Sorta CTV wants to be more than sorta measurable.
Today, ReachTV—a free ad-supported streaming network that claims more than 50 million monthly travelers across thousands of airports and half a million hotel rooms in North America—announced a partnership with Nielsen to evaluate ad performance across its network. Nielsen will focus specifically on around 90 U.S. airports, representing a subset of Reach’s… well, reach. Still, any third-party measurement in these environments is welcome.
On Nielsen’s side, the goal—according to the release—is to better understand audience viewing behavior “wherever they are,” including on the go. Advertisers working with Nielsen will get insights into ReachTV via Nielsen ONE, the company’s cross-media measurement platform.
Why This Matters:
ReachTV is interesting in light of the recent “sorta CTV” debates. It fits that category through its airport inventory, but also offers a more private viewing experience through its hotel room presence. Still, this partnership focuses specifically on the “sorta CTV” side, spanning 90+ airports. The collaboration between ReachTV and Nielsen—a legacy, trusted provider—could help the industry better understand, through independent data, how this channel is performing for brands and advertisers.
Experts React:
According to Paul Krasinski, Chief Strategy Officer of ReachTV, in the press release:
“As consumers watch live sports and original content throughout the airport journey – from a restaurant, to the gate, to the in-flight experience via wifi, Nielsen is capturing our ‘on the move’ audience to be discoverable as digital monetizable inventory, through an innovative integration between our services. This first to market service empowers advertisers to understand our audience, leverage cross-media engagement, and maximize media investment through effective planning and share shift analysis.”
Our Take:
The “sorta CTV” category—screens that look like TV but live outside the living room and often blurrily seem like DOOH—still lacks consistent measurement. Partnerships like this help legitimize the space and give advertisers more confidence in where their dollars are going.
By the way, a month ago, Google announced it updated its Ad Manager policies to clarify the definitions and monetization rules for CTV and DOOH inventory. Under the new policy, which goes into effect soon, on May 1st, CTV is strictly defined as internet-connected TVs in private homes, such as smart TVs or streaming devices, while DOOH refers to screens in public spaces, like bars, taxis, and retail businesses.
How does ReachTV see this? Note a recent release with Edgio reads: “Edgio worked with ReachTV to develop a successful operating model that transformed Digital Out of Home (DOOH) into a Connected TV (CTV) experience.” Also, per the company’s website, ReachTV is the “first, innovative video platform, that embodies the worlds of Broadcast, Connected TV, Digital and Out-of-Home into one.”
So, yeah, sorta CTV. 😏
