FreeWheel is more than you might think — and now, it’s easier to understand, too.
Today, the company announced a fairly significant reorganization of its product portfolio, introducing two new “suites” — the FreeWheel Publisher Suite and the FreeWheel Advertiser Suite — aimed at simplifying its CTV adtech offering. In short, existing products and platforms have been renamed to fit this new structure.
Within the FreeWheel Publisher Suite, you’ll find FreeWheel Streaming Hub (formerly MRM/TV Platform) and FreeWheel SSP (evolved from StickyAds and SFX). In the FreeWheel Advertiser Suite, there’s FreeWheel Curation Hub (an actual new product, a buy-side curation tool), FreeWheel DSP (formerly Beeswax DSP), and FreeWheel Buyer Cloud (formerly Beeswax’s Bidder-as-a-Service).
Meanwhile, FreeWheel’s cross-channel media planning platform, Strata, will retain its existing branding. It’s important to note that no changes were made to platform functionality. Instead, the updates are focused on naming, structure, and creating a more intuitive way for clients to navigate the ecosystem.
Why This Matters:
CTV advertising has become more fragmented and complex — and, hey, you don’t want that convoluted complexity to rub off on your product’s nomenclature. FreeWheel’s move to unify its offerings under two clear suites — one for publishers, one for advertisers — is designed to make it easier for clients to manage inventory, demand, and data more efficiently. That’s really the main focus.
That said, FreeWheel Curation Hub is new, though it could be seen as a riff on the Beeswax Inventory Desk, which helped match buyer demand with premium video ad inventory. Still, the launch speaks to the ongoing interest in curation. Simply put, curation isn’t going anywhere. It has staying power, and the idea resonates with advertisers and markets that are becoming more discerning about inventory, quality, and data. (It ended up being the perfect trend for the moment we’re in.)
Experts React:
Ari Paparo, of Beeswax fame, tweeted about the launch (hat tip to him for breaking the news):
Our Take:
What would POSSIBLE 2025 be without a good rebrand or repositioning? Adtech product suites are notoriously convoluted and confusing from a brand perspective (only LLM models are worse). Kudos to FreeWheel for taking steps that aren’t just about changing names, but actually help clarify to the market what their offerings are — and who they’re for.
Sidebar: Are we set to see clearer, better product definitions and branding from adtech companies in 2025? Maybe even more money spent on branding? The Innovid rebrand comes to mind — it was well done. While that’s not exactly the same thing as what FreeWheel is doing here, it’s good to see adtech companies that work with brands and advertisers recognize that their own brand is important, too.
