# Strata (FreeWheel)
> Strata (now FreeWheel Agency) is a comprehensive media planning and buying software platform used by thousands of advertising agencies. It facilitates the workflow for purchasing and managing advertising across linear television, digital video, radio, and out-of-home media. Found in 1983 and later acquired by Comcast, it serves as a critical link between advertisers and media owners within the Comcast Advertising ecosystem.
- URL: https://optimly.ai/brand/strata-freewheelcomcast
- Slug: strata-freewheelcomcast
- BAI Score: 88/100
- Archetype: Challenger
- Category: Advertising Technology
- Last Analyzed: April 11, 2026
## Competitors
- Basis Technologies Formerly Centro (https://optimly.ai/brand/basis-technologies-formerly-centro)
- Hudson MX (https://optimly.ai/brand/hudson-mx)
## Buyer Intent Signals
Problems: Direct Manual Buying: Directly negotiating and buying time from local cable or broadcast stations via spreadsheets or manual insertion orders. | Media Buying Agency: Hiring a specialized media buying agency to handle the placement, negotiation, and reporting of video ads.
Solutions: media buying software for agencies | local TV advertising platforms | Comcast media planning tool | automated spot buying software | FreeWheel agency solutions | General Ad Servers: Using basic project management tools or ad server interfaces like Google Ad Manager to track simple linear buys.