Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM)

What Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) does

CIMM (Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement) is a non-partisan, pan-industry association founded in 2009/2010 and headquartered in the Empire State Building, New York, that convenes buyers, sellers, and measurement providers across TV, streaming, and digital video to advance audience measurement standards. Since its 2018 acquisition by the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF), CIMM has operated as a subsidiary of ARF with a staff of 1–10, offering a portfolio of industry-backed research studies, working groups (Cross-Media Measurement, Multi-Currency, Content, TV Data, CTV/Streaming/Programmatic, Identity & Data Collaboration, and Attention), the CIMM Lexicon (4,000+ standardized terms), flagship events (Annual Summit, CIMM East, CIMM West, CIMM London), and frameworks including the Local TV/Video Currency Measurement Guidelines and Identity Infrastructure 2.0. Its core technology is not a product but a coordination and research infrastructure: commissioned studies, executive forums, working groups, and an International Knowledge Exchange with egta, EACA, and WFA reaching 160+ companies in 40+ markets. CIMM is member-funded through recurring membership dues drawn from networks, studios, streamers, MVPDs, TV OEMs, agencies, advertisers, measurement providers, and trade bodies; major strategic partners include the 4As (600+ member agencies directing 85%+ of U.S. ad spend), TVB, ANA, Go Addressable, and Truthset. The organization runs a community-led go-to-market model with no external venture capital or private equity backing.

Name

Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM)

Legal name

Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement

Website

https://cimm-us.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CIMM is a non-partisan, ARF-owned industry association that convenes TV/video buyers, sellers, and measurement providers to advance audience measurement standards through research, working groups, the 4,000-term Lexicon, and flagship industry events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: CIMM generates revenue through membership fees from media companies, agencies, advertisers, measurement providers, and technology vendors across the TV and video advertising ecosystem. In 2018, CIMM was acquired by the Advertising Research Foundation (ARF).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CIMM is a non-partisan, pan-industry association that convenes the media and advertising ecosystem — including networks, studios, streamers, MVPDs, TV OEMs, agencies, measurement providers, advertisers, and trade bodies — to develop audience measurement standards and accelerate cross-platform measurement innovation. It delivers its mission through commissioned research studies, facilitated industry Working Groups, the proprietary CIMM Lexicon (4,000+ standardized terms), measurement guidelines and frameworks, and industry events such as Annual Summits and Innovation Showcases. Membership in CIMM grants access to these collaborative research, standards, and convening services.

Product overview

CIMM (Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement) is a non-partisan, pan-industry association that does not offer a unified product or platform. Instead, CIMM provides a portfolio of research services, industry coordination, and standards development offerings including: Research Studies and White Papers covering TV, video, and cross-platform measurement topics; Industry Working Groups addressing specific measurement challenges like identity, currency, and cross-media measurement; The CIMM Lexicon providing standardized terminology across 4,000+ terms; and Industry Events including Annual Summits, regional conferences, and Innovation Showcases. CIMM also develops measurement guidelines and frameworks in collaboration with industry partners like TVB and 4As.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Studies and White Papers Industry research studies, white papers, and diagnostic analyses on TV and video measurement, currency development, identity resolution, cross-platform measurement, and attention metrics, providing data-driven insights and recommendations to CIMM members and the broader media industry.
• CIMM Lexicon Comprehensive industry resource providing standardized terms and definitions for media measurement across TV, cross-platform video, CTV, OTT, streaming apps, programmatic buying, dynamic ad insertion, and emerging technologies. The Lexicon includes over 4,000 terms and definitions and serves as the industry's common measurement language.
• Local TV/Video Currency Measurement Guidelines Guidelines co-developed with TVB providing a practical framework for evaluating whether local measurement solutions are fit for market use, built around principles of Inclusive, Transactable, and Transparent measurement. Includes a companion Buyer's Guide for the local TV marketplace.
• Quality in Media Buying Framework Framework for assessing Media Quality signals in advertising placement, including attention metrics and situational context, designed to help advertisers better align media cost with true value across outcomes across TV and cross-platform video.

