Meetrics

DoubleVerify to Acquire OpenSlate for $150M

DoubleVerify announced it will acquire OpenSlate in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $150 million, with closing expected this quarter. OpenSlate provides pre-campaign capabilities such as contextual targeting, content quality measurement, and brand-safety analysis, complementing DV’s post-campaign measurement, fraud detection, and verification tools. The merger aims to deliver an end-to-end platform across campaigns by integrating pre- and post-campaign capabilities. The deal strengthens DV’s focus on CTV and social video and will provide brand-safety measurements for TikTok, a feature DV previously lacked. DV CEO Mark Zagorski described the integration as creating a fully owned platform across leading social and CTV walled gardens. This acquisition marks DV’s second purchase since going public, following the 2021 Meetrics deal, and signals ongoing consolidation in the adtech measurement space.

Meetrics Viewability Benchmarks 2021

Meetrics’ Q2 2021 Viewability Benchmarks show a decline in ad visibility in Germany and internationally. Video ads in Germany dropped to 84% viewability, while Display ads fell to 55%. Internationally, Display viewability slid to 57% and Video to 79%. Overall viewable Viewtime decreased from 20.1 to 19.8 seconds. Primary reasons for low visibility include Below the Fold (global 27%), Too Short Time (22%), and Inactive Tab (21%), with Germany leading Below the Fold at 28%, Above Highest Position at 20%, and Inactive Tab at 19%. Format-level insights indicate Skyscraper (83%) and Halfpage Ad/Sidebar (73%) perform best on Desktop, Interstitials (54%) and Mobile Banner 6:1 (51%) on Mobile. Small video ads reach 85% versus 82% for larger players; mobile small 81% vs 76% for large. The methodology adheres to IAB/MRC guidelines (50/1 for display, 50/2 for video). Full reports are available on Meetrics’ site.

GroupM Germany & Meetrics Pilot Ad Refresh Tracking

GroupM Germany and Meetrics have launched a joint pilot to study Ad Refreshes in digital campaigns, investigating when and how refresh events occur and their effects on ad visibility and effectiveness. The study will capture dimensions such as the interval between refreshes and the on-page placement of refreshed impressions, aiming to establish insights that can improve transparency and control for advertisers, agencies, and publishers. The collaboration expands to Xandr as Trading Desk, enabling real-time visibility of Ad Refresh within the Xandr DSP and enabling inventory selection or suppression of unwanted refreshes. GroupM Germany’s agencies—Mindshare, MediaCom, Wavemaker, and Essence—will participate alongside Meetrics. Key quotes from Konstantinos Papadatos Fragkos and Philipp von Hilgers emphasize enhanced transparency and a tool for better media quality and budget alignment. The effort seeks to develop standards for sustainable, effective ad performance by reducing unwanted multiple ad impressions during a website visit.