Index Exchange advances duration-based metrics for streaming TV measurement

Index Exchange has implemented duration-based reporting for streaming TV advertisements, according to an announcement made on September 12, 2025. The new measurement approach addresses fundamental limitations in legacy programmatic metrics that treat all impression opportunities equally regardless of their time duration.

According to Catherine Cho, Lead Product Manager at Index Exchange, traditional performance indicators developed for display advertising fail to capture the time variable inherent in streaming television. "TV introduces another paradigm to programmatic beyond impressions or slot counts: time," Cho stated in the announcement.

The enhanced reporting system acknowledges that not all dynamic ad pod slots carry equal value. A 30-second impression opportunity provides significantly more advertiser value than a 6-second placement, yet current industry metrics measure both identically. This approach creates incomplete performance assessments for streaming publishers and limits campaign optimization capabilities for programmatic buyers.

Technical implementation details

Dynamic ad pod bidding, standardized through OpenRTB 2.6 specifications, enables flexible advertisement configurations within streaming breaks. A single 90-second ad break can accommodate various combinations: two 15-second slots plus one 60-second placement, three 30-second advertisements, or one 90-second creative unit.

Index Exchange's duration-based calculation methodology tracks total advertisement time rather than individual slot counts. According to the implementation documentation, the system measures fill rates using seconds of delivered content against total available inventory time.

The calculation transforms traditional metrics through time-based formulas. Count-based measurement typically calculates availability as total pods multiplied by maximum sequence values. Duration-based assessment multiplies total pods by their individual time allocations, providing inventory measurement in seconds rather than opportunities.

Performance measurement comparison

Index Exchange provided comparative analysis demonstrating how duration metrics alter performance interpretation. In the documented example, a streaming publisher operates 100 ad pods with 60-second durations, 30-second maximum creative lengths, and four-advertisement sequence limits.

Traditional calculation methods suggest 400 total impression opportunities exist across the inventory. Duration-based assessment identifies 6,000 seconds of available advertisement time across the same pods.

Two supply-side platform partners demonstrate divergent performance when measured through different methodologies. The first partner delivers 80 advertisements with 30-second durations, totaling 2,400 seconds. The second partner provides 100 placements with 15-second durations, accumulating 1,500 seconds.

Count-based fill rate calculations favor the second partner at 25 percent compared to the first partner's 20 percent performance. Duration-based measurement reverses this assessment, showing the first partner achieves 40 percent fill rate while the second reaches 25 percent.

Industry adoption patterns

Streaming TV programmatic advertising has gained momentum throughout 2025, with multiple platforms implementing advanced pod bidding technologies. StackAdapt reported 71 percent infrastructure improvements through Index Exchange pod bidding implementations in July 2025.

Netflix expanded programmatic capabilities across multiple demand-side platforms, announcing Amazon DSP integration scheduled for Q4 2025. The streaming platform expects advertising revenue to roughly double in 2025 while operating proprietary advertising infrastructure.

Microsoft launched Premium Streaming campaigns targeting Netflix and other premium inventory in August 2025. The campaign format requires minimum daily budgets exceeding $25 while utilizing cost-per-completed-view bidding optimization.

According to industry projections referenced in programmatic advertising analysis, Connected TV spending will reach $33.35 billion in 2025. Research indicates 72 percent of marketers plan increased programmatic investment, with CTV budget allocation expected to double from 14 percent in 2023 to 28 percent in 2025.

Marketing implications

Duration-based measurement provides enhanced campaign optimization capabilities for demand-side platforms and marketing teams. The methodology enables bid strategy adjustments based on creative length requirements and inventory time values rather than simple impression volume metrics.

Ana Kilambi, Director of GTM Strategy and Operations at Adobe Advertising, emphasized the measurement approach's strategic value. "As the role of streaming TV continues to evolve, marketers have a unique opportunity to create more impactful ad experiences and drive online conversions using advanced signals, like pod bidding and duration-based measurement," Kilambi stated in the announcement.

The enhanced reporting enables advertisers to assess inventory pricing relative to creative duration, creating optimization opportunities for different campaign objectives. Brands seeking extended engagement periods can prioritize longer placement opportunities, while awareness campaigns might focus on broader reach through shorter durations.

Publishers benefit through improved monetization strategies that account for time-based inventory value. The measurement approach enables revenue optimization based on actual advertisement delivery rather than slot fill percentages alone.

Technical infrastructure requirements

Index Exchange has integrated duration-based reporting directly into its user interface platform. The enhanced reports provide actionable data for inventory assessment and campaign performance evaluation across streaming TV environments.

