And Then There Were Three (Conditional) Ad Currencies

by Joe Mandese , September 20, 2023

The U.S. JIC (joint industry committee) this morning announced it has granted "conditional certification" to three alternative ad currencies for cross-platform -- linear and nonlinear TV -- negotiations: Comscore, iSpot and VideoAmp.

The move follows iSpot's acquisition of a fourth -- 605 -- and the pullout of a fifth, Innovid.

In a separate statement Innovid said it did not expect to be certified as an ad currency, but is pursuing certification as an audience-measurement service as part of the JIC's plan to expand into that as a separate process sometime next year (see related story).

The only other alternative currency provider participating in the JIC's certification process not to be granted conditional certification is Samba TV.

The JIC said the three conditional certifications were granted because the companies "scored to be transactable" based on an initial stage of its certification rubric and that they are anticipated to be awarded full certification in early 2024.

"Companies were evaluated and graded based on the level of transactability as outlined in the previously shared rubric, with each company required to receive a score of three in all categories to receive conditional certification as a cross-platform currency," OpenAP CMO Brittany Slattery explained in an email to MediaPost, adding: "The scores were reviewed by the subcommittee on August 1, 2023, and a vote on conditional certification was taken. This vote was reviewed and approved by the full joint industry committee on August 24."

OpenAP, which is owned by the major TV companies spearheading the JIC, has been playing a key organizing and management role throughout the JIC process to date.

Slattery explained that full certification will be granted to the currency suppliers that pass a subsequent "data evaluation" phase, following a vote by the JIC's subcommittee.

Full certification will be granted for a two-year term beginning January 2024, and that the currency suppliers will be subject to an audit and data-evaluation process within that window to maintain their certification.

Slattery said new alternative currency suppliers can apply and Samba TV can reapply in June, as part of an annual JIC time frame, but that "companies may petition for an off-cycle certification window that will be subject to approval via a vote by the JIC."

alternate currencies, audience measurement, comscore, currencies, television, video

3 comments about "And Then There Were Three (Conditional) Ad Currencies".

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Tony Jarvis from Olympic Media Consultancy, September 20, 2023 at 11:53 a.m.
As anyone operating in the international media research Community knows, this Multi-Currency Certification Committee is NOT a JIC and not even a true MOC - Media Owner Committee - as it flouts the majority of the well established principles, procedures, management and structural/financial cornerstones of JICs (MOCs). Is this the begining of end of MRC, which would essentially be redundent in a full, true JIC single media currency world? Hopefully not!
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Ed Papazian from Media Dynamics Inc, September 20, 2023 at 12:10 p.m.

Joe, as I see it, the sellers have no intention of imposing more than one standard "audience" counting source which will be used by all parties. The others "certified" by the "JIC"---some quantitative; others qualitative---- are only intended as possible add-on sources to be used----or not used---as individual sellers see fit---and obviously, only when it suits their ad sales interests---- that's all. At present, Nielsen is the odds-on favorite to retain its position as the single standard currency that all parties use for national "TV" time sales.

The real news is that Nielsen has been considering the acceptance of actual device usage data from sellers like Amazon who sell time---in this case in NFL games---to national TV time buyers, in conjunction with its people meter panel. I assume that this means that Amazon's data about how many devices presented its games on their screens would replace Nielsen's panel-based estimates as the Amazon information, if correctly tabulated and verified would, of course, constitute a "census" and be more accurate. I also assume that Nielsen would apply it's people meter viewer-per-set ratios to the Amazon device usage findings to project "commercial minute viewers"---but I can't say for sure. The problem is that other NFL time sellers as well as all other sellers, regardless of what content they are offering or what platform, would only have the regular Nielsen ratings---producing a lack of comparability issue.

John Grono from GAP Research, September 20, 2023 at 5:56 p.m.

Spot on Tony and Ed.

As Tony points out, international media research standards ensure that all interested media entities adhere to the best-practice global standards, need to contribute financially, and contribute to the JIC in developing what is best for the industry rather than what is best for themselves.

Ed points out that the JIC would best be designed by developing a 'blended' research system ... e.g. a panel to represent demographic usage, streamers providing their daily usage data to quantify viewing in terms of instances and durations, etc. etc. In AU we have just seen initial data that merges the TV ratings and the usage volumes and durations of the digital publishers video, and it is producing interesting results. These data Sources are all produced by specific JICs which adds a great deal of confidence.

But I am beginning to suspect that there may be two meanings of a "JIC". In AU we do operate with and adhere to Joint Induistry Committee standards. The concept of three certified 'currencies' feels that it is more like a "Just In Case" policy.