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Warner Bros. Discovery Strikes Deal with VideoAmp for Nielsen Currency Alternative

Last Updated: July 1, 2023
Learn more about the media giant and ad audience optimization firm coming together in an effort to track advertising campaigns and carry out future ad deals.

Ahead of 2023 Upfronts, Warner Bros. Discovery announced its audience measurement pact with VideoAmp, an advertising measurement and optimization firm used as an alternative (and rival) to Nielsen currency. As a means to measure cross-screen campaigns before the merger of HBO Max and Discovery+ platforms, Warner Bros. Discovery will still be using Nielsen alongside VideoAmp to better identify key demographics for advertisers across, but not limited to, linear, streaming, video, and social media services through what it deems as a “unified, cross-platform currency.”

“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,” Ross McCray, CEO and Founder of VideoAmp, said in an official statement.

“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.”

With 2023 being the first full year of Warner Bros. Discovery as such in the post-WarnerMedia era, the timing for the move is keen.

As Andrea Zapata, EVP, Head of Ad Sales Research, Measurement and Insights, Warner Bros. Discovery, added on the occasion:

“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. We are gaining momentum as we act on our goals to offer best-in-class measurement capabilities and provide greater visibility into the return on ad spend across our award-winning IP.”

Warner Bros. Discovery currently owns and operates two major streaming services — HBO Max and Discovery+ — which will both reap the benefits of bringing in VideoAmp as a partner, including “advanced audience and outcome measurement with planning capabilities powered by the commingling of set-top box and smart TV data,” per VideoAmp.

In fact, this “first-of-its-kind test-and-learn” process is specially designed to create alternative methods of video ad performance and engagement. In other words, in an industry brimming with zig, Warner Bros. Discovery has found one more way to zag.

As Ralph Pardo, CEO of Omnicom Media Group, concluded:

“The new data relationship between Warner Bros. Discovery and VideoAmp is a step forward in better third-party measurement for the industry. 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.”

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About The Author
D'Shonda Brown
D'Shonda Brown
D'Shonda Brown is the Music and Entertainment Editor at Boardroom. Prior to joining the Boardroom team, she served as the Associate Editor at ESSENCE and Girls United, ESSENCE's Generation Z platform. Through the years, the Spelman College graduate has amassed bylines in entertainment, fashion, beauty, wellness, and business across For(bes) The Culture, HYPEBAE, Byrdie, HighSnobiety, xoNecole, REVOLT, and more.