Published August 7
Nielsen is acquiring leading brand safety platform DoubleVerify for $2.15 billion, the companies announced Thursday.
The deal expands Nielsen’s ambitions beyond its legacy role as the dominant force in TV measurement, strengthening its position across the broader advertising ecosystem.
“Over the last few years, Nielsen has undergone a fundamental transformation — accelerating product innovation; expanding our platform across the full media lifecycle, from discovery and planning through measurement and outcomes,” Nielsen CEO Karthik Rao said in a press release.
DoubleVerify strengthens that strategy by adding technology that helps advertisers independently verify where campaigns run and how they perform as AI takes on more of the media buying process.
As AI starts to move into campaign planning, media buying and optimization, Rao argued that trusted, independent verification will become even more important. DoubleVerify’s verification technology could play a larger role in helping advertisers ensure campaigns are delivered as intended and appear in suitable environments.
“Over its growth trajectory, DoubleVerify expanded its AI-powered platform, deepened customer relationships, and scaled into a true category leader,” R. Davis Noell, chairperson of the DoubleVerify board, said in a statement. “Bringing these assets together creates a significant win for both companies’ customers and partners.”
DoubleVerify will continue to exist under its name and brand within the Nielsen umbrella.
The company came under scrutiny last year after a bombshell report by Adalytics alleged that Google and Amazon served ads on a website hosting child sexual abuse material. The report also questioned the effectiveness of brand safety verification platforms like DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science (IAS). In response, DoubleVerify rolled out URL-level reporting for all advertisers, giving them a clearer view of where their ads ran.
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