Credit reporting agency TransUnion is getting into the streaming business, announcing a new partnership with ad-supported VOD outlet Tubi to provide user data that will enable Tubi to “deliver curated content and viewer experiences by establishing a more enriched view of individuals and households.”
Tubi was recently purchased by Fox for $440 million and reports 25 million active monthly users. The AVOD service already had robust, machine-learningbased data-gathering capabilities. Tubi said TransUnion’s data will “add another layer” to its algorithms, as it seeks to make recommendations to viewers navigating the programmer’s library of 20,000 content titles.
“These insights not only benefit the viewing experience, they also improve the way advertisers reach and communicate with consumers,” Tubi chief revenue officer Mark Rotblat said. “Consumer-level insights lead to more informed audience targeting and media strategies as we are able to identify the best types of content and connect that to relevant messaging for viewers. Incorporating this information often results in better performing campaigns and more engaged viewers.”
The companies did not spell out what privacy safeguards they are employing. Tubi is getting unique information about ages, gender, language, the number of people in the household, the presence of children and household income, Rotblat told MCN sister publication Next TV. That data is also useful for ad targeting. Tubi can help advertisers send addressable messages only to homes that have children in them based on the TransUnion data.
“With identifiers such as third-party cookies on the decline and media consumption changing, alternative identifiers such as home IP address are imperative for building a strong foundation of individual-level identity and reaching consumers on devices like connected TVs,” said Matt Spiegel, executive VP of marketing solutions and media vertical at TransUnion.
Spiegel told Next TV to expect more OTT tie-ups for TransUnion.
