Standard Media Index

What Standard Media Index does

Standard Media Index (SMI) is a New York-based advertising intelligence company that aggregates actual media agency billing and planning data from a network of major agency holding companies and large independents, collectively referred to as the SMI Pool. The platform captures between 70% and 95% of all agency spend depending on the market, including up to 95% of US national brand advertising, and harmonizes this data across media types (television, digital, out-of-home, print, radio) and product categories. SMI's core data assets feed products such as SMI Core, Market Tracker, SMI AccuTV, Forward Pacings, the ClientHub reporting platform, and an OTT/AVOD Pricing Intelligence Suite, with recent additions including an Advanced Audiences Pricing Suite developed in partnership with Comscore to deliver eCPM-based pricing metrics for national linear television.

SMI serves five primary customer segments: media agencies, media publishers, brands and consulting firms, investment managers, and content owners and rights holders, distributing access through enterprise subscription agreements and a web-based client portal. Revenue is generated primarily through recurring subscription contracts priced on a quote-based, custom enterprise basis, with the company maintaining regional offices in New York, Toronto, Sydney, London, and Madrid, and offering insights covering 34 countries. The go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales with a data partnership model in which SMI exchanges aggregated industry intelligence for agency billing data, creating a network effect that strengthens the dataset.

The company is privately held and owned by Dreamscape Networks following a 2022 acquisition, with a strategic investment by private equity firm GTCR alongside Dreamscape. In October 2022, SMI became a Guideline company, reflecting continued ownership restructuring within the PE-backed portfolio. The legal operating entity is SMI Operations Pty Limited, an Australian-incorporated company, though operational headquarters sit in New York.

Name

Standard Media Index

Legal name

SMI Operations Pty Limited

Website

https://standardmediaindex.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Standard Media Index is a private advertising intelligence company that aggregates actual media agency billing data from major holding companies and independents, capturing 70-95% of agency spend across 34 countries to deliver subscription-based ad spend analytics to agencies, publishers, brands, investors, and content owners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Subscription Data Services: SMI provides advertising intelligence data to subscribers through subscription-based access to their database and reporting tools. Clients use SMI data to determine media mix models, create competitive benchmarks, gain visibility into pricing level data, understand marketplace trends, evaluate ROI of tentpoles and sporting events, and break out ad formats by media type.
2. Agency Data Partnerships: SMI receives data from major media buying groups and independent agencies in exchange for aggregated industry intelligence, creating a network effect where more agency partners increase data coverage and value for all subscribers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Standard Media Index (SMI) is an advertising intelligence platform that aggregates actual agency billing and planning data from the world's largest media buying groups and leading independents, covering 70-95% of all agency spend across markets. The company delivers decision-grade ad spend data, pricing metrics (including CPMs and eCPMs), market trend analysis, and forward-pacings visibility to media agencies, publishers, brands, investment managers, and content owners across 34 countries.

