E.W. Scripps and an expanded group from ViacomCBS have joined Project OAR, an addressable TV advertising standards group.
The consortium – which also counts Vizio, Inscape, Disney's Media Networks, Comcast's FreeWheel, NBCUniversal, WarnerMedia, Discovery and AMC Networks among its founding members – is working to recommend open standard protocols for TV programmers and platforms to manage, sell and deliver relevant advertising across linear and on-demand formats on smart TVs.
Project OAR is adding new members – though standalone CBS was a member prior to merging with Viacom – after recently reaching consensus for the measurement and technical specifications for the management and delivery of addressable ads across all forms of television. At CES in January, members of Project OAR showed specs around linear dynamic ad insertion, ad engine integration capabilities with TV’s major ad delivery and enablement engines. The group has since turned its attention toward pushing software and firmware updates to smart TVs.
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Now ViacomCBS’ entire TV footprint, including BET, CMT, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, TV Land, VH1 and more, is a part of Project OAR.
“We know the future of TV requires a smarter, more relevant approach to ad experiences,” said Mike Dean, senior vice president of advanced advertising at ViacomCBS, in a statement. “Giving the entire ViacomCBS portfolio representation inside of OAR underscores the serious investment we are making in the future of better programming and ad experiences.”
Scripps, which operates 60 local TV stations in 42 markets across the U.S., is using addressable advertising within its local OTT apps.
“Addressable advertising is a natural fit for Scripps because we have been early to understand and monetize digital and other technology platforms,” said Kerry Oslund, vice president of strategy and business development at Scripps, in a statement. “Supporting open standards for dynamic advertising in 1.0 and 3.0 broadcast television is a natural extension of our work as well as our mission to serve our audiences and advertisers on every media platform. We also are pleased to partner with the country’s most watched and respected TV companies and ad agencies on this initiative.”