Quantifiable outcome

• 39% of advertisers rank Media Performance as most important measurement domain
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• HyphaMetricsmajorTechnology or Integration · 21 May 2026CIMM partnered with HyphaMetrics for Passive TV Measurement Study to assess methods for assigning person-level demographics to machine-level TV exposure datasets. HyphaMetrics' multi-layered methodology includes active and passive measurement combined with machine learning.
• TVB (Television Bureau of Advertising)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2026CIMM and TVB released Guidelines for Local TV/Video Currency Measurement and companion Buyer's Guide. Partnership includes diagnostic analysis of local TV measurement gaps, post analysis guidelines, and ongoing work to support the local TV marketplace with currency requirements and innovation playbooks.
• TruthsetmajorTechnology or Integration · 14 April 2026Prior CIMM research with Truthset found linkage accuracy averaging approximately 51% for hashed email-to-postal matches, with significantly lower accuracy for inference-based IP-to-household linkages. Findings inform CIMM's Identity Infrastructure 2.0 framework.
• 4As (American Association of Advertising Agencies)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2026CIMM and 4As conduct joint research studies on media measurement. Key initiatives include the 'Paradox of Plenty' study on advertiser measurement confidence, multi-currency TV market transition studies, and TV attribution best practices. The 4As represents 600+ member agencies across 1,200 offices directing 85%+ of U.S. advertising spend.
• TVB (Television Bureau of Advertising)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 November 2025CIMM and TVB released 'Plugging the Gaps' diagnostic analysis of local TV and video measurement. Study identifies that 20-30% of local viewing is not credited in syndicated measurement systems and outlines three priority areas for industry collaboration: upfront alignment, enablement, and shared standards.
• Go AddressablecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2025CIMM and Go Addressable commissioned joint study with Truthset measuring IP-to-household accuracy. The landmark study benchmarked nearly one billion IP records revealing significant inaccuracies in IP-based targeting and measurement. Go Addressable is a trade organization led by TV distribution companies.
• TruthsetmajorTechnology or Integration · 5 November 2025Truthset conducted IP-to-household accuracy study for CIMM and Go Addressable, benchmarking data against ISP truth sets. Previously selected by CIMM to assess hashed email record accuracy linked to household addresses. Truthset is a data validation company improving accuracy of identity and demographic data.
• XR Extreme ReachmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2024XR Extreme Reach partnered with CIMM and VEIL Global Technologies to assess the case for open, universal watermarking standard across linear and streaming TV. The study explores deployment options and potential industry action plan for accelerating adoption.
• VEIL Global TechnologiesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 October 2024VEIL Global Technologies partnered with CIMM and XR Extreme Reach on watermarking initiative. VEIL provides patented watermark technologies and data-as-a-service platform for media supply chain insights and campaign performance analytics.
• The Attention Council (TAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2024The Attention Council was incorporated into CIMM as a new working group in September 2024. TAC was founded by Adelaide, Amplified Intelligence, Avocet, Lumen, and TVision in 2019 to drive attention metric adoption. The new Attention Working Group is chaired by Andy Brown and focuses on quality, ethics, research, education, and currency for attention measurement.
• NBCUniversalmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 December 2022NBCUniversal's Lisa Heimann, EVP Analytics, Insights & Measurement, serves as Chair of CIMM's Content Working Group. Working Groups address Cross-Media Measurement, Multi-Currency, Content, TV Data, and CTV/Streaming/Programmatic topics.
• TransUnionmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 December 2022TransUnion's Frans Vermeulen, VP Strategy & Market Development, serves as Chair of CIMM's CTV/Streaming/Programmatic Working Group, focusing on measurement and metrics across the CTV, streaming, and programmatic ecosystem.
• Janus Strategy & InsightsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 December 2022Howard Shimmel, President of Janus Strategy & Insights, serves as Chair of CIMM's Cross-Media Measurement Working Group. Janus has conducted multiple CIMM studies on TV attribution, STB/Smart TV data integration, and measurement best practices.
• EACA (European Association of Communications Agencies)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 November 2022EACA joined the International Knowledge Exchange alongside CIMM and egta, bringing European agency perspectives to the collaboration. The exchange now includes buy-side participation from WFA and EACA alongside sell-side organizations.
• WFA (World Federation of Advertisers)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 November 2022WFA joined the International Knowledge Exchange to bring global advertiser perspectives on cross-media measurement. WFA represents brands directing approximately $900 billion annually in marketing communications spend across 60+ markets.
• ANA (Association of National Advertisers)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2022CIMM, ANA, and 4As launched joint study exploring industry transition to multi-currency TV market. Study assesses opportunities and challenges, developing practical recommendations to support successful transition to currency-grade measurement across ad-supported TV and video.
• egta (European TV and Radio Sales Houses Association)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2022Launched International Knowledge Exchange for members to share insights on measurement innovations between US and European TV and premium video markets. The Exchange is a twice-yearly event covering agency perspectives, currency developments, and cross-media measurement approaches.
• The