At A Glance
The Advertising Research Foundation’s DASH TV Universe Study provides a projectable view of how Americans connect to and consume TV across households, devices, and services. In this Q&A, Jim Meyer, General Manager, DASH, and Samantha Zhang, Senior Data Scientist, at the ARF explain what DASH measures, who uses it, why MRC accreditation matters, and how Experian combines DASH with its data to build audience segments for advertisers and agencies.In our Ask the Expert series, we interview leaders from our partner organizations who are helping lead their brands to new heights in AdTech. Today’s interview is with Samantha Zhang, Senior Data Scientist, and Jim Meyer, General Manager of the DASH TV Universe Study at the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF). DASH is an annual tracking study conducted by the ARF to define and better understand TV audience behavior and household dynamics.
What does DASH measure, and how does it help the industry understand TV consumption today?
By capturing hundreds of individual- and household-level data points from each respondent in a rigorous and nationally projectable sample, DASH creates a comprehensive picture of U.S. consumer TV “infrastructure” – how America watches.
| Core elements in DASH | Elements that create context in DASH |
| TV sets Location | brand | smartness | service modes | sources | Demographics |
| Connected devices Game consoles |video players | streaming devices | Yesterday viewing Daypart | TV/device genre | Out-of-home viewing |
| Mobile devices Owners | sharing users | Shopping Online and in-store | Exposure to major RMNs |
| Internet service Modes | ISPs | connectivity by device | Streaming audio |
| Streaming TV SVOD/AVOD tiers and sharing | FAST | Email accounts and apps |
| Live TV Modes of access | including casting from devices | Social media |
For example, DASH gathers:
- Data on every TV set, including brand, room location, age, “smartness,” and connection devices and modes
- Household connectivity and video service data, even in homes with no TV set
- Internet Service Providers (ISP) and TV service usage, including Multichannel Video Programming Distributors (MVPDs), virtual vMVPDs, streamers (ad-supported and premium), and Free Ad-Supported Television (FAST) channels
- Person-level ownership and usage of video-capable mobile devices, including smartphones, tablets, and laptops
- Measures of viewing and co-viewing across dayparts, devices, and services
- Additional modules covering shopping and retail media networks, streaming audio, social media, email, and apps
Broad coverage and granularity make DASH a uniquely robust source of truth for practitioners across the industry, including measurement experts and ad programming strategists. DASH also reports regularly (and publicly) on key industry dynamics. DASH identified a growing segment of device-only viewers – now nearly 9 million households that watch TV, but do not own a TV set – and highlighted the implications of that trend for traditional ratings systems based only on households with TV sets.
| Households (HHs – million) | 2025 HHs (M) | U.S. penetration | Change vs. 2024 (M) |
| Total US | 134.8 | 100% | +2.7 |
| Connected TV (CTV) | 114.6 | 85% | +2.1 |
| TV (Set) | 124.2 | 92.2% | +1.1 |
| Device-only | 8.8 | 6.6% | +1.6 |
| TV-Accessible | 133.1 | 98.7% | +2.7 |
DASH called out the rise in app-based pay TV and proposed a new connection framework that better represents the modern TV world, in which linear and streaming overlap.
DASH also defines the universes of households reachable with advertising. This graphic, for example, shows how all ad-supported linear and streaming properties in aggregate define the true scale of TV advertising. While 35 million households (and growing) are reachable only with streaming ads and 13 million (and falling) only with linear ads, most households are reachable with both, underscoring the importance of understanding the “overlap.”
Who uses DASH data, and what decisions does it help inform?
There are three primary users of DASH, each with its own use cases:
The recent accreditation of DASH by the Media Rating Council (MRC) and adoption by Nielsen as an input to its TV ratings have generated interest from a broad range of companies. We are actively pursuing new licensees and partners to make DASH more useful within, and even outside, the TV ecosystem.
What does MRC accreditation signify, and why is it meaningful for DASH?
MRC accreditation means DASH passed a rigorous audit conducted by Ernst & Young over many months, which validated our methodology, controls, and data quality. MRC accreditation establishes that DASH is an industry-standard dataset.
While the service provider normally announces its own accreditation, the MRC took the unusual step of issuing its own release on DASH, announcing the accreditation of DASH for TV universe estimation and endorsing the study for broader, cross-media use.
How does Experian use DASH data to build audiences?
