smartclip 2025 Year in Review

2025 marked a defining chapter for smartclip, headlined by the launch of Sidekicks – our agentic AI platform designed to optimise processes across the media industry and bring practical, scalable AI into everyday workflows. Alongside this major milestone, we continued to advance our technology and expand our market presence, while strengthening our team and much more.

Here is a recap of some key highlights and achievements…

We advanced our platform and products

We further enhanced our technology stack with cutting-edge features and new products. Some of our highlights included:

• Integration of Realytics’ BEE into smartx: We integrated BEE, Realytics’ deterministic TV measurement tool, directly into smartx, giving publishers a first-of-its-kind ability to precisely track and validate the performance of their inventory across Linear TV, CTV, and Addressable TV. This unique type of reporting provides the proof needed to command premium CPMs, strengthen agency relationships, and unlock new revenue by clearly demonstrating the value and the unduplicated reach of publishers’ cross-platform audience.

• Inventory Priority: This new feature allows publishers to align ad delivery more closely with their strategic inventory goals. By assigning a priority level to each site, publishers can directly influence how a campaign delivers. The system will then bias delivery towards higher-priority sites, using lower-priority inventory only as a supplement to ensure the overall campaign goal is met. This enables publishers to systematically optimise ad delivery for their most important assets, such as their owned and operated properties.
• Supply-side Ad Restrictions (Creative Labels): Within the Supply-side Ad Restrictions, Creative Labels enable each publisher to apply predefined rules that control when, where, and how every ad is allowed to appear, ensuring compliance with editorial guidelines, legal requirements, and brand‑safety standards. By restricting unsuitable ads and matching the right campaigns to the right ad placements, broadcasters can support stronger yield management, achieve higher fill rates, and ultimately a more predictable and positive revenue impact.
• Targeting Package Creator: The new Targeting Package Creator (TPC) is a dedicated tool that allows users to define, manage, and curate targeting with greater efficiency. It supports complex targeting packages that can be applied automatically across multiple campaigns or demand business rules. This  removes the manual interaction with complex Boolean expressions. TPC also enables Targeting Curation, allowing users to consolidate multiple data sources into a single package (e.g., “Female 18-30”) that is activated uniformly across inventory, while automatically managing the required underlying data sources. In addition, the tool supports the new Creative Labels feature, enabling supply-side restrictions for creative approval to streamline operations and ensure policy compliance.
• Expansion of SSP Orchestration: We strengthened our SSP orchestration to help publishers manage a growing number of partners. smartx now integrates with more third-party SSPs, providing direct, streamlined access to high-value demand. This introduces a distinct third pillar of monetisation, alongside IO and RTB, allowing teams to orchestrate demand more precisely, optimise yield across partners, and improve revenue efficiency without sacrificing inventory control.
• Enforced data protection setting via ad call parameter: Managing user privacy across complex, multi-partner publisher setups can be a significant operational challenge. To address this, we introduced a simple, definitive solution: our new ad call parameter allows publishers to enforce data protection settings on a per-ad-request basis. When included, this parameter explicitly instructs our platform to restrict the downstream sharing of personal user data. This gives publishers a direct, immediate, and simplified mechanism to ensure compliance without compromising campaign performance.
• Vegan 2.0 – Tracking Prevention: To support publisher privacy workflows, we enhanced our programmatic workflow with a new Tracking Prevention feature. Publishers can now specify exactly which trackers should be blocked from creatives directly within the rule configuration. This capability gives publishers greater control over downstream data sharing and streamlines functionalities for Vegan Ads and the GDPR Cockpit, providing more flexibility when defining privacy settings. 
• Daily Pacing: A new pacing option is now available to enhance ad delivery control. When enabled, Daily Pacing allocates the available volume for each day and then distributes it within that day according to the selected daily pacing strategy. This allows for more precise and focused campaign delivery, enabling impressions to be concentrated during key hours, such as the morning, afternoon. or evening. 
• New Forecasting & Reporting capabilities for User Account ID: The addition of new functionalities to the “User Account ID” gives publishers access to two powerful new features designed to improve precision and clarity. They can apply Frequency Caps at the user account level within the Forecaster, a key enhancement that supports campaign planning and setup. In addition, two new KPIs – “Unique Account Campaign” and “Unique Account Line Item” – have been introduced to display unique users at the account level based on delivered impressions. User Account IDs and the dedicated ID level introduced in smartx refer to identifiers that are connected to authenticated data sets. Therefore, the user account level targets individual users with available deterministic information based on log-in data.
• New Publisher module: We re-engineered the Publisher Module to allow publishers to manage inventory faster, with better guidance and improved operational efficiency. This is not just a new interface, but a complete architectural redesign built to streamline publishers’ most critical workflows, offering improved usability and a more intuitive visual hierarchy. In addition, we introduced a holistic history log that provides a single source of truth for seamless debugging, auditing, and knowledge sharing. Together, these capabilities form a differentiated smartx USP: a broadcaster‑centric, future‑proof inventory cockpit that lays the foundation for future smartx services.

Wondering what else is being worked on behind the scenes? Watch Gloria Eichler, CPO at smartclip, share insights into our Linear TV Goes smartx project.

We introduced agentic AI to the media industry

In July, we officially announced Sidekicks — a purpose‑built agentic AI platform designed to tackle real operational challenges across the media and advertising landscape by combining deep media intelligence with workflow automation. 

