By Todd Randak, GM of CTV at DoubleVerify
For years, streaming TV has operated without the transparency and accountability advertisers expect across other digital channels. While viewing habits have shifted dramatically, measurement capabilities have not kept pace. The result is a fragmented ecosystem where advertisers struggle to understand performance holistically and publishers face technical and regulatory barriers that limit what they can share.
Unlike other digital advertising environments, streaming TV is constrained by laws such as the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA) and a patchwork of platform-specific rules that restrict access to content-level data. Publishers often cannot share the very signals advertisers rely on to verify media quality, ensure contextual relevance, or optimize spend. At the same time, the industry still lacks a scalable, standardized way to validate that CTV ads are truly viewable and delivered to powered-on TVs.
These gaps undermine trust at a time when transparency is more critical than ever.
It is time for our industry to work together to close the remaining transparency and measurement gaps in streaming.
The path forward is clear: more collaboration, greater interoperability, and more shared standards that strike a balance between measurement needs and regulatory compliance.
At DV, we are working with publishers, platforms, and advertisers to accelerate that shift through two initiatives designed to unlock transparency at scale:
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DV’s Certified Transparent Streaming program
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DV’s support for Open Measurement (OM SDK) for CTV
Together, these initiatives help the market move beyond constraints that have slowed progress for too long.
Unlocking Content-Level Transparency Through DV’s Certified Transparent Streaming Program
Advertisers have been asking for verified program- and episode-level reporting in streaming TV for years. But regulatory constraints have made it difficult for publishers to share this data.
DV’s Certified Transparent Streaming program delivers a path forward. Built using clean room infrastructure, it allows publishers to contribute data to an environment where individual-level information remains under their control. Only aggregated, advertiser-ready outputs are shared.
To be certified, publishers must demonstrate that they can contribute content-level information in a controlled, compliant environment and meet DV’s criteria for data quality, consistency, and transparency.
This program helps publishers:
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Incentivize continued spend by providing trusted, program-level transparency
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Increase yield by demonstrating premium context and quality
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Reduce operational friction through fast, compliant reporting that eliminates one-off data pulls
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Maintain control of sensitive data while meeting regulatory requirements
These efforts establish a consistent, reliable foundation for transparency that aligns with advertiser expectations and publisher needs.
Bringing the Industry Standard: Open Measurement for CTV
Viewability in CTV has historically been challenging to measure because advertisers lacked a scalable, standardized way to confirm whether their ads met viewability criteria.
DV has pioneered solutions to close that gap, including:
Now, DV is taking the next step by supporting Open Measurement (OM SDK) for CTV — bringing the industry standard for mobile and desktop into streaming environments.
OM SDK will help scale DV's CTV viewability coverage, enabling advertisers to monitor and address ad spend wasted on non-viewable and TV-off environments.
"Standardized measurement is essential for the future of streaming. DPG Media is proud to adopt the OM SDK for CTV because we believe in the quality of our inventory. This standard gives advertisers the consistent, comparable viewability signals they need to invest with confidence, creating a more open and trusted ecosystem for the entire industry." — Maarten Schoonvliet, Project Manager Digital Sales Development at DPG Media.
“As streaming continues to evolve, consistent and transparent measurement is essential. The expansion of the OM SDK for CTV strengthens the foundation for consistent and reliable viewability insights across screens and operating platforms. DoubleVerify’s established CTV capabilities, deep platform integrations, and transparent methodology are trusted across the industry, allowing us to provide advertisers greater confidence and clarity in their investment.” — Bethany Hillman, SVP of Data & Advertising Operations, TelevisaUnivision.
A Path Forward—Supported by Advertisers and Agencies
Transparency is not just a publisher issue. Agencies and brands increasingly demand aligned, comparable standards that allow them to plan their media, optimize performance, and measure outcomes across channels with confidence. As investment in streaming grows, buyers are seeking clearer signals and more granular insights that help them validate context and make better informed decisions.
“Brands expect transparency, comparability, and proof of performance across every channel. The industry’s continued adoption of OM SDK for CTV is an important step toward consistent, standards-based measurement and improved device authenticity. Advancing these standards gives advertisers the clarity they need to invest with confidence.” — Anthony Katsur, CEO of IAB Tech Lab.
A Call to the Industry
Transparency should not be a competitive advantage. It should be a shared principle that strengthens the entire streaming marketplace.
Publishers need frameworks that enable them to remain compliant while meeting the expectations of advertisers. Advertisers need consistent signals to plan and measure effectively. And the industry needs interoperable standards that reduce fragmentation and rebuild trust across the streaming ecosystem.
DV’s Certified Transparent Streaming program and DV’s support for OM SDK for CTV represent important steps forward — but they are only the beginning.
We invite platforms, publishers, agencies, and measurement partners to join us in building a streaming ecosystem that is regulatory-compliant, measurable, open, and accountable.
Transparency is not only beneficial for measurement but also essential for the long-term health of the streaming industry.
