiding irregular or unverified sellers.
“For too long, CTV has been a black box for brands, where they pay premium prices for inventory without knowing exactly what content their ads are supporting,” said Paul Mandeville, Iridio Chief Product Officer. “By applying our proven technologies to solve the channel identification crisis, we’re providing data along with the certainty that marketers demand. We’re moving beyond mere impressions to true contextual intelligence, allowing our clients to see the full picture of their media buy while maintaining the ability to customize reach.”
The roadmap to sales lift
While current reporting provides unprecedented visibility into genre and app-level performance, Iridio’s engineering roadmap is focused on new tailored CTV tiers. A tiered approach allows advertisers to select the level of precision that best fits their objectives, ranging from geo-based targeting designed to maximize verified reach across 130 million households to tiers that run exclusively against inventory that’s 100% identifiable by channel and genre. By matching specific inventory priorities and optimizations to unique brand identities, Iridio ensures that every campaign – whether focused on broad expansion or surgical contextual placement – is built on a foundation of verified, high-quality content.
To learn more about Iridio’s CTV solutions, visit https://go.iridio.com/connected-tv.
Iridio enhanced its Connected TV (CTV) digital solution, debuting a custom-built AI-powered channel identification engine that brings transparency, accuracy and performance to streaming media. Proprietary technology maps billions of fragmented bid signals to more than 200 validated channels and 88 contextual genres, enabling genre or channel identification for up to 94% of impressions served. The solution also rejects inefficient bids, reduces fraud and improves placement quality without sacrificing scale.
Former President Barack Obama, joined by three former presidents, celebrated the opening of his presidential museum in Chicago in an extraordinary event Thursday that brought together world leaders, A-list celebrities, athletes and other internationally known figures.
Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Christina Aguilera and Bono were all slated to perform at the dedication ceremony.
Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters shared the stage with former presidents Joe Biden, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton along with former first ladies Jill Biden, Laura Bush and Hillary Rodham Clinton. Former Vice President Kamala Harris was also in attendance.
Obama and Michelle Obama are both expected to give remarks. The invite-only celebration was livestreamed and kicks off a weekend of events centered around the Obama Presidential Center, which opens to the general public on Juneteenth.
President Donald Trump was not in attendance. He called the $850 million center a “total disaster” in a social media post in February.
Those at the event included California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate; civil rights leaders Andrew Young and Al Sharpton; Oprah Winfrey; comedians David Letterman, Conan O'Brien and Stephen Colbert; actor Tom Hanks; tennis legend Billie Jean King and Chicago Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts.
Former world leaders in attendance included former Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Jennifer Hudson sang the national anthem. Other musicians slated to perform include Common, Eddie Vedder, Marc Anthony and The Roots, which was serving as the house band.
The Thursday celebration “will reflect a spirit of inspiration and joy, with a big boost from the performers who are sharing their talent with us,” said Valerie Jarrett, the Obama Foundation’s chief executive and former Obama top adviser. “We hope to inspire people everywhere to believe in their power to bring change home.”
General admission tickets for the center are sold out through the end of October. But tens of thousands of people have already been offered a sneak peek of the nearly 20-acre campus on Chicago's South Side in Jackson Park.
The center, located near where Obama lived and began his political career, is expected to attract more than 1 million visitors annually. It is adjacent to the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry in the lakefront park, and not far from the University of Chicago.
The campus includes a towering museum that covers the political and personal realms of the nation’s first Black president and first lady, while public spaces include a branch of the Chicago Public Library, a playground and athletic center, basketball courts and a picnic area with grills.
The tower’s design is meant to depict four hands coming together in solidarity. Wrapped around one side are 5-foot tall concrete capital letters, an excerpt of Obama’s 2015 speech commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Selma-to-Montgomery march. It begins, “You are America.”
Former President Joe Biden, from left, former President Barack Obama, former President George W. Bush, and former President Bill Clinton, pose for a photo ahead of the dedication ceremony at the Obama Presidential Center, Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Pool) CORRECTION: Corrects date to June 18.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom hugs U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., ahead of the Obama Presidential Center dedication ceremony Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Former President Joe Biden and former first lady Jill Biden, from left, former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama, former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush, and former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, pose for a photo ahead of the dedication ceremony at the Obama Presidential Center, Thursday, June 17, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Pool)
Oprah Winfrey speaks to the media ahead of the Obama Presidential Center dedication ceremony Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
Former President Joe Biden, from left, former President Barack Obama, former President George W. Bush, and former President Bill Clinton, pose for a photo ahead of the dedication ceremony at the Obama Presidential Center, Thursday, June 17, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Pool)
Actor Mark Hamill mingles ahead of the Obama Presidential Center dedication ceremony Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The Obama Presidential Center Museum is seen ahead of the dedication ceremony Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Chicago Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts mingles ahead of the Obama Presidential Center dedication ceremony Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
The Rev. Al Sharpton mingles ahead of the Obama Presidential Center dedication ceremony Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
U.S. Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., right, shakes hands with Andrew Young, center, ahead of the Obama Presidential Center dedication ceremony Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
A statue of former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama is seen at the Obama Presidential Center ahead of the dedicated ceremony Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
The Chicago Public Library at the Obama Presidential Center is seen ahead of the dedication ceremony Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
The Obama Presidential Center is seen ahead of the dedication ceremony Thursday, June 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jon Cherry)
Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama on stage as they surprised administration and campaign alumni in Chicago ahead of the dedication ceremony of the Obama Presidential Center, Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Pool)
Former President Barack Obama appears on stage as he surprises administration and campaign alumni in Chicago ahead of the dedication ceremony of the Obama Presidential Center, Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Pool)
People stop to take a closer look at a scale model of the Obama Presidential Center as they arrive for a stakeholders reception at the Obama Presidential Center, Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Pool)
Former President Barack Obama stands on stage with former first lady Michelle Obama at a stakeholders event at the Obama Presidential Center, Tuesday, June 16, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Pool)
Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama on stage as they surprised administration and campaign alumni in Chicago at the ahead of the dedication ceremony of the Obama Presidential Center, Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, Pool)