Product overview

Standard Media Index (SMI) operates as an advertising intelligence platform providing real-world ad spend data to the media industry. The core offering consists of SMI Core, which aggregates actual spend data from the SMI Pool of major agency holding companies and independents, capturing 70-95% of agency spend depending on the market. This data feeds into multiple analytical products including the Market Tracker for US ad market trends, SMI AccuTV for TV pricing metrics, and the ClientHub reporting platform. SMI also offers specialized services like Data Harmonization to clean and connect agency billing data, Forward Pacings for future commitment visibility, and an OTT/AVOD Pricing Intelligence Suite. The company recently expanded its Pricing Intelligence Suite internationally and partnered with Comscore to deliver eCPM metrics based on advanced audience attributes. SMI supports insights across 34 countries through regional products for the Americas, Europe/Western Asia, and Asia-Pacific markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SMI Core SMI's flagship ad intelligence product capturing actual spend data from SMI Pool partners representing up to 95% of US national brand ad spending, providing a complete monthly view of market size, investment share, and category performance across all media types (Television, Digital, Out-of-Home, Print, Radio). Targeted at enterprise media agencies, publishers, brands, consulting firms, investment managers, and content owners.
• Market Tracker Interactive index offering an unrivaled look into US ad market movements, based on actual media dollar volume processed from SMI's pool of agencies. Allows users to identify and isolate emerging trends from 2009 to present.
• SMI AccuTV TV advertising pricing and analysis tool providing unit costs and eCPM metrics for broadcast primetime programming across major US networks including ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, and CW, excluding sports.
• ClientHub Web-based client portal providing analysis tools, reporting dashboards, and media cost reporting functionality for SMI subscribers to access data and insights.
• Data Harmonization Service providing over 15 years of experience cleaning agency billing and planning data as well as connecting various third-party datasets to root sources, ensuring data quality and consistency for SMI subscribers.
• Advanced Audiences Pricing Suite Pricing tool enabling CPM analysis by advanced audience attributes such as household composition (e.g., Households with Children), retail visitation patterns (e.g., PetSmart visitors, Ritz Carlton visitors), and lifestyle indicators, developed in partnership with Comscore.
• OTT/AVOD Pricing Intelligence Ad revenue data and CPM analysis for over-the-top (OTT) and ad-supported video on demand (AVOD) services, part of SMI's expanded Pricing Intelligence Suite covering podcast and OTT pricing.
• SMI Covid Deficit Backcast Analytical model projecting expected market spending had COVID not occurred, used to measure the impact of the pandemic on advertising expenditure, estimating that the first 19 months of COVID-19 cost the U.S. advertising industry at least $17 billion.
• Forward Pacings Forward-looking data showing confirmed ad spend for future periods, providing subscribers visibility into future-booked commitments and forward demand signals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 95% coverage of US national brand ad spending
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• PremionminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 May 2022Premion selected Standard Media Index for digital video pricing data for OTT benchmarking. Premion is a CTV/OTT advertising platform for regional and local marketers.
• ComscorecoreTechnology or Integration · 17 March 2022Comscore and Standard Media Index launched the first effective cost-per-thousand (eCPM) metric for national linear television ad spend. The partnership provides unified metrics for evaluating, planning, and optimizing audience-based campaigns on TV.
• Hearst MagazinesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 December 2021Hearst Magazines selected Standard Media Index for digital print ad spend and pricing data. Publisher licenses real-world data for vertical spend analysis, competitive intelligence, and benchmarking.
• Disney Advertising SalescoreTechnology or Integration · 28 October 2021Disney Advertising Sales partnered with SMI to better understand the Mouse House's revenue and audience data through SMI's measurement capabilities.
• thinktvminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 October 2021Standard Media Index partnered with thinktv to enhance view into Canadian ad market, helping the industry better quantify spend on TV, digital streaming, and other media types through actual real-world and near real-time data.
• Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 May 2021SMI collaborated with ACA on webinars to analyze Canadian ad market performance, providing insights on 2021 advertising spend and market trends.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• VideoAmp: VideoAmp is an emerging cross-platform TV measurement and currency provider. It overlaps with SMI's TV pricing and audience-based buying capabilities, particularly in the linear-to-CTV currency transition, though VideoAmp focuses more on audience-based buying infrastructure than historical agency spend data.
• Pathmatics (Sensor Tower): Pathmatics, now part of Sensor Tower, is an emerging digital ad intelligence platform that competes with SMI's digital spend tracking. Both offer competitive ad spend visibility, though Pathmatics emphasizes digital and social platforms while SMI's coverage spans all media including traditional TV and print.

Direct peers

• Insider Intelligence (eMarketer): Insider Intelligence, the parent of eMarketer, is a direct competitor to SMI in advertising market intelligence and forecasting. Both firms sell subscription research and data products covering ad spend trends, channel forecasts, and competitive benchmarks to agencies, brands, and investors.
• Comscore: Comscore is both a SMI technology partner (eCPM collaboration) and a direct competitor in cross-platform audience and advertising measurement. Both firms sell subscription data products to agencies, brands, and publishers covering ad spend and audience exposure across TV and digital channels.
• iSpot.tv: iSpot.tv is a direct competitor focused on TV and cross-platform ad measurement, offering real-time creative, spend, and outcome attribution. SMI AccuTV competes most directly with iSpot's TV pricing and eCPM products for broadcast and CTV advertisers.
• MediaRadar: MediaRadar is a direct competitor providing advertising spend intelligence and competitive monitoring across traditional and digital channels. Both firms sell subscription data products that help brands, agencies, and publishers track actual ad activity by advertiser and category.
• SQAD: SQAD provides TV, radio, and digital cost-per-point (CPP) and CPM benchmarks — historically a direct competitor to SMI AccuTV and the Pricing Intelligence Suite. Following Dreamscape's 2022 acquisition of both firms, SQAD is now a sister company under the same parent, enabling cross-selling rather than head-to-head competition.

Broad incumbents

• Nielsen: Nielsen is the largest traditional media measurement company and a broad incumbent that competes with SMI across TV, digital, and cross-media ad spend measurement. Both firms monetize granular advertising and audience data sold to agencies, brands, and publishers, though Nielsen operates at vastly greater scale across additional categories.
• Kantar: Kantar is a broad incumbent media measurement and insights firm (WPP-owned until recent divestiture) that competes with SMI in ad spend tracking and audience measurement. Both serve agencies, brands, and publishers with subscription analytics products, though Kantar operates a much wider portfolio of services.

Others

• Standard Media Index (Guideline parent): Guideline is SMI's parent company following the Dreamscape acquisition. Comparable in the sense that it sits in the same parent portfolio with overlapping media intelligence capabilities, though Guideline is a broader platform rather than a direct competitor in agency-spend data.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SMI_Data
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/standard-media-index

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Standard Media Index