SBS first site to move to video audit as it also switches off autorefresh
SBS has become one of the biggest media brands yet to switch off autorefresh in order to qualify for an online audit from the Audit Bureaux of Australia.
And SBS is to be the first to have its online video audited too.
SBS’s national manager of online Guy Burbidge said: “The green tick means we stand by the audience delivery of our sites and our advertisers will get true value and absolute confidence in the integrity of our data. For us it’s not simply a numbers game as we offer unique, premium audiences on our sites.”
Sites that autorefresh – where content and ads are reloaded on pages every few minutes – are ineligible for ABA recognition. Most SBS pages had already had autorefresh removed, but the final few were switched off in order to qualify.
The move by SBS comes as media agencies have become increasingly strident about refusing to buy ads on a CPM basis from sites that autorefresh. The issue of autoplay video has also been moving up the agenda.
According to the SBS announcement: “Plans are also in place for SBS to be the first to market with ABA audited video metrics for online TV episodes.”
Burbidge said: “We are thrilled that SBS will be the first to provide advertisers with audited online video numbers. Whilst we have experienced growth in excess of 25 per cent in online TV viewing in the last year, we understand that video is already playing a key role in the future of our digital industry and this initiative forms just one part of our focus on this area of our digital offering.”
Paul Dovas, the ABA’s CEO said: “At the moment most online video numbers in the market are internally measured. The introduction of independently audited video metrics will bring greater transparency, trust and confidence to the data. As the first audited member to report audited online video data, SBS will play a key role in the development of video rules.”
Paul Elliott, the National Digital Director for OMD, said the media agency is among those that will penalise unaudited sites. He said: “We are implementing policies to give preferential consideration to those publishers who provide us with complete transparency. We look forward to working with SBS as a valued and trusted media partner.”
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Great work SBS and Guy … everyone talks about digital being truly accountable, now this is becoming closer to a reality. Will be interesting to see how long it takes (if at all) for the other major portals to follow.
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with regards to auto refresh, most of the big portals already have, I think Ninemsn and Yahoo! did this a few months ago. Fairfax and News still haven’t though
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Let’s see if the agencies actually put their money where their mouths are by penalising unauthorised sites. Seeing as most have deals in place with the big publishers, I would suggest this is all talk as they are contractually obliged to spend with them.
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jim, ninemsn still uses auto-refresh code (on the main homepage as an example).
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Congratulations to SBS for being the first of the TV broadcasters to earn the ABA green tick!
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can’t stand fairfax media’s autoload of videos as well!!!
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Move on please.
Go innovate. Do some great work. Do anything, just stop whinging.
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