“Buying Premium Video: A Definitive Checklist” offers guidance and insights to buyers and sellers to advocate for the value of premium TV.

The FreeWheel Council for Premium Video (FWC) and the Video Advertising Bureau (VAB) announced a new initiative to provide guidance around buying premium video advertising as the medium grows and content proliferates across screens.

With this announcement, the FWC, an industry group comprised of over 30 publishers convened by FreeWheel, and the VAB are rolling out a document entitled “Buying Premium Video: A Definitive Checklist” that clearly outlines the factors that buyers and sellers should consider when engaging in video transactions.

“The urgency for greater accountability and transparency in the video advertising industry has never been more important. Yet too often, marketers are forced to settle for opaque environments, handing their hard-earned investment to a black box,” said Danielle DeLauro, Executive Vice President, VAB. “We are proud to partner with the FreeWheel Council for Premium Video to illustrate the higher standard of trust and capability delivered by premium video platforms, encouraging marketers to maximize brand growth and apply this checklist to all their video partners.”

The checklist sets forth three key factors that buyers should consider when buying premium video. These include:

• Quality Environment: Upholding audience trust and standards with trusted programmatic delivery, less clutter and an optimal viewing experience.
• Brand Safety: Holding partners accountable for brand requirements and avoiding objectionable content, with legitimate verification processes.
• Transparency & Legitimacy: Knowing exactly what you are buying, ensuring viewable ads are running in appropriate content, and seen by real people.

“We know that ads airing in premium video create positive experiences for viewers and fuel positive brand associations,” said Mark McKee, General Manager, FreeWheel. “But the industry lacks a clear definition of what ‘premium’ means. By partnering with the VAB and undertaking research to define premium video, we can advocate for transparency, quality and brand safety in video ad buying. This will help both buyers and sellers make more informed choices as the TV advertising industry continues to expand and evolve.”

As part of the Checklist, the FWC and the VAB are proposing a new, clear definition for premium video, based on research conducted by Comcast Advertising: Premium video is content delivered transparently, in a trusted, brand-safe environment, seen by real people within a high-quality viewing experience.

“Providing an exceptional viewing experience anchored by our premium content offerings across every screen and platform is one of Paramount’s core objectives in serving our advertising partners and audiences alike,” said Jarred Wilichinsky, SVP, Ad Operations, Paramount. “As more and more premium video inventory feeds into the marketplace, we are thrilled that the VAB has partnered with the FWC to equip buyers with the information they need to make the best buying decisions, ensuring that buyers’ dollars go farther in attracting and engaging viewers in truly premium environments.”