Viant has integrated eye-tracking data from TVision and contextual signals from Iris TV into its DSP to enable attention-adjusted CPMs for programmatic CTV advertising. This development allows advertisers to optimize bids based on real-time presence-in-room and pod-level engagement metrics rather than standard delivery impressions.
The shift toward attention-adjusted CPMs marks a critical departure from reach and frequency as the primary KPIs for streaming video. By normalizing pricing between high-attention premium environments and lower-engagement FAST channels, Viant is forcing a valuation reset for programmatic inventory. For the broader ecosystem, this move challenges the assumption that 'premium' content like live sports always guarantees engagement, as data reveals attention can collapse during blowouts even when presence-in-room remains high. Strategists should monitor whether this data-driven bidding model forces rival DSPs to integrate similar person-level measurement to remain competitive in high-stakes CTV auctions.
Viant Technology finalized its $40 million acquisition of TVision Insights in May 2026, marking its largest strategic deal to date. This followed the company’s November 2024 purchase of Iris.TV for $10 million. By combining TVision’s nationally representative panel of 5,000 households with the Iris_ID content classification system, Viant aims to provide a neutral measurement layer that operates independently of the 'walled gardens' owned by Amazon and Google. Per Seeking Alpha in August 2026, Viant is also expanding its Iris Content ID penetration to cover approximately 70% of biddable inventory by year-end, including integrations with Disney+, Max, and Peacock.
Industry-wide, the focus on attention as a core KPI has intensified. Recent research from Mediasmart in 2025 noted that CTV earned an average Attention Unit rating of 58.9, significantly higher than linear TV (52.5) and online video (39.7). However, as per LG Ad Solutions in 2025, 95% of CTV viewers multitask while watching, illustrating why standard completion rates are increasingly viewed as 'vanity metrics.' Market data from IAB indicates that roughly 36% of linear TV ad spend was reallocated to CTV in 2025, driving the need for more granular measurement to justify higher CPMs in the streaming environment.
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