Xandr revealed today its new standardized data framework that enables multiple TV measurement currencies. Customers using Xandr’s buy and sell-side advanced TV platforms, Invest TV and Monetize TV, can now seamlessly activate their preferred viewership or engagement data currency for data-driven linear TV campaigns.
Xandr collaborated with several measurement providers to deliver the product, including Comscore, Edo and VideoAmp. These companies have particularly made strides in the alternative measurement space. Discovery recently selected Edo to measure its ad campaign impressions for the 2022-23 upfront season. Comscore and VideoAmp are participating in a series of WarnerMedia trials designed to compare the efficacy of different measurement solutions.
Mark Mitchell, VP of business development at Xandr, said in a statement innovations around audience targeting and data-driven linear TV ads have bolstered demand for alternative data sets.
“Activating these data sets for trial and evaluation, especially as we approach the 2022-23 upfronts, must be made easier. Xandr is making investments to power the adoption of new currencies and propel the industry forward,” he said.
Alternative measurement currencies have gained traction since Nielsen, a longtime giant in the audience measurement industry, came under fire for alleged unreliable ratings. More companies are also recognizing the potential reach of linear ad campaigns. Roku and Vizio recently unveiled their own solutions for linear advertising.
Casey Gould, SVP of ad sales and advanced advertising at Crown Media, said Xandr’s multi-currency solution is “yet another advanced tool that increases the value we bring to our advertising partners, and ultimately bolsters our linear business.” Crown Media is one of the media companies using Xandr’s Invest TV and Monetize TV platforms.
“By enabling support for multiple data provider segments, Monetize TV will allow us to easily and quickly evaluate and utilize new data currencies, while offering insight into how various data can optimize TV schedules across our linear networks,” he said.
Xandr’s business prospects will also depend on its future corporate leadership. AT&T, which first acquired Xandr in 2018 for $1.6 billion, sold the platform to Microsoft last December for about $1 billion. The deal is currently under regulatory review and marked AT&T’s third divestiture in 2021, along with DirecTV and Crunchyroll.
AT&T’s Q1 earnings report indicated Xandr’s revenue made up about $1.68 million out of WarnerMedia’s total segment operating revenues of $8.74 million. These statistics were recorded just before WarnerMedia and Discovery finalized their merger on April 8.