• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, June 29, 2020

Comcast's FreeWheel is the only supply-side platform (SSP) to score an "A" grade for its handling of inventory on the Big 3 connected TV (CTV) advertising platforms, according to a unique new analysis released today by programmatic ad fraud and compliance tracker Pixalate.

The new method uses an index -- dubbed the CSTI (CTV Seller Trust Index) -- which is a composite derived from a variety of quality factors including reach, share, percentage of invalid traffic, ad-serving transparency and channel integrity.

“CTV is a complex, fundamentally different media environment with fragmentation, ad fraud, and a lack of transparency that deteriorates trust in the supply chain,” Pixalate CEO Jalal Nasir explains in a statement, adding: “Advertisers need help navigating CTV and, as the pioneers of global programmatic trust ratings, we believe CTV accountability represents a critical breakthrough for the industry.”

FreeWheel ranked No. 1 in terms of delivering quality impressions on Amazon's connected TV platform, No. 2 on Roku's and No. 3 on Samsung's.

Verizon Media's SSP was the only other supplier to score more than one "A" grade, ranking No. 1 on Samsung's and tied for No. 2 on Roku's, but earning a "B" on Roku.

Amazon and Google each got an "A" on Amazon's platform, while Telaria did for Roku and SpotX did for Samsung.