Comscore deepens Google partnership to boost YouTube visibility; eyes OEM deals to sharpen CTV metrics in India

In an era where media consumption is shifting dramatically towards digital platforms, Comscore emerges as a pivotal player in the quest for standardized media metrics.

At Goafest 2025, Alejandro Fosk, Executive Vice President - Comscore, spoke with Storyboard18 about the pressing need for reliable measurement systems that can bridge the gap between advertisers and broadcasters in India’s burgeoning digital ecosystem.

"Our largest or biggest aim strategy is that the advertising industry grows. And we believe that our contribution to that is by providing reliable metrics," Fosk emphasized, highlighting the importance of standardization in media measurement across different platforms.

Fosk noted that the company has been able to offer a robust tool and metric system that acts as a bridge in a highly complex and competitive media environment.

“We are providing at least a light that helps you guide throughout these challenges,” he said, highlighting the addition of their social measurement layer - termed ‘social incremental’ - which integrates insights across digital and social media. This is proving helpful in navigating the industry’s tough realities.

Comscore’s primary clientele in India comprises media publishers, broadcasters, and advertising agencies—representing both the buy-side and the sell-side of the ecosystem. While a few brands also engage with Comscore, the bulk of its business continues to come from these core segments.

Navigating the challenges of Digital and OTT Measurement

Despite the absence of OTT measurement, Comscore has developed a unified digital measurement (UDM) methodology that combines data from online panelists and web tagging techniques.

This approach has been successfully implemented in various countries, including the US, Spain, and Australia, and is now being tailored for the Indian market. "We're not measuring OTTs yet, but we are measuring digital through our methodology," Fosk explained, underscoring the company's commitment to refining its tools for the Indian context.

Strategic Partnerships and the Google Collaboration

A significant highlight of Comscore's strategy is its partnership with Google, focusing on YouTube traffic sharing. This collaboration allows publishers with YouTube channels to showcase their content through Comscore's system, thereby enhancing visibility and measurement capabilities. "We have a partnership with Google on that end," Fosk noted, indicating the potential for deeper integration in the future.

Comscore is also exploring partnerships with OEMs and data aggregators to enhance connected TV measurement, a sector with burgeoning demand in India. "We're trying to work through partnerships in order to be able to provide more granular data," Fosk stated, acknowledging the complexity of measuring audiences at the individual level.

The Path Forward: Unified Measurement Systems

As the conversation turned to the future of media measurement, Fosk identified the development of a unified measurement system as the "Holy Grail" for the advertising industry.

Such a system would encompass all forms of media, from digital to print and linear TV, providing a comprehensive view of audience engagement. "If we can work together with the industry to get a unified solution, I think that would be extremely helpful," he remarked.

Fosk also touched upon the broader challenges facing the media industry, including the impact of artificial intelligence and the need for cross-platform measurement.