AdTechGod Pod Ep. 107 Summary

Inside Nexxen: Chance Johnson on Building a Smarter, More Transparent DSP
Date: November 18, 2025
Host: AdTechGod
Guest: Chance Johnson (Chief Commercial Officer, Nexxen)

Episode Overview

This episode of the AdTechGod Pod features an in-depth conversation with Chance Johnson, Chief Commercial Officer at Nexxen, a company making waves by building a more transparent and collaborative demand-side platform (DSP). The discussion highlights the evolution of the ad tech industry, challenges of trust and transparency, the importance of collaboration between the buy- and sell-sides, and hot-button topics like in-housing, data privacy, and market consolidation. Johnson offers firsthand insights into how Nexxen is positioning itself at the forefront of these industry shifts.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Chance Johnson’s Ad Tech Journey & Nexxen’s Founding Vision

• Career Trajectory: Johnson reflects on nearly two decades in the industry, with experiences across buy and sell sides, emphasizing his early “aha moment” witnessing the trust gap between advertisers and publishers.
• Joining Nexxen: Drawn by the mission to rebuild trust and transparency, Johnson joined Nexxen soon after its exclusive partnership with Vida (operating system for major smart TV brands).
  • Quote:

    “I realized that there was a real breakdown in trust between buyers and sellers... the vision of what would become Nexxen was to really address that problem, create more trust, bring more transparency.” (02:08)

• Company Growth & Reputation:
  • Nexxen is only two years old, yet Johnson proudly notes their top-five SSP ranking (direct supply) by Jounce.
  • Quote:

    “We’ve done a great job on the supply side... now just evangelizing and educating the market on our DSP capabilities...” (03:27)

• DSP + SSP Synergy:
  • Belief that convergence and consolidation between supply and demand tools is positive for the industry.
  • “One plus one could equal three...” (03:40)

Trust & Transparency in Ad Tech

• Industry Landscape:
  • Emphasizes the problem of “ad tech tax,” with over half the ad dollars lost between advertiser and publisher.
  • Goal: Provide tools, insights, and data for partners to make optimal decisions, not dictating strategies but empowering outcomes.
  • Quote:

    “We’re not chasing impressions anymore, we’re chasing positive outcomes.” (04:25)

• Collaboration Over Competition:
  • Advocates for buyers and sellers aligning on common objectives, leveraging high-quality supply, and driving advertiser results.
  • Quote:

    “Both sides thought, ‘My outcome is my priority, and your outcome is yours’. We believe... this works much better when buyers and sellers are working collaboratively to achieve a common goal.” (04:24)

The Modern Publisher & Advertiser Relationship

• Changing Publisher Ecosystem:
  • Challenge: Declining web traffic, pressures from LLMs (Large Language Models), and complexity in CTV/streaming, mobile, and web.
  • Opportunity: Streaming TV offers space to “do it right” with better trust-building.
• How Nexxen Builds Trust with Advertisers:
  • Approach: Don’t force or over-curate supply, but enable discovery of premium inventory outside the major players (e.g., Netflix, Hulu).
  • Nexxen’s DSP is “interoperable, holistic... Bring your strategy, we want to be your partner.”
  • Measurements and test-and-learn capabilities for advertisers, creating a data-driven and self-validating ecosystem.
  • Quote:

    “If we’ve provided the right tools and given them the autonomy to make decisions... they can test and learn in ways that are much more efficient and scalable than anything in the past.” (08:22)

The Evolution of Web 3.0 & Platform Integration

• Host’s Perspective:

  • The separation of supply- and demand-side platforms historically created misaligned incentives; combining them removes unnecessary fees and conflict.
  • Quote:

    “By combining the two... This isn’t waterfalling anymore. This is truly delivering on what is the best possible outcome for both sides.” (10:33)

• Transparency Is Key:

  • Both agree that shining light on the ad flow and ensuring each party understands the full value chain is critical for industry health.
  • Quote:

    “We’ve got to shine a light on where that money is going and that, that transparency is critical.” (10:57)

Pace of Change & Innovation

• Rapid technological advancement (particularly with LLMs and AI) is both a challenge and an opportunity for the industry.
• Agility Matters:
  • Smaller, newer companies like Nexxen have an advantage in being nimble and responsive to industry shifts, despite being a public company with 1,000 employees.
  • Quote:

    “Nothing, nobody moves faster than Nexen because we recognize we’re a challenger... If we’re not moving fast... we’re probably going to get left behind.” (13:10)

The In-Housing Trend: Brands Owning Their Own Tech

• Pros:
  • Brands tapping into first-party data can strengthen customer relationships and drive better outcomes.
  • More control over campaigns, privacy, and messaging.
• Cons:
  • It’s operationally complex and expensive unless you’re on the scale of Amazon/Walmart.
  • Talent acquisition and technology building present significant barriers.
  • Quote:

