May 14 (Reuters) - MNTN, an advertising platform for

internet-connected TVs with Ryan Reynolds as its chief creative

officer, said on Wednesday it is targeting a $1.24 billion

valuation in its U.S. initial public offering.

The company, along with some investors, plans to raise up to

$187.2 million through a sale of 11.7 million shares priced

between $14 and $16 each.

Progress in trade negotiations between the White House and

other countries has boosted equities in recent weeks, offering

IPO candidates a window to list their shares after tariffs had

disrupted their plans.

Retail trading platform eToro started trading on the Nasdaq

on Wednesday. Digital banking firm Chime is also heading towards

a hotly anticipated listing after filing for its IPO on Tuesday.

As cord-cutting accelerates and demand for streaming booms,

more brands are looking to shift their marketing focus on to

connected TVs, boosting companies such as MNTN that can aid the

transition.

Austin, Texas-based MNTN was backed by BlackRock ( BLK ) and

Fidelity Management and Research in a 2022 funding round.

BlackRock ( BLK ) has also indicated an interest in purchasing up to $30

million worth of shares in the IPO, MNTN said.

The company aims to trade on the New York Stock Exchange

under the symbol "MNTN". Morgan Stanley, Citigroup and Evercore

are among the underwriters for the IPO.

(Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil

D'Silva and Krishna Chandra Eluri)