Warner Bros. Discovery and VideoAmp have signed a three-year currency and measurement agreement.
This collaboration develops into a full-stack integration with WBD’s technological solutions, building on previous efforts that concentrated on reach and frequency. To make media planning, activation, measurement, and optimization easier for buyers, WBD will keep utilizing VideoAmp’s cutting-edge data and measurement solutions across linear, digital, and streaming.
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The statement, which coincides with the completion of upfront agreements, indicates that VideoAmp is still moving forward and that the market is gradually moving toward alternative currencies.
Bryan Goski, the chief revenue officer at VideoAmp, tells The Current, “It’s an acknowledgment by one of the largest studios and largest media companies on the planet that alternative currencies are here to stay.” “They’re supporting that with the weight of their media and content in addition to their sales efforts.”
At its upfront presentation, WBD unveiled tech tools NEO and DemoDirect after launching its main converged media solution, StreamX, in late 2024. With VideoAmp’s data acting as a fundamental layer, these three solutions are intended to provide increased transparency and direct access to WBD’s premium inventory for buyers.
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In a press release, David Porter, head of ad sales research, analytics, and insights at WBD, stated, “VideoAmp helps us measure what actually works — across every screen, every audience, and every dollar spent — which will be more important as the industry gears up for the next TV buying season.”
In 2024, VideoAmp closed more over $3 billion in upfront deals, an 880% increase over 2023. Though it’s too soon to say how much, Goski anticipates that figure to increase once more in 2025.
Along with all of the main agency holding firms, the currency and measurement supplier currently has multiyear agreements with major publishers, including NBCUniversal, Paramount, Fox, A&E, and TelevisaUnivision.
According to Goski, this change is indicative of a larger industry trend away from panel-only measurement and toward big data. According to Goski, this has led some clients to consider moving entire networks to VideoAmp for demo and data-driven linear (DDL) transactions.
He claims that “[these companies’] inability to forecast their revenue is existential to their bottom line.”
It’s no secret Nielsen is under criticism since “introducing big data and preserving trends are paradoxical,” according to a measurement insider who spoke to The Current.
Earlier this year, WBD officials declared their support for a multicurrency world and their agnosticism toward measurements. Even if Nielsen continues to dominate the currency market, its rivals are vying for a larger share.
The source went on to say, “VideoAmp has been creating big data-based video measurements for years.” They are now the most popular “alternative currency.” Even though change is never easy, programmers like WBD are beginning to recognize that it’s time to consider other options.
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