Comscore to launch YouTube CTV measurement in India by the end of 2025

Goa: Comscore is making a bold bet on YouTube CTV measurement in India, a move Alejandro Fosk, Executive Vice-President International, Comscore, calls a “game-changer” for the market.

Following successful rollouts in Spain and Malaysia, India is next in line for Comscore’s third-party validation of YouTube Connected TV performance, marking a crucial step in standardising video metrics across screens.

He said, “We’re set to launch third-party measurement for YouTube on CTV in India by the end of this year. We’ve already rolled this out in Spain and Malaysia, and India is next. That’s going to be a game-changer for the Indian market, bringing independent measurement to YouTube CTV.”

In an exclusive conversation with BestMediaInfo.com, Fosk opens up on how Comscore is navigating walled gardens and tackling data quality challenges, building unified digital currencies, and why India stands among the top five global priorities for the company. He also threw light on Comscore’s plans for the AI platform measurement.

Excerpts:

Comscore has long positioned itself as an independent measurement leader. In a post-cookie world where walled gardens are tightening their grip, how is Comscore safeguarding its neutrality, relevance, and independence?

One of Comscore’s core strengths is its consistent, panel-based methodology, which allows us to measure what others often can’t, using the same standard for everyone. That impartiality is a key reason we’re so well-respected. We don’t favour any platform or publisher. Everyone is evaluated with the same measurement stick. That objectivity has positioned us as a trusted third party, bringing transparency and actionable insights to an industry grappling with fragmentation and complexity. Our mission is to help the digital ecosystem thrive. Whether you're a major platform or a niche publisher, we equip you with the data to highlight your unique value, be it engagement, time spent, or content quality. That, to me, is our success formula: staying neutral, serving the entire industry, and enabling every player to compete on a level playing field.

Measurement today is deeply fragmented across screens, formats, and platforms. What is Comscore’s strategy for building a unified, cross-platform currency that global advertisers can trust?

Comscore, in a way, has two distinct identities. In the US, our measurement capabilities are deeply integrated, covering linear TV, CTV, and digital, offering a comprehensive view of the media landscape.

Internationally, however, our product offering is more limited, which means we have to be especially creative. We fully measure digital across desktop, mobile, and websites, and we’ve expanded to include social, which was essential to capture the full digital experience.

When it comes to Connected TV, which is growing rapidly in importance, our measurement is still limited in many markets. But we’re actively expanding it through strategic partnerships. For instance, we’re set to launch third-party measurement for YouTube on CTV in India by the end of this year. We’ve already rolled this out in Spain and Malaysia, and India is next.

That’s going to be a game-changer for the Indian market, bringing independent measurement to YouTube CTV.

How will this happen since most of them are walled gardens?

What’s important to understand is that Comscore operates as a true third-party measurement provider. For instance, with our panel-based methodology, users give us permission to track their activity as they browse. If a publisher doesn't want to be measured, they can’t really opt out—because we’re measuring audience behaviour, not publisher consent. The same principle applies here. Even if a platform like YouTube isn’t fully on board, the methodology allows us to measure usage independently.

That said, when it comes to measuring YouTube CTV specifically, we do have a partnership with Google to ingest their data. So yes, in that case, their cooperation is essential. But for other platforms we’re exploring, we’re using a similar approach to what we currently have with Google—leveraging partnerships where necessary while staying grounded in our third-party methodology.

I believe the industry today not only needs but actively seeks a credible third-party measurement provider, especially as CTV continues to grow. To attract serious advertising investment, as the case may be, platforms must offer reliable, transparent data. And that’s exactly what third-party measurement delivers. It’s a win-win for both publishers and advertisers.

Can you elaborate further?

For example, we can track the panellist’s activity across platforms—whether it’s Google, Facebook, India Today, or any other site. Even if it’s a walled garden, we’re still able to measure usage because we’re observing the panellist's behaviour, not relying on platform permission.

So if you’re part of our panel, and you visit Facebook or Google, we capture that activity. The concept of a “walled garden” only becomes relevant when measurement depends on direct platform access, and the platform refuses to provide it.

In the CTV space, it works similarly. If we obtain data through an OEM or the TV’s operating system, and the user grants permission, we can measure everything that happens on that device, just like we do on digital devices. And of course, if OTT platforms themselves choose to share data with us, it only strengthens the depth and accuracy of our measurement.

The more collaboration, the better the insights.

Do you foresee any roadblocks in the implementation of a third-party measurement study for YouTube CTV in India?