The segments combine specific TV usage habits and behaviors from DASH with Experian data on demographics, spending, and other contextual inputs to create a fuller view of consumer viewing behavior. They are designed to be valuable to advertisers in many categories and planning contexts – and to be customizable to fit advertisers’ media targets. The segments can be used to:
- Apply or suppress audiences to improve target coverage across a campaign
- Better align media and creative
- Reach elusive but high-value viewers, such as Ad Avoiders
- Drive valuable consumer behavior
- Achieve specific advertising objectives
What are some practical use cases for DASH-based audiences?
Here are some practical use cases for four different kinds of DASH segments in five different advertiser categories.
Thanks for the interview. Where can readers learn more about DASH?
We started work on DASH seven years ago, and it’s been fun to watch it “grow up.” Our partnership with Experian is a big step toward putting DASH to work for advertisers and agencies. To learn more, visit our site at https://theARF.org/DASH or contact us at DASH@theARF.org.
Contact us
About our experts
Samantha Zhang, Senior Data Scientist at ARF
Samantha Zhang is a Senior Data Scientist at the Advertising Research Foundation working on the DASH TV Universe Study, with additional research spanning areas including attention measurement, digital privacy, and artificial intelligence.
Jim Meyer, General Manager, DASH, at ARF
JimMeyer is general manager and co-founder of the ARF DASH TV Universe Study and managing partner of Golden Square, LLC, which advises media and research technology companies on growth strategy and development.
Latest posts
Tapad, part of Experian, and Rubicon Project launch automated global cross-device campaign solution
FeaturedNEW YORK & LOS ANGELES / BUSINESS WIRE / Jan. 30, 2017– Tapad, part of Experian, and Rubicon Project (NYSE: RUBI) announced today a new global partnership offering a unified, cross-device campaign delivery solution within an automated advertising marketplace. Tapad is the leading provider of unified, cross-screen marketing technology solutions and Rubicon Projectoperates one of the largest advertising marketplaces in the world. The Tapad Device Graph™, which enables buyers to expand their high-value display data signals to associated mobile devices, will be integrated across Rubicon Project’s leading advertising exchange and Orders platform, significantly improving consumer mobile reach. The new global partnership will empower Buyers within Rubicon Project’s exchange to find and engage audiences across their entire digital experience. Rubicon Project operates one of the world’s largest mobile exchanges connecting to approximately 1 billion unique mobile devices globally. “We’re excited to partner with Tapad to continue to provide our customers the very best data for managing their advertising businesses,” said Harry Patz, Chief Revenue Officer, Rubicon Project. “Cross-device delivery is crucial for buyers today with more than 81% of internet users currently relying on more than one device for digital access[1]. Through our partnership, buyers will be able to extend their desktop private marketplace campaigns to mobile, allowing them to find and engage their audience across devices, anywhere in the world. The net result will also benefit sellers; the increase in mobile reach will better position publishers and app developers to strategically capitalize on their inventory, ultimately increasing bid rates and mobile revenue across the board.” “Our partnership with Rubicon Project marks the first time advertisers and publishers alike are able to use cross-device solutions at significant scale outside of Google and Facebook,” said Pierre Martensson, GM of Tapad’s Data Division and APAC. “Our Device Graph will help Rubicon Project’s advertisers make more informed buying decisions and find the audiences who matter most.” Barry Adams, VP of Commercial Development at Bidswitch, said, “As digital advertising moves away from desktop and increasingly toward a mobile-first model, cross device data becomes critical to finding consumers. The rich data buyers will now be able to leverage at scale through the Tapad and Rubicon Project integration will enable us to provide a state-of-the-art cross-screen solution for the 150+ buying platforms that use our service, and the tens of thousands of advertisers they represent.” For more information about Rubicon Project’s inventory, please visit www.rubiconproject.com. For more information about Tapad’s cross-platform advertising solutions, please visit https://www.experian.com/marketing/consumer-sync. Contact us today