Over the following months, we didn’t just talk about the future — we built it. In October, RTL Deutschland launched a dedicated AI infrastructure to support Sidekicks, giving the platform a secure, scalable backbone capable of meeting strict data protection and performance requirements without relying on external cloud services. 

Most recently, in December, we hit a major milestone by opening Sidekicks’ first portfolio of AI agents for client testing within smartx. These agents — fully integrated and driven by natural‑language workflows — are the first tangible expression of our vision, helping users automate repetitive tasks, surface insights faster and elevate daily operations in real media environments. 

We launched a new product Knowledge Centre

Building on our ongoing commitment to share expertise and make smartx easier to navigate, 2025 saw the launch of the smartclip Knowledge Centre — a dedicated hub of on-demand product resources created in direct response to client and partner feedback. Designed to sit alongside the smartclip Academy, the Knowledge Centre provides quick access to essential documentation, guides, and insights that help users stay up to date with platform features and best practices. Together, these learning platforms give clients the flexibility to explore interactive courses and video tutorials through the Academy while quickly finding specific product answers and support through the Knowledge Centre — all in one place.

We brought together European media owners

We hosted this year’s Product Advisory Board (PAB) in Vienna, bringing clients and partners together for two days of strategic alignment and product updates. During the event, we highlighted our privacy‑first and deterministic measurement solutions and emerging AI initiatives, while providing space for discussions on industry trends and the exchange of perspectives from local markets. This year’s meeting also marked the largest turnout in the PAB’s history, reflecting the growing engagement and collaboration within our client community.

We shared our hard-won knowledge, giving our industry a lot to think about

We stayed closely connected to the wider industry throughout the year, contributing perspectives and sparking conversations across publications, panels, and in-person events. Alongside hosting our own client events, we were active across the European industry circuit — sponsoring, speaking and engaging at key gatherings such as egta 2025, DMEXCO in Cologne, Videoweek TV Rise in Portugal, Videoweek Roadmap in London, Cannes Lions, Open Garden’s CTV Innovators Event, d3con, and the Future of TV Advertising Global, among others. Each appearance created space for meaningful exchange, open discussion and a closer alignment with the evolving needs of the media ecosystem.

We partnered with RTL Hungary

In March, we announced a strategic partnership with RTL Hungary, further extending smartclip’s footprint in Central and Eastern Europe. Through this collaboration, RTL Hungary migrated to smartx, enabling a unified ad-serving setup across linear TV, CTV and digital platforms, including RTL+ and rtl.hu. The partnership supports more efficient campaign delivery and measurement while helping RTL Hungary connect traditional and digital advertising in a privacy-first way.

We grew our team, our minds, and our muscles

We expanded our team in 2025, welcoming 10 new smartclippers, and were pleased to see our annual employee survey showing continuing high levels of satisfaction.

Alongside a busy year for the business, we made space to invest in our people through a range of internal initiatives focused on learning, exchange and connection. 

• Strategy Days: smartclippers met in person and virtually to receive the latest updates from around the company and RTL universe. 
• Annual offsite: In between peer-lead sessions and team building, we explored all that the city of Bremen had to offer. 

• Hackathon: The hackathon returned this year continuing the newfound tradition where our smartclippers conceptualised, pitched, and developed innovative solutions for some of our most common daily product and process pain points. 
• Gütersloh Firmenlauf: Some of our sportiest smartclippers laced up their running shoes and put their endurance to the test during the Gütersloh Firmenlauf. 
• smartweek: Our fifth annual peer-to-peer learning event saw smartclippers and special guests hosting sessions across four days. 
• Social Days: some of our smartclippers gave back to their communities by volunteering with organisations Caritas Pankow soup kitchen, Lebenshilfewerk Mölln, and Tierpark Olderdissen. 
• Hardware for Future Initiative: As part of our commitment to digital inclusion and sustainability, we began contributing to Dezentrale e.V.’s hardware for future initiative, which takes gently used laptops and redistributes them to charitable organisations to help expand access to digital tools for those who need them most.
• Employee anniversaries: smartclippers, Mirjam Naves, Projects & Processes, and René Wagner, CTO, celebrated their 10th years at the company. To commemorate this achievement, we asked them a few questions about their impressive tenures, with Mirjam’s story even being featured on RTL stories — the podcast.

We won awards for our workplace culture and unique marketing approach

2025 brought broad recognition for the culture that drives us and the creative work we produce. 

smartclip was recognised for its culture and commitment to employees, being named one of Die Zeit’s Most Responsible Employers in the Marketing & Media category, while also ranking among kununu’s Top Rated Companies for salary satisfaction and overall company performance in 2025.

On the design front, smartclip took home four Communicator Awards — with honours across brand identity, website redesign, animation and video — celebrating the clarity and creativity behind our brand refresh. 
We also marked a milestone for Sidekicks, as its logo earned an Honourable Mention at the Creative Communication Awards (C2A) 2025, a nod to the thoughtful visual identity we’ve built for our agentic AI platform.

Onwards!

We’d like to thank our smartclippers, partners and clients for the trust, collaboration and momentum you brought to 2025. Your input continues to shape how we build, evolve and deliver what comes next — and we’re looking forward to continuing that journey together in the year ahead.

Looking to partner with us in 2026? Contact us.

Want to become a smartclipper in 2026? Reach out to recruiting@smartclip.tv.