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Sherri Valenti
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LEADING INDUSTRY PARTICIPANTS LAUNCH NEW INITIATIVE EXPLORING THE FUTURE OF THE U.S. DATA-DRIVEN TV ECOSYSTEM

Founding members to help advertisers, programmers, and distributors unlock potential of data-driven TV marketplace

New York, April 7, 2021‍

Today, founding members DISH Media, TransUnion, Blockgraph, MadHive, VideoAmp, Eyeota and TVSquared announced the launch of the TV Data Initiative, a new industry program designed to help the television industry –  advertisers, agencies, MVPDs, programmers and other distributors – unlock the full potential of the new TV data ecosystem in the US.

As TVs have become increasingly connected, investment in data-driven audience-based advertising that can enhance television’s impact and value as a marketing platform has grown steadily, driving demand for high-quality, privacy-safe ad platforms and data sets that can fuel the industry’s future growth and development. The application of data has the potential to drive growth and innovation for the entire industry during the 2020s.

“DISH Media is committed to an open approach within the advanced advertising industry, and that includes leveraging data for transparency and accountability,” said Kevin Arrix, SVP of DISH Media. “As data-driven TV continues to grow, it’s increasingly important for us to find solutions that align data and identity with marketers' efforts for improved efficiency and measurability, without jeopardizing customer information.” 

The founding members of this new initiative are aligned to a mission to champion an improved data-driven TV ecosystem – one that supports advanced digital-style targeting, campaign measurement and attribution, and is competitive, open and innovative, while protecting consumers’ privacy. 

“In this evolving.ecosystem, it is critical that consumer data and identity information for marketing use be both accurate and compliant,” said Matt Spiegel, Executive Vice President, Marketing Solutions and Head of Media Vertical, TransUnion. “As streaming behaviors accelerate and the TV ecosystem shifts, there are more complexities to consider around the underpinning of identity but also what that means for planning, targeting, and measurement.”

During the next six months, the founding members will work collaboratively with the wider industry to assess the current state of data in the advanced TV ecosystem, explore the main challenges and opportunities, and identify the priorities for unlocking the full potential of the new data-driven ecosystem in the years ahead. 

Jason Manningham, CEO of Blockgraph, said: “We are thrilled to be participating in this critical effort to drive the TV data ecosystem forward. The next era of TV must be one driven by industry collaboration and connectivity. We need to work together to collectively develop solutions that solve for the industry’s increasing complexity and fragmentation while at the same time addressing advertisers’ demand for data-driven solutions in a way that always puts privacy first.”

“Quality data is a key component that helps to connect campaigns consistently across diverse channels and devices including TV,” said Kristina Prokop, co-founder and CEO of Eyeota “We are delighted to be a part of this initiative to bring greater transparency to TV data activation and to instill confidence for brands and advertisers investing in this space.”

The initiative will develop:

• A landscape overview of the data-driven TV ecosystem, with clear definitions and frameworks.
• A review of the opportunities ahead, as advertisers look to data to identify and describe audiences for their campaigns, and the building blocks required to support these activities.
• An analysis of the challenges and barriers currently facing different categories of industry participants, as they look to leverage data to support their campaigns and goals.
• An assessment of the potential for new collective arrangements to support data sharing, matching and quality, improving the operation of the data-driven TV ecosystem in the 2020s.

“Creating uniformity across the converged TV landscape is key to both unlocking the power of TV advertising and ensuring its scalable future,” said Jo Kinsella, President at TVSquared. “Through industry-wide collaboration, we can create a TV ecosystem where all sides of the trade win – from advertisers and media owners, to data providers and publishers. We are excited to be part of an initiative dedicated to making this happen.”

The initiative will consult widely and deeply within the industry, providing regular updates on its progress via a program of events, seminars and roundtables that will explore the opportunities and challenges ahead.

"MadHive has always been passionate about the power of collaboration and open source standards to solve many of our industry's toughest problems," said Adam Helfgott. CEO of MadHive. "We are excited to contribute to this innovative initiative."

Nick Chakalos EVP & GM, Data and Supply said: “We believe the initiative will help deliver a collaborative vision for improving business outcomes for TV industry stakeholders, while also raising the bar for how we handle consumer data in a secure and privacy safe way.”

The new initiative is being directed by three experienced industry executives: Jon Watts, Executive DIrector and Co-Founder of The Project X Institute, and Alan Wolk, Co-Founder of TV[R]EV, with Jonathan Steuer, VideoAmp, EVP of TV Strategy & Currency advising the initiative, in an independent capacity.

For more information about the TV Data Initiative, please visit www.futuredata.tv or email info@futuredata.tv.

Founding members of the TV Data Initiative will be discussing identity resolution in the TV market, one of the key issues that will be addressed during the course of the initiative, at a special invite-only workshop hosted by the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM), on April 7th.