If the process of brands and their ad agencies contracting advertising technology vendors were like the dating game, well, these days more of them are becoming less promiscuous.

In this video interview with Beet.TV, Sean Buckley, CRO of SpotX , says brands are now seeking out deeper, more meaningful relationships with fewer tech suppliers.

That follows a few years in which the number of point-solution tech products explosion. Now we are seeing something of an implosion, driven both by M&A and by changing buyer habits.

“We have seen a move toward consolidation in the space, which is actually a reversal of maybe how things were looking a few years ago,” Buckley says.

“What we’re seeing from the buy side is interest in fewer but much deeper partnerships. We’re seeing both the agencies as well as brands launch initiatives to really focus in on the partners who are trustworthy, important, and necessary in the supply chain, and then take those relationships to the next level.

“That’s been a major trend over the last few years, folks going from perhaps 30 or 40 downstream technology partners on the supply side to maybe only six or eight total partners.”

Buckley says over-the-top and connected TV have now become the majority of SpotX’s business – a topic on which the company will be hosting a panel at the upcoming Cannes Lions festival.

This video is part of the Beet.TV preview series titled “The Road to Cannes.”  The series is sponsored by 4INFO. Please visit this page for additional segments. 

By Robert Andrews on    @robertandrews