Podcast distributor Wizzard Software will implement Nielsen//NetRatings' SiteCensus solution to certify download data.
Wizzard calls the agreement a "landmark event" for its
recently formed ad sales unit, Wizzard Media, which will be able to use Nielsen//NetRatings data to verify the scope of audiences for participating podcasts.
"Our adoption of the
Nielsen//NetRatings solution is a landmark event that brings a new level of accountability to podcast ad sales," said Chris Spencer, chief executive officer, Wizzard.
"It will elevate our
participating publishers' podcasts to an entirely new level of consideration by advertisers and agencies as a viable, measured tool for reaching highly targeted, opt-in consumers," he added.
"Third-party measurement is absolutely essential to the future of podcast advertising," said Page Thompson, chief executive officer North America for OMD, a leading media agency. "From a media
planning standpoint, it is critical that we have credible data from a known source. This will help us evaluate podcast advertising alongside other forms of measured media."
Wizzard Media was
created in April to harness the Wizzard network, encompassing more than 8,000 podcast publishers.