Will it take a maximum effort for Ryan Reynolds to go public?

MNTN, the connected TV advertising platform where Reynolds serves as chief creative officer, tapped Morgan Stanley to explore a potential initial public offering, Bloomberg reports.

The IPO could take place as soon as early next year, according to Bloomberg, with ongoing discussions being held about matters such as its timing and whether more financial institutions will participate.

MNTN provides software that enables brands to create and manage ad campaigns on CTV platforms, highlighted by its MNTN Performance TV platform, a suite of automated optimization technology, measurement, and targeting tools.

After collaborating on the first two Deadpool films, Reynolds and George Dewey formed Maximum Effort Marketing in 2018, and its campaigns for another Reynolds venture, Aviation Gin, fueled the agency’s rise to prominence.

In June 2021, MNTN agreed to acquire Maximum Effort, permitting it to retain its identity as a creative agency within the MNTN portfolio, retaining Dewey as Maximum Effort’s president, and naming Reynolds CCO of MNTN.

Dewey told ADWEEK shortly after the deal was announced, “The biggest benefit is cultural. We wanted to grow, but not in a way where it meant adding layers and pitches and processes that can sometimes take the joy and speed out of marketing.”

The company raised $119 million in a Series D financing round in 2021, according to Bloomberg, co-led by funds and accounts managed by BlackRock and Fidelity Management & Research.

MNTN added three members to its board of directors in March 2023 to help it manage the company’s growth: retired accountant Joe B. Johnson, Code.org founder and CEO Hadi Partovi, and Deep Sync CEO Grant Ries.

Jay Stevens joined the company in June 2023 as general manager, international, after serving as president of omnichannel media buying and media accounting software company Hudson MX.