The news: Comscore, iSpot, and VideoAmp passed the Joint Industry Committee’s (JIC) midterm audit to maintain certification for the 2025-2026 broadcast season.

Comscore met the JIC’s transactability requirement for personified demographics for the first time, bringing it on par with iSpot and VideoAmp “to offer the market three solutions that have been verified as transactable across personified demographics, households, and advanced audiences,” per a press release.

How it works: The JIC said its audit was “designed and executed … by a cross-functional working group of data, analytics, and investment leaders from both leading media agencies and national TV publishers.”

The audit included stress tests for major sporting events across the NFL, NBA, and March Madness—crucial, high-viewership sporting events that any measurement alternative must be able to handle to gain advertiser confidence.

Zooming out: JIC emerged in the aftermath of Nielsen’s 2021-2023 accreditation loss as networks tried to claw away market share from the long-time leader of the measurement sector.

The increased competition has led to whispers every year that this might be the one where Nielsen is usurped. While that switch hasn’t happened yet, Nielsen’s competitors continue to make inroads with advertisers: A November 2024 Advertiser Perceptions survey found that 85% of marketers think Nielsen alternatives are as good as or more effective than Nielsen.

Our take: The JIC’s certification and sports-heavy audit process could help iSpot, Comscore, and VideoAmp gain ground on Nielsen.

Nielsen remains the dominant currency largely due to existing familiarity—though it has also made significant updates to modernize its measurement offerings. But the JIC’s audit reveals an arms race between measurement competitors to respond quickly to advertiser demands for more robust viewership and engagement signals—and one that will persist through the next several Upfront periods.