Tapad expands linear TV analytics solution, enabling optimal reach and frequency across TV and digital platforms NEW YORK, Jan. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Tapad, now a part of Experian, has partnered with WideOrbit, the leading provider of advertising management software for media companies, to develop the industry’s first programmatic TV-buying platform powered by a device graph. Tapad is the leading provider of unified, cross-screen marketing technology solutions and was first to market with a device graph, the Tapad Device Graph™. WideOrbit’s robust supply platform and industry-leading footprint offers access to premium TV inventory on top networks, reaching more than 99 million households across local affiliates. The partnership pairs Tapad’s demand-side technology with WideOrbit’s supply-side inventory. As a result, marketers can leverage cross-device audiences in their TV buys for the first time. Additionally, integrating the Tapad Device Graph™ with digital feedback loops and audiences both accelerates optimization and enables precise audience discovery for TV marketers. “The integration of WideOrbit’s quality TV supply takes orchestrated cross-screen media buys to the next level,” said Marshall Wong, Tapad’s SVP of TV market development. “Marketers can now optimize TV campaigns within days instead of weeks. This also untethers them from buying against generic demographics like age and gender. By allowing brands to employ their own CRM or third-party data, we can move them much closer to audiences who will take action.” “Integrating Tapad’s device graph with WideOrbit’s programmatic marketplace delivers enormous value to marketers looking to add TV to cross-device campaigns,” said Ian Ferreira, EVP of programmatic at WideOrbit. “Television still delivers the most efficient reach of any medium, and Tapad’s platform now allows marketers to purchase premium broadcast inventory that extends the power of cross-screen campaigns to TV with a single, unified solution.” “Our clients build lasting relationships with consumers through thoughtful and pioneering marketing,” said Jeff Giacchetti, VP of digital at Mediavest Spark. “The strategic partnership of demand-side technology and supply-side inventory makes it easier for brands to find efficient, incremental reach and are critical in this endeavor.” For more information about Tapad’s cross-platform advertising solutions, please visit https://www.experian.com/marketing/consumer-sync. Contact us today
Global Engineering Team Staffing Up New Oslo Hub; Nordic Operational Team Also Slated for Q1’17 NEW YORK, Jan. 11, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Tapad, now a part of Experian, the leader in cross-device marketing technology, is opening an office in downtown Oslo, Norway, effective January 16, 2017. This development reflects Tapad’s continued growth following its acquisition by the Telenor Group in early 2016. Tapad Oslo will be comprised of a globally-focused engineering team as well as an upcoming operational headquarters for the region. Jeff Olchovy, a senior Tapad developer and one of its earliest employees, will forge the company’s Nordic engineering presence by supporting the build-out of the team. The initial hiring plan of more than 20 open positions includes roles such as Head of Engineering, Senior Software Engineers and Solution Engineers. Plans for Tapad’s Nordic Region business line, including its leadership, will be announced within the first quarter of 2017. “Given the caliber of technical talent and our extensive network in the region, Oslowas the logical choice at this stage of our growth,” says Dag Liodden, Tapad CTO and co-founder. “This enables us to continue building out our innovative team on a global scale in a region that is close to our hearts and minds.” In collaboration with its New York-based developers, Tapad’s Oslo-based engineers will continue to advance the company’s renowned product portfolio, such as the Tapad Device Graph™. An early adopter of Scala and big data processing technologies, Tapad has long been an influencer in U.S. tech. “As the head of our platform group, which daily processes several petabytes of data and is the foundation for all of our real-time systems, Jeff is a highly respected engineer,” said Pål Høye, Tapad’s senior vice president of engineering. “Given his experience and skillset, he is ideally suited to find and lead an innovative team focused on building the industry-leading products we are known for.” About TapadTapad Inc. is a marketing technology firm renowned for its breakthrough, unified, cross-device solutions. With 91.2% data accuracy confirmed by Nielsen, the company offers the largest in-market opportunity for marketers and technologies to address the ever-evolving reality of media consumption on smartphones, tablets, home computers and smart TVs. Deployed by agency trading desks, publishers and numerous Fortune 500 brands, Tapad provides an accurate, unified approach to connecting with consumers across screens. In 2015, Tapad began aggressively licensing its identity management solution, the Tapad Device Graph™, and swiftly became the established gold-standard throughout the ad tech ecosystem. Tapad is based in New York and has offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit,Frankfurt, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, San Francisco and Toronto. Tapad’s numerous awards include: EY Entrepreneur of The Year (East Coast) 2014, among Forbes’ Most Promising Companies two year’s running, Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500, Crain’s Fast 50, Entrepreneur 360, Digiday Signal Award, iMedia ASPY Award and a MarCom Gold Award. Contact us today