To be honest, the only real roadblock that can be is data quality. That’s critical, and we haven’t seen the data yet. We're actively working on it. The demand is definitely there. The market is ready and waiting. But for any measurement to truly support industry growth, the underlying data must be of the highest quality. That’s non-negotiable.

At the core of everything should be a rock-solid methodology and full transparency. Even if someone doesn’t like the number, they shouldn’t have to question how it was derived. They should be able to say, “I may not agree with the outcome, but I trust the process.” That’s the standard we aim to uphold.

What's next after YouTube CTV measurement?

In the future, we’ll start seeing measurement solutions tied to artificial intelligence. We’ve envisioned launching a framework to measure major AI platforms. However, the timeline isn’t in place.

Comscore data is often quoted in trade media, but many marketers still feel it lacks actionable granularity at the campaign level. Are you investing in local panels, partnerships, or platform-level data integrations to address this?

Not at the moment. We acknowledge that campaign measurement, specifically ad measurement, is a valuable capability to have. Right now, our focus is primarily on content measurement rather than advertising performance. Naturally, the next step would be to enter the ad measurement space. But as of today, we’re not active there. In fact, we previously had a product for ad measurement, but it was discontinued about two years ago. At the time, it didn’t meet the accuracy standards we hold ourselves to, so we decided to focus only on products that deliver reliable, high-quality data.

What role will predictive analytics and machine learning play in measurement accuracy going forward? How is Comscore leveraging AI internally to stay ahead?

One area of Comscore’s business is called Proxemic. It handles all our programmatic measurement, and a key component of that is our predictive audiences offering. Right now, Proxemic is primarily available in the US, but we’re actively working to expand it internationally, including in India. We’re aiming to roll it out later this year.

Attention is being touted as the next frontier of advertising effectiveness. Do you believe attention-based metrics can become a global standard, and is Comscore positioning itself to lead in that space?

When it comes to attention metrics, we do have some capabilities, primarily in the social space. Through Comscore Social, we track social attention and engagement, which has become one of our most important metrics in that domain

How important is the Indian market for Comscore?

India is actually our most important market in the APAC region and among the top five markets worldwide. Without a doubt, India represents our biggest bet in Asia.

India is a complex market—mobile-first, video-heavy, and vernacular-driven. How is Comscore adapting its global measurement methodologies to reflect these local nuances?

That’s a very important point. Vernacular content, or content in different languages, is unique to India. With 26 languages across diverse regions, it presents a complex media landscape. What makes Comscore’s approach effective is that we use a single, unified measurement methodology across the board. We don’t measure each language separately—we measure all users equally within our India-based framework. So, if someone accesses content in English or Hindi, it’s all captured under the same system. This allows platforms to be evaluated based on how their users engage locally, regardless of language. As a result, publishers—whether they focus on Hindi, Marathi, or any other regional language—can position themselves more effectively and compete on a level playing field. It’s that consistent methodology that enables this kind of inclusive visibility.

As retail media networks and closed first-party ecosystems become dominant, what’s Comscore’s evolving role as a third-party validator in a world of zero-party and logged-in data?

Retail media is a really interesting and increasingly important space. While we don’t yet have a dedicated measurement solution for retail media, we have made some inroads. For example, in Latin America, we launched a comprehensive retail media study aimed at raising awareness about the ecosystem—its opportunities, challenges, and unique dynamics.

We believe efforts like these help build momentum around the category. Looking ahead, we hope to replicate similar initiatives in India with a focus specifically on retail media.

Right now, we do measure major retail media platforms, but we don’t yet offer path-to-purchase tracking or a full retail media framework. That’s an area we see potential in and are exploring for future development.

What’s the one major misconception marketers still have about digital measurement, and how can it be fixed?

I think digital measurement has been around long enough now that the market understands it well. The challenge isn’t a lack of understanding, it’s more that stakeholders don’t always like the metrics they see. And that’s something we constantly navigate. The space is evolving, especially with the integration of social platforms. Merging different types of data that aren’t always comparable is complex, but not a misconception. It simply takes time for the industry to adapt to new metrics and measurement standards. The same will be true for CTV, and eventually for technologies like artificial intelligence. With each shift, there’s a learning curve.

That’s why we work closely with the MRC (Media Rating Council) and other industry boards to help shape a more unified, syndicated view of where the industry is heading. Our goal is to ensure that new measurements are not only accurate but also aligned with the market’s evolving needs.