MRC issues guidance on OTT/CTV and SSAI video measurement

MRC Issues Final Version of Updated Guidance on OTT/CTV and SSAI Digital Video Measurement

NEW YORK, NY — The Media Rating Council (MRC) today issued a final version of its updated guidance and best practices document for measurement in Over-the-Top (OTT) and Connected TV (CTV) environments, and when Server Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) digital video techniques are used. This follows the release of a preliminary draft version that was previously issued for public comment in February 2021, and will supplement on a going forward basis (and, in certain specific instances, will supersede) the existing measurement guidance included in the IAB’s and MRC’s Digital Video Impression Measurement Guidelines, which was most recently revised in 2018. The final document is the end product of a process that included collaboration from a working group of more than 40 organizations, as well as the broader input received as a result of the public comment period earlier this year.

While there were relatively few changes to the final version of the Server Side Ad Insertion and OTT Guidance from the earlier public comment draft issued in February, the final version does include additional detail related to its consideration of Continuous Play, the detection of “TV Off” situations (and accounting for those in measurements), and in its section on certification and authentication in SSAI environments, among other minor modifications.

Among the more important points included which remains consistent with the earlier draft is a refinement of the definitions of “Over the Top” and “Connected TV” to more closely align with prevailing industry usage of the terminologies. The distinctions have also been graphically illustrated as follows in the new document:

The updated Server Side Ad Insertion and OTT Guidance document can be found on the MRC website, and will be used by MRC in its accreditation assessments of relevant measurement services immediately.