Programmatic FreeWheel Will Use Nielsen’s DMP Integration for Improved OTT Measurement Comcast-owned ad-tech outfit will target advanced audience segments on connected devicesBy Ronan Shields|February 12, 2019 Nielsen can already measure VOD content ratings, but the FreeWheel partnership will also allow it to track ads on the platform.Photo Illustration: Tenzin Tsepel; Sources: Getty Images, FreeWheel, NielsenShare By Ronan Shields|February 12, 2019 Share FreeWheel will use the Nielsen data management platform to build and target advanced audience segments on connected devices such as over-the-top TV screens and other types of digital video opportunities. Per the terms of the partnership, Nielsen’s DMP will provide advertisers using FreeWheel Markets with insights on media consumption and purchase data to help them better hone their ad campaigns as well as measure outcomes. The Nielsen DMP and FreeWheel’s server-to-server integration also lets advertisers optimize their ad campaigns in real time across all CTV, OTT and digital video channels in a bid to improve campaign responsiveness and performance, according to the pair. These targeting capabilities will also be made available through FreeWheel’s suite of advertising tools, dubbed as DRIVE, with Neil Smith, general manager of FreeWheel Markets dubbing the integration as an important milestone towards the Comcast-owned unit’s goal of unifying linear TV and digital video. “This will help our clients more effectively plan, buy and measure audiences across all new forms of TV, with the scale, sophistication, and ease of use needed to drive superior results for advertisers as TV viewing continues to migrate across screens,” Smith added. Meanwhile, Damian Garbaccio, evp, Nielsen, described the partnership as “one of the most comprehensive advanced TV offerings available in the market today” that will help advertisers better attribute ROI to their media buys. The move builds upon an earlier tie-up between the pairing, when FreeWheel Publishers adopted Nielsen’s Qualified Ad Audience solution in Digital Ad Ratings. Adweek Adweek