    “It’s incredibly operationally burdensome, it’s incredibly expensive... all of the time and money that you spend is, it’s a cost, it’s a very hard cost.” (15:07)

• Nexxen’s Solution:
  • Offers interoperability for brands to use first-party data within Nexxen’s privacy-compliant, scalable framework.
  • “If you come and you’re going to work with us... you can bring your first party data to the party, we can enrich it, we can make it sing, we can make it drive better performance...” (15:59)

Nexxen’s Reputation for Service & Account Management

• Market Feedback:
  • Host relays industry praise for Nexxen’s “white glove,” responsive account management and technical support.
  • “That personal touch is really important when there’s money on the line, goals on the line and quite honestly sometimes people’s bonuses on the line.” (16:48)
• Nexxen’s Ethos:
  • Focus on helping clients look like heroes within their organizations by overdelivering, providing insights, and new opportunities.
  • Quote:

    “Our job is to give, to get our clients promoted... give them the insights and the tools to make them look like a hero... that is a big part of what we preach.” (17:48)

Market Dynamics: The Trade Desk’s “Reseller” Label for SSPs

• Recent Developments:

  • The Trade Desk’s move to label some SSPs as “resellers” sparked significant industry debate.
  • Johnson sees this as reflective of an ongoing tension and convergence between DSPs and SSPs.
  • Acknowledges some SSPs are true resellers but argues that premium supply sources (like Nexxen) are “trusted monetization partners,” not just intermediaries.
  • Quote:

    “I think it’s very unfair and does an injustice though to premium high quality supply sources like Nexxen and many others that are bringing a lot of value.” (20:17)

• Transparency Through Data:

  • Tools like Jounce help clarify who is providing real value, aiding advertisers in making better decisions.
  • Quote:

    “There is amazing companies like Jounce that do a lot of this heavy lifting for you...” (22:04)

Outcome-Based Advertising: Era or Error?

• Outcomes Obsession:
  • Both agree ad tech’s entire purpose is to drive marketer outcomes.
  • Johnson notes past reliance on “vanity metrics” (like CTR) vs. meaningful business results—now, tech allows more granular attribution to outcomes like sales lift, brand affinity, or new KPIs.
  • Quote:

    “All of ad tech exists to drive better results. All of ad tech exists to drive a better outcome. So I think we’ve been in an outcomes era.” (22:54)

  • “We can monitor it and we can prove it in a way that maybe we hadn’t been able to in the past, which... is nice and long overdue.” (24:22)

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• “I realized that there was a real breakdown in trust between buyers and sellers.” — Chance Johnson [02:08]
• “We’re not chasing impressions anymore, we’re chasing positive outcomes.” — Chance Johnson [04:25]
• “Our job is to give, to get our clients promoted.” — Chance Johnson [17:48]
• “If we’re not moving fast and creating solutions for complex problems... we’re probably going to get left behind.” — Chance Johnson [13:10]
• “There are certainly SSPs out there that are resellers... but I think it’s very unfair and does an injustice... to label premium high quality supply sources as resellers.” — Chance Johnson [20:17]
• “All of ad tech exists to drive better results. All of ad tech exists to drive a better outcome.” — Chance Johnson [22:54]

Notable Segments & Timestamps

• Guest Introduction & Nexxen’s Beginnings [01:09–03:27]
• Trust & Transparency in Ad Tech [04:21–05:57]
• Buy-side Transparency & Measurement [06:45–08:52]
• Industry Hot Topics: Web3.0, LLMs & Innovation [09:00–13:44]
• In-Housing & First-Party Data [14:23–16:40]
• Nexxen’s Service Ethos [16:40–18:56]
• Trade Desk “Reseller” Controversy & Industry Labels [18:56–22:28]
• Outcome-Based Advertising Discussion [22:28–24:33]

Tone & Language

The conversation is collegial, optimistic, and practical, laced with encouragement for innovation and partnership. Johnson’s tone is humble yet confident, focused on partnership and problem-solving (“I’m not that arrogant...” [04:55]), while the host amplifies the need for transparency, agility, and client-first values. The industry is portrayed as dynamic and challenging, but full of opportunity for nimble players.

Bottom Line

This episode delivers a masterclass in the evolving dynamics of ad tech, with deep dives into trust, transparency, platform integration, data privacy, and the outcomes-driven future. Johnson and AdTechGod demystify complex changes without sugarcoating industry challenges—and highlight how companies like Nexxen are moving quickly to create genuine value for both buyers and sellers. A must-listen for anyone trying to navigate the shifting landscape of digital advertising technology.