Media Ratings Council (MRC) Driven Changes

The Media Ratings Council (MRC) defines important distinctions between client-initiated and server-initiated beaconing. The MRC considers server-initiated impression counts too far removed from the actual delivery of the ad to the end user. As a result, only client-initiated impression counts are compliant.

FreeWheel will now support Gross and Net Counted Ads metrics across video and display impressions, including SSAI impressions. The calculations for Gross and Net Delivered Impressions will no longer include non-compliant impressions as of May 12, 2020:

• • Video ads are not client-initiated or not compliant with Count on Being-to-Render guidelines
  • Server-Sider Ad Insertion impressions
  • Inactivity impressions

How does this impact me? This change has already been applied to display impressions. The May 12, 2020 release applies to video traffic. The new metrics for video and calculation changes begin on May 12, 2020 at 00:00:00. This change does not retroactively apply to historical data.

• • For video, there are downstream metrics that are calculated based on Net Delivered Impressions. These calculations will now stem from Net Counted Ads (same calculation as Net Delivered Impressions prior to May 12, 2020). See Impacted Metrics matrix on Media Ratings Council Guidelines at FreeWheel.

Resources: For more information on the above, see Media Ratings Council Guidelines at FreeWheel.

FreeWheel will begin using Gross Counted Ads in the compositional calculation to calculate On-Target Impressions for placements with Demographic Impression Target or Demographic Currency Target budget models beginning May 12, 2020.

How does this impact me? This is automatically applied to the calculation. Please note that prior to May 12, 2020, the metrics below derived from Gross Delivered Impressions when selected with Ratings Based Planning metrics:

• • Click Thru Rate (%)
  • Clickable Ad Impressions
  • eCPM

Resources: To view the calculation, see Demographic Delivery Options (RBP). For more insight on impacted metrics, view the Impacted Metrics matrix onMedia Ratings Council Guidelines at FreeWheel.

Due to the changes in the MRC accredited metrics for video, clients using Scheduled Reports in Analytics should add Gross Counted Ads metrics to maintain consistency within your reports.

How can I access this? All clients, including clients with RBP enabled, if you are using the Gross or Net Delivered Impressions metrics in your scheduled reports in Analytics, you will need replace them with Gross and Net Counted Ads starting May 11, 2020. For MRC compliant reports, you can continue to use Gross and Net Delivered Impression metrics.

Resources: To learn how to schedule a report, see How to Schedule a Report Template to Automatically Run on a Pre-Defined Schedule.

Changes to FreeWheel's General Invalid Traffic (GIVT) Guidelines

In OTT and Mobile App environment, inactivity impressions are considered as non-compliant from MRC measurement guidelines.

• • This is already applicable to display impressions and will be applied to Video impressions on May 12, 2020.

How does this impact me? Inactivity impressions will be removed from the Net and Gross Delivered Impressions. Inactivity impressions will still be included in both Gross Counted Ads and Net Counted Ads.

Resources: To view previous and upcoming changes on impression metrics, see Media Rating Council Guidelines at FreeWheel.

Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) integrations typically use server-initiated impression counting. To remain compliant with MRC standards, FreeWheel is required to removed SSAI traffic from accredited metrics. This means that SSAI traffic will be excluded from Gross and Net Delivered Impressions.

• • FreeWheel is available to work with networks directly to test most endpoints for BTR compliance via the Endpoint QA process outlined here.

How does this impact me? SSAI traffic will be excluded from Gross and Net Delivered Impressions. Due to this, you can expect a decrease in those impressions; however, you can still view SSAI traffic in Gross and Net Counted Ads metrics. Existing integrations using FreeWheel AdManager do not need to be resubmitted for Endpoint QA tests as AdManager already adheres to BTR requirements.

Resources: For more information on the above, see Media Ratings Council Guidelines at FreeWheel or view

On May 12, 2020, IVT calculation logic will be updated to include duplicate impressions from Programmatic module. This change will bring Programmatic module in parity with SFX and DSPs. A duplicate impression is defined as when more than 1 impression is returned for an ad in the ad response. Known causes of this are typically due to the implementation of the player, proxy or stitcher or viewers rewinding and viewing the same ad more than once.

How does this impact me? Beginning May 12 2020, we will treat duplicated impressions as invalid traffic (IVT).  We will remove duplicated impressions from Net Delivered Impressions and Net Counted Ads; however there will still be duplicated impressions in Gross Delivered Impressions and Gross Counted Ads.

Gross Counted Ads, Gross Delivered Impressions, and all other metrics can be accessed in Programmatic Insights (Programmatic Module) and Analytics.

Resources: To view previous and upcoming changes on impression metrics, see Media Rating Council Guidelines at FreeWheel.

To acquire data marked as Continuous Play, FreeWheel will add a new metric called Continuous Play Impressions in Analytics on June 9, 2020 (6.36 Release).

How can I access this? The new deliver metric will be available in all networks and is based on impression events where the Ad Server flag fw_continuous_play is present.

Resources: The Analytics Data Dictionary will be updated closer to the release.