Pay-per-performance is an idea that’s gaining traction among buyers and sellers of media who increasingly talk about a “common currency” that helps to unify audience valuations for traditional channels like linear television with newer digital platforms. For station owners like Sinclair Broadcast Group, which covers about 40% of U.S. households, a common currency is significant in providing comparisons with its growing digital platforms.
“We’re looking forward to that day of solidifying numbers that are agreed upon by both the buyers and the sellers, and get us to that pay-per-performance,” Rob Weisbord, president of broadcast and chief revenue officer at Sinclair Broadcast Group, said in this interview with Beet.TV.
“On pay-per-performance, we need to go to an impression-based currency, and that’s where the promise of Comscore comes in,” he said of the audience measurement company that’s working to make linear and digital channels more comparable for media buyers.
Sinclair last year released a daily over-the-top (OTT) reporting platform called “Compulse360” for CompulseOTT, its local connected (CTV) ad product that aggregates premium inventory from leading steaming services and publishers. Compulse360 uses Comscore’s cross-platform video advertising measurement solution, Comscore Campaign Ratings, to provide measurement of campaigns in near real-time.
Ad-Supported Digital Video
Weisbord foresees continued growth for ad-supported video streaming services like Stirr, an OTT product with more than 115 channels that’s free to consumers. As consumers reach the limit on how much they’re willing to pay each month for subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services like Netflix and Disney+, ad-supported services will give marketers a way to reach households that have connected their TVs to the internet.
“We play in the fast lane, which is the free advertising service. There’s only so many subscriptions that will take place,” Weisbord said.
Sinclair differentiates its platform from other services with an emphasis on local news from its broadcast stations. The company is rolling out technology to provide addressable delivery of advertising in more markets.
Billions in media spending during this year’s election season helped to carry broadcasters like Sinclair, which has seen spending recover from a broad pullback during the onset of the pandemic.
“We’ve seen a recovery month after month,” he said. “It was obviously a record-breaking election season that helped the broadcasters.”
This video is part of Advancing Toward a Common TV Measurement Currency, a Beet.TV leadership series presented by Comscore. For more videos from the series, please visit this page.
