• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, November 24, 2008

Dish Network has inked a deal to further use its set-top box data to provide improved performance metrics for advertisers, including via second-by-second viewership tracking. The agreement is with measurement firm Rentrak.

Satellite operator Dish said Rentrak will provide anonymous data on viewing that it garners from the set-top boxes on the granular level, covering programming and advertising. Dish Network said this would offer advertisers another option for trying to gain some sense of how ads are being watched, including when viewership crests and fades during breaks.

The data covers linear viewing for now. In 2009, Rentrak is expected to begin evaluating some data regarding what occurs when shows are recorded and watched later with DVRs.

"Advertisers are clamoring for this level of reporting to gain insights and to increase efficiencies in this age of increased accountability," said Michael Finn, vice president of advertising sales for Dish.

"This reporting will make a significant difference for advertisers across all of our current and future initiatives, and will allow us to make more informed internal programming and marketing decisions," Finn adds.

Dish, which has about 13.8 million customers, also has a deal with Google. The Internet company sells ads that run on Dish via an auction-based system and provides advertisers with second-by-second results.