As the ad industry rethinks the future of measurement, which has long been dominated by Nielsen, Disney isn't necessarily abandoning the measurement giant, even as it tests other potential options. 

The Mouse House struck a deal with Publicis Media to help develop Nielsen's new One platform, which is working to measure unduplicated viewers across both linear and digital utilizing smart TV and set-top box data. Disney and Publicis will work together to "develop requirements that enable more precise measurement capabilities," according to a statement. Disney, which joined the One program last December, will also help the platform grow its presence in live events, specifically sports.

At the same time, Disney Advertising announced today that it's expanding its multi-year relationship with Samba TV to bring Samba's True Reach and Frequency to agencies and holding companies as a currency alternative to Nielsen in writing deals for Disney inventory. Other media companies such as Fox Corp., Paramount and Discovery have over the past year offered Comscore and VideoAmp as alternatives to Nielsen in writing deals. Disney appears to be the first major media player to do so with Samba.

Nielsen One is a crucial product for the measurement behemoth, whose Media Rating Council accreditation for TV ratings was suspended last year following maintenance problems that led to measurement errors.  

The fallout has opened up the space for currency alternatives in order to diminish Nielen’s power over U.S. TV deals. This includes measurement providers like Samba TV and Comscore, with which Disney is also expanding its deals.

On an earnings call yesterday, Nielsen CEO David Kenny said the company is now working with "every major holding company" on the alpha version of Nielsen One. That comes after initially opening Nielsen One with Disney and Interpublic's Magna late last year.

Disney previously trialed Samba TV's offering with Hyundai to measure de-duplicated reach and frequency. Publicis will also use the solution this spring.

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Disney is also working with Omnicom Media Group to test Comscore's capabilities to measure linear and digital video over the next several months. Disney is not currently offering Comscore as a currency option and there's no set endpoint for the testing it discussed today with Comscore and Omnicom, a spokesperson for Disney in an email.

Discovery is also working with Omnicom to test new currencies from Comscore and VideoAmp.

“Disney is not in the business of scoring players,” said Lisa Valentino, executive VP, client solutions and addressable enablement, Disney Advertising, in a press statement. “It is our responsibility to deliver the best measurement capabilities for our clients that give them visibility into effectiveness and outcomes across our vast portfolio of premium content. We are continuing to do the work to innovate on behalf of our clients based on their unique category needs; that’s our commitment."