Warner Bros. Chooses VideoAmp for Ad Transactions

Ad measurement, planning and optimization platform VideoAmp has announced a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to measure cross-screen campaigns across the latter's portfolio of news and entertainment brands. Following a test with Omnicom, the service will offer a transaction currency for ads.

Warner Bros. Discovery offers television, film and streaming content in more than 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, and includes Discovery Channel, CNN, Eurosport, HBO, Warner Bros. Pictures and Television, New Line Cinema and Cartoon Network. VideoAmp's platform 'commingles' set-top box and smart TV data, deduplicates audiences across traditional TV, streaming video, digital media and walled gardens and connects media exposures to sales. The network, which began a pilot exercise with VideoAmp and Comscore in February last year, will now use the former's technology to provide advertisers looking to transact on these media with a unified, cross-platform currency.

Andrea Zapata, Warner Bros. Discovery's EVP, Head of Ad Sales Research, Measurement and Insights, comments: 'Traditional media measurement has not kept pace with how consumers are engaging with streaming and linear content. As a result, these audiences have been undercounted and current measures no longer accurately reflect their true advertising value'. VideoAmp CEO and founder Ross McCray (pictured) adds: 'The industry needs a better way to measure and transact on audiences - one that accounts for cross-platform, supports both traditional and advanced audiences and provides attribution metrics in a manner that enables media sellers and buyers to unlock this potential and excel in a competitive environment. We are excited Warner Bros. Discovery is creating a more sophisticated marketplace and we're looking forward to unlocking value for them and the industry as a whole'.

Ralph Pardo, CEO of Omnicom Media Group, says the deal is a step forward in better third-party measurement for the industry, and comments: 'For Omnicom Media Group, it has the added benefit of aligning with our existing Omni Cross-Screen Insights capability and will help us close the loop for end-to-end planning through activation and measurement'.

LA-based VideoAmp announced an advanced integration with Disney's Advertising division a month ago, using 'Clean Room' technology to offer clients ad metrics and privacy-compliant first-party data usage. The firm is online at www.videoamp.com while its new partner is at www.wbd.com .