WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Reston, Va.-based media consumption and partner for planning, transacting and evaluating media across platforms seeking to win more business in the TV ratings arena has just scored a key accreditation for two audience measurement categories from the Media Rating Council (MRC).
The thumbs’ up from the MRC means Comscore’s Total Household Rating and Average Audience estimates in both its national and local TV Time Based Grid reports meet the standards of the organization led by Executive Director and CEO George W. Ivie.
“Comscore is to be commended for the significant effort they have made over a number of years to put enhancements and upgrades into place in response to our feedback,” said Ivie. “The commitment and dedication that the Comscore team has demonstrated has been exemplary and has led directly to the accreditation they’ve achieved today, a distinction which will benefit the industry as a whole.”
How important is this accreditation for the broadcast TV industry? “This outcome makes Comscore the only measurement company accredited for its local TV measurement, and the only accredited national measurement that leverages ‘big data’ science and methodology,” Comscore boasts. The company adds that this also marks the first time a TV measurement provider has been accredited in all 210 measured local markets based on device tuning measurement — something Comscore will most certainly tout as it continues to compete for customers against dominant audience measurement and data analytics provider Nielsen.
Comscore’s Nasdaq-traded stock has been in a virtual free-fall for the past five years, and in July 2015 was trading at an astounding value of $1,170 per share. By March 2019, shares were in the low $400 range. The next several months brought a tidal wave of downward movement to the company, which experienced high-profile executive leadership changes that further impacted investor sentiment. By August 12, 2019, a $32.20 finish was seen for “SCOR.”
Then came COVID-19, and other macroeconomic headwinds. By October 18, 2023, Comscore stock dipped to $10. In today’s early trading on the Nasdaq exchange, “SCOR” was up 1.9% to $15.95 on news of Comscore TV’s accreditation — the culmination of “a rigorous process” that included an independent audit conducted by a CPA firm engaged by the MRC. A review of the audit report by a committee comprised of MRC member organization representatives was then seen.
“MRC accreditation signifies that Comscore’s methodologies and processes meet the organization’s industry established standards, designed to ensure transparency and accountability in measurement,” Comscore says, adding that it continues to work with the MRC, as part of an ongoing review, on Comscore TV’s estimates for households overlayed with age/gender demographic breaks and households with compositions; these are not accredited by the MRC at this time.
Comscore CEO Jon Carpenter commented, “Achieving MRC accreditation is a banner moment for Comscore, and positions us as the only accredited company for ‘big data’ reporting for both local TV and at the national level using the same methodology. It underscores Comscore’s dedication to delivering unparalleled data quality and reliability to our clients, setting new standards for measurement with national scale and local precision. The insights we’re now able to deliver, built on MRC accredited big data measurement, are a massive differentiator for Comscore amid rapid change in the market.”
The Media Rating Council is a non-profit industry association established in 1963 comprised of leading television, radio, print and digital media companies, as well as advertisers, advertising agencies and trade associations, whose goal is to ensure measurement services that are valid, reliable and effective.
