# Dave Morgan

> Dave Morgan is the founder and CEO of Simulmedia, a New York adtech company that pioneered data-driven linear TV advertising and now runs the cross-channel TV+ platform, the Skybeam self-serve CTV buying tool, and the PlayerWON in-game video ad network. A lawyer turned three-time adtech founder, he earlier built Real Media (a predecessor of 24/7 Real Media, sold to WPP for $649 million) and TACODA (a behavioral targeting pioneer acquired by AOL for $275 million in 2007). Morgan returned to Simulmedia's CEO seat in October 2024 to chase the connected-TV opportunity, and he is a long-running MediaPost columnist known for his '96/4' rule about the gap between CTV viewership and CTV ad dollars.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at Simulmedia
- **Organizations:** Simulmedia, TACODA, Real Media, 24/7 Real Media, AOL, Pennsylvania Newspaper Association
- **From:** Pennsylvania, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.A. Political Science, Pennsylvania State University, J.D., Dickinson School of Law
- **Known for:** Founded three influential advertising-technology companies across three decades, Built Real Media, a predecessor of 24/7 Real Media, which was sold to WPP for $649 million, Founded TACODA, a behavioral-targeting pioneer acquired by AOL for $275 million in 2007

## Career timeline

- **early 1990s** — General Counsel and Director of New Media Ventures at the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association
- **mid-1990s** — Founded Real Media, one of the first ad-serving and online ad-network companies
- **2001** — Real Media merged with 24/7 to form 24/7 Real Media (later acquired by WPP for $649 million)
- **2001** — Founded TACODA, a pioneer of behavioral online advertising
- **2007** — AOL acquired TACODA for $275 million; Morgan became EVP, Global Advertising Strategy at AOL
- **2008** — Founded Simulmedia to bring data-driven targeting to linear TV advertising
- **2023** — Stepped into Executive Chairman role as COO Jon Werther became CEO
- **2024** — Returned as CEO of Simulmedia in October to lead its CTV push
- **2025** — Simulmedia expanded Skybeam self-serve CTV buying and PlayerWON in-game advertising

## Achievements

- Founded three influential advertising-technology companies across three decades
- Built Real Media, a predecessor of 24/7 Real Media, which was sold to WPP for $649 million
- Founded TACODA, a behavioral-targeting pioneer acquired by AOL for $275 million in 2007
- Pioneered the data-driven linear TV advertising market with Simulmedia
- Created the patented TV+ cross-channel TV advertising platform
- Launched Skybeam, a self-serve CTV ad-buying platform for smaller advertisers
- Launched PlayerWON in-game video advertising for free-to-play PC and console titles
- Long-running columnist on TV and advertising for MediaPost

## Latest updates

- **2024-10** — Returned as CEO of Simulmedia, taking back the role from COO Jon Werther to lead the company's CTV strategy.
- **2025-01** — Simulmedia expanded self-serve CTV buying via Skybeam and hired Jonathan Steuer as Chief Scientist; Morgan championed AI creative and self-serve tools for smaller buyers.

## Links

- Website: https://www.simulmedia.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davemorgan3/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/davemorgannyc

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/dave-morgan
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-20