In 2025, streaming TV overtook linear television in total viewership for the first time in history. This achievement underscored a fundamental shift in how modern audiences find and watch video content. But for digital advertisers, an even more significant moment lies just ahead. Streaming TV is expected to outpace linear in total ad spend by 2028, according to eMarketer. When that happens, streaming will not only be where the audiences are. It will be where the budget is too.
Unfortunately, despite tracking this trend for several years, many streaming TV providers may be underequipped to answer advertiser demand and realize the full value of their supply. This blog will explore some of the problems streaming TV providers face, along with a privacy-forward solution that platforms can use to improve their position for when (not if) streaming takes the spotlight for good.
The Twofold Problem: Media Quality and Data Transparency
All media suppliers must deliver on quality metrics while providing as much data transparency as possible. In general, “media quality” refers to several individual metrics that most advertisers use to assess the value of impressions and the success of campaigns. Three of the most important media quality metrics for buyers are:
- Viewability. Did an ad have an opportunity to be seen?
- Fraud. Was it viewed by a real person?
- Suitability. Did it serve in an environment that supported the brand's business values?
Regardless of how an advertiser prioritizes media quality, it’s vital to know where an ad was delivered in order to measure performance effectively. That is where data transparency comes in. For streaming TV, data transparency typically comes in two forms: app-level and program-level. App-level transparency refers to the app in which an ad was shown, while program-level transparency drills deeper to the exact content being consumed. This is an essential part of campaign measurement and delivery, but it is something that has been notoriously difficult for suppliers to provide.
What’s Obscuring Transparency for Streaming TV?
One external obstacle for streaming TV platforms has been long-standing national regulations like the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA). Established in 1988, the VPPA is a US privacy law that prevents companies from disclosing personal identifying information about a user’s viewing habits without their informed written consent. While its original intent was to prevent the abuse of VHS cassette rental histories in the 80s and 90s, the law took on new life in the streaming era and was invoked to prevent the measurement of relevant streaming TV data in ad campaigns.
Providers also face internal resistance to data transparency from their own audiences. Privacy has become a serious concern for many Internet users in recent years, and it’s fallen on individual companies to answer that concern with policy-backed commitments to protecting private information. That makes the transparency problem an even harder needle to thread.
The ideal solution to this problem is one that would provide enough transparency to measure quality without compromising privacy. That is precisely what DV’s latest streaming TV solutions can offer.
DV’s Clean Room Integration Bridges the Gap
As part of DV’s Certified Transparent Streaming program, DV now offers a Clean Room Integration in which streaming TV providers can share program-level data without compromising privacy requirements. Here’s how it works:
- Providers submit their data with non-personal identifiers into DV’s Clean Room Integration
- DV automatically joins the non-personal data with its own to produce standardized media quality and outcome metrics
- The anonymized data is then distributed to advertiser partners for their measurement and reporting needs
Since no personal identifiers are passed on with the content information, DV’s Clean Room Integration is compliant with regulations like the VPPA. It also allows streaming TV providers to take full advantage of DV’s industry-leading measurement capabilities. But perhaps most importantly, it allows streaming TV providers to maintain control of their data and measure media quality in a way that reflects both their own values and those of their audiences.
In a few short years, streaming TV will rule the video marketplace in all the metrics that matter to advertisers. But with great power comes great expectations. Advertisers will expect and demand a far more accurate and comprehensive picture of media quality than they are currently getting from the space. If streaming TV is to continue its prime time push, the proper adjustments need to be made now. Luckily, solutions like DV Certified Transparent Streaming and DV Clean Room Integration can handle most of the heavy lifting and help buyers and suppliers continue to build long-lasting and mutually beneficial partnerships together.
Interested in learning more about DV’s Clean Room Integration? Contact us today to start the conversation!
