Observed Signal · Oct 19, 2026 · Interview / Opinion · Source: ExchangeWire · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
MarkApp: MENA Needs CTV Measurement, Verification Before Scale
In an interview ahead of ATS Dubai, Sotiris Oikonomou, managing director at MarkApp, argues that MENA's CTV market must not replicate US and European mistakes. He highlights that social video dominates MENA digital spend, with CTV growing but underdeveloped. Key concerns include the lack of household-level targeting, measurement, and verification, leading to inflated CPMs and unverified inventory. Oikonomou calls for industry-wide standards: declared supply paths, SupplyChain object usage, content metadata, and OM SDK compliance. He notes that CTV fraud in the US scaled 140% in Q1 2026, urging MENA to prioritize proof before scaling. IAB MENA is expected to release a household multiplier, and a language-based classification for Arabic content is needed. The market must educate both buyers and publishers to build trust and drive incremental growth.
Provides strategic insights on CTV market development in MENA, but is an opinion interview without specific corporate actions or announcements.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- MarkApp's managing director Sotiris Oikonomou gave an interview ahead of ATS Dubai.
- MENA digital ad spend scaled ~18% year on year, with social media accounting for 60% of that growth.
- About 9% of users aged 18-34 in MENA use smart TV as first screen.
- US CTV fraud schemes scaled by 140% in Q1 2026, according to DoubleVerify.
- MarkApp launched Harion omnichannel DSP in January 2026.
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mapped“Sotiris Oikonomou, managing director at MarkApp, spoke to ExchangeWire about CTV in MENA.”
“According to DoubleVerify, CTV fraud schemes scaled by 140% in Q1 2026.”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
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