JIC Approval for iSpot Ratings

In the US, TV ad measurement company iSpot has been certified as a national ad transaction currency by the 'Joint Industry Committee' (JIC) set up last year by OpenAP and the Video Advertising Bureau. iSpot follows Comscore and VideoAmp which were certified in April.

The 'JIC' was created in January 2023 as a collaborative forum for media buyers and video suppliers to work together to define 'a more sustainable model for long-form video measurement'. The process was led by US media ratings consortium OpenAP and TV ad trade group the Video Advertising Bureau (VAB), working with a group of TV broadcasters. Nielsen is not a participant and has cited concerns in areas including methodology, missing platforms and Nielsen IP. It also raised doubts about the relationship between the JIC and the MRC, although the two bodies have since issued a statement clarifying the differences between them - in particular, they stressed the JIC's role in providing more rapid assessments whereas the MRC's process is 'far more rigorous'.

The JIC also evaluated iSpot's next-generation methodology, iSpot Data Connect, and declared iSpot's data fit for transactions across all the currency classifications it evaluated, including Personified Demos, Total Households and Audiences across both Average Commercial Minute (ACM) and Exact Spot measurement. The award, by a majority vote by the JIC's Full Committee, follows an evaluation phase in which JIC members conducted more than 270 tests looking at the data's transparency, completeness, methodology and stability.

Certification is for a two-year term, with measurement companies required to recertify at the conclusion of this. A mid-term audit is also scheduled to ensure the JIC has transparency on any changes to methodology.

Travis Scoles (pictured), EVP of Advanced Advertising at Paramount Global and Chairman of the JIC's Board of Directors, says of the news: 'If we are to meet the needs of advertisers who are racing to keep pace with today's streaming-first viewer, we must continue to innovate, build and deliver more modern and accurate measurement solutions. The results from the JIC's data evaluation show that iSpot is helping drive the industry forward as it has reached the baseline level of transactional readiness as a currency. We applaud iSpot, as well as all of our measurement partners, for their commitment and tireless effort building for the future'.

The JIC has published an updated Point of View on the state of TV currencies in 2024 here: www.usjointindustrycommittee.com/news/guidelines-for-transactability .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.