Samsung joins measurement consortium, but its role remains unclear

Samsung Ads has agreed to join the U.S. Joint Industry Committee, bringing the largest TV manufacturer in the U.S. and globally to a body made up heavily of TV-centric media players and agency holding companies. It’s not clear whether that will lead to Samsung joining the JIC’s streaming data service, which media companies, via OpenAP, are using to pool their data collectively in a clean room for use by measurement firms. See Ad Age’s Tech Power List honoring marketing leaders Samsung has long been a holdout against providing its streaming audience data to third-party measurement firms such as Nielsen, VideoAmp, iSpot.tv and Comscore. Rival Vizio, via its Inscape unit, has sold data to third parties, though the future of that sharing is in question given Vizio’s pending sale to Walmart. But Samsung’s membership in the JIC could result in integration of its data into the group’s streaming data server, according to a person familiar with the matter, which would provide significant new visibility into the streaming market. More news: Walmart Creator’s growing role in social commerce Spokespeople for the JIC and Samsung Ads declined to comment about whether Samsung’s involvement would extend to participation in the collective streaming service. The JIC has extended invitations to other players, such as Amazon and Google’s YouTube, to join without co-mingling their data in the collective service, though they’ve yet to join. Earlier this year, the group certified Comscore and VideoAmp for trading via its streaming data service, while iSpot.tv remains conditionally certified pending a re-application expected next month. Industry heavyweight Nielsen has yet to apply. While Samsung brings another major player into the JIC fold, others representing the lion’s share of the streaming market remain on the outside, including Netflix and The Walt Disney Co. But Disney, which generally hasn’t been on the roster for events by the JIC or those of the network data sharing consortium OpenAP that operates it, does have an executive on the agenda for the group’s gathering in Cannes next week. OpenAP has handled more than $1.5 billion in addressable TV deals, according to Video Advertising Bureau CEO Sean Cunningham, and VideoAmp has had $2 billion in largely addressable TV deals written on its currency. But that still represents less than 5% of a roughly $80 billion U.S. TV market that trades predominantly on Nielsen data and audiences denominated in age and gender demographics. In a statement, Samsung didn’t provide details about its level of JIC involvement. “Streaming and digital are now consumers’ viewership model of choice, but the technology that drives audience reach and measurement has not kept pace,” said Michael Scott, VP of ad sales and operations for Samsung Ads, in the statement. “At Samsung, we’re working more closely with our advertiser, agency, and committee partners to address these challenges. The JIC is an important industry effort to help drive more collaboration and innovation across multiple parties.”

Samsung joins measurement consortium, but its role remains unclear

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