Trouble Brews Over the Viewability of Digital Ads

Media Rating Council (MRC) recently lifted its 18-month-old advisory against selling digital ads based on whether they are measurably viewed by consumers.

It’s a move that will likely reshape the $50 billion ad marketplace and pit publishers against brands, while putting in motion a surge in the number of online promotions sold on viewability metrics -- pricing that functions on how frequently ads are seen by viewers.

The metrics, or “currency” in industry vernacular, are often dictated by MRC-approved vendors comScore, Moat, Integral Ad Science and DoubleVerify. Now, one company will be combining all four of the MRC-accredited vendors into one product.