• by David Goetzl , May 16, 2007

Starcom and Discovery Communications have inked a deal that in theory will indicate whether an ad is watched--and if it's viewed from start to finish. The deal will employ second-by-second data from TNS and track spots on Discovery HD Theater, the media company's high-def outlet.

Given Starcom's status as a leading, large-spending agency, the agreement could prompt further deals based on the granular data this upfront. Starcom CEO John Muszynski said in March he intended to make at least one test-ground deal this spring with guarantees based on second-by-second data with a "select player or two." That raises the question: Will another network partner with the agency?

Still, any such deals are likely to be few and far between, and probably one-offs. For the market at-large, a consensus seems to be building for the bulk of deals to use commercial ratings for "live plus three day" viewing--which will cover DVR-enabled viewing over the three days after broadcast--a much less granular metric than second-by-second or even minute-by-minute performance.

"While I don't predict a groundswell of second-by-second deals this year, I see this as a landmark indicator of things to come, much like our engagement guarantees from 2005 and our minute-by-minute deals in 2006," said Chris Boothe, Starcom's president and chief activation officer. "We're moving in the right direction toward increased accountability in all our clients' video investments."

Joe Abruzzese, president of advertising sales at Discovery, said the deal "can [help to] better understand how viewers interact with and respond to HD creative." Starcom clients Allstate, Best Buy and Buena Vista Home Entertainment will run spots subject to the ratings and potential conclusions.

The Discovery HD deal--first reported by The Wall Street Journal--uses TNS granular data from set-top boxes from a sampling of a reported 300,000 homes in the Los Angeles area. The HD channel is not yet Nielsen-rated.

In addition to providing insight into granular-level commercial viewing, it could also help determine whether high-def ads retain viewers more than standard-def ones. If crystal-clear HD does entice viewers, as some have claimed, the research inspires clients to invest in producing them.

TiVo also has a service offering second-by-second data.