The implementation requires OpenRTB 2.6 compliance for dynamic ad pod functionality. Publishers must provide accurate duration metadata within bid requests to enable precise measurement calculations. Demand-side platforms need updated reporting systems to process time-based performance indicators alongside traditional metrics.

Supply-side platforms supporting the enhanced measurement must track advertisement delivery durations and provide aggregated reporting across campaign periods. The infrastructure enables cross-platform performance comparison using standardized time-based calculations.

Market positioning strategy

The duration-based measurement announcement positions Index Exchange within the competitive streaming advertising technology landscape. Disney launched live streaming advertisement certification programs enabling real-time bidding for sports and entertainment content in January 2025.

Wunderkind introduced programmatic Connected TV pause advertisements with QR code integration in July 2025, demonstrating 79 percent cost reductions for store visit campaigns. The implementation showcased alternative engagement mechanisms beyond traditional streaming placements.

Zillow piloted containerized real-time bidding through partnerships with Chalice and Index Exchange in August 2025. The approach embeds demand-side platform intelligence within supply-side infrastructure to improve placement quality assessment.

According to market analysis, the measurement advancement addresses growing demands for accountability and transparency in programmatic streaming transactions. Duration-based reporting provides quantifiable metrics for time-based inventory value, enabling more sophisticated buying strategies across the streaming advertising ecosystem.

Implementation timeline

Index Exchange originally published guidance on duration-based measurement concepts in October 2024. The company updated and finalized the reporting implementation on September 12, 2025, making enhanced metrics available through its user interface platform.

The measurement methodology builds upon OpenRTB 2.6 adoption patterns observed throughout 2024 and 2025. Industry implementation of dynamic ad pod bidding created the technical foundation necessary for time-based performance calculation.

Publishers and advertisers can access duration-based reporting immediately through Index Exchange's platform interface. The company provides implementation guidance and support for organizations transitioning from impression-only measurement approaches to time-aware analytics.

Future development roadmaps suggest continued enhancement of streaming TV measurement capabilities as the programmatic ecosystem matures. Duration-based reporting represents foundational infrastructure for more sophisticated optimization algorithms and bidding strategies focused on engagement time rather than opportunity volume alone.

Timeline

• October 14, 2024: Index Exchange initially publishes duration-based measurement concepts for streaming TV performance evaluation
• November 21, 2024: Xumo and PubMatic announce partnership expanding programmatic CTV advertising capabilities
• January 7, 2025: Disney launches certification program for live streaming advertisements enabling real-time bidding
• April 8, 2025: Disney expands biddable ad technology across streaming platforms with programmatic integration
• May 16, 2024: Netflix opens ad inventory to The Trade Desk, Google DV360 and Magnite expanding programmatic capabilities
• July 1, 2025: StackAdapt partners with Index Exchange for ad podding implementation achieving 71% infrastructure improvements
• July 16, 2025: Wunderkind launches programmatic CTV pause ads with 79% cost reduction demonstration
• July 18, 2025: Netflix declares advertising business will "roughly double" while operating proprietary technology stack
• August 4, 2025: Microsoft launches Premium Streaming campaigns targeting Netflix and premium inventory
• August 6, 2025: Zillow pilots containerized RTB with Index Exchange for improved programmatic quality
• September 10, 2025: Netflix announces Amazon DSP partnership launching Q4 2025 across 11 markets
• September 12, 2025: Index Exchange announces enhanced duration-based reporting for streaming TV measurement

Summary

Who: Index Exchange, a supply-side platform provider, announced the enhanced measurement system with Catherine Cho, Lead Product Manager, providing technical details. Adobe Advertising's Ana Kilambi contributed strategic context for the marketing implications.

What: Implementation of duration-based reporting for streaming TV advertisements that measures performance using time-based metrics rather than impression counts alone. The system calculates fill rates, bid rates, and other key performance indicators using total advertisement duration rather than slot opportunities.

When: The announcement was made on September 12, 2025, representing an update to concepts originally published in October 2024. The enhanced reporting became available immediately through Index Exchange's user interface platform.

Where: The measurement system operates across Index Exchange's streaming TV inventory, supporting OpenRTB 2.6 dynamic ad pod bidding implementations. The technology applies to programmatic streaming environments where flexible advertisement durations create valuation challenges.

Why: Traditional impression-based metrics fail to account for time variables in streaming TV advertising, treating 6-second and 30-second placements equally despite significant value differences. Duration-based measurement provides accurate performance assessment for publishers and enhanced optimization capabilities for advertisers in the growing programmatic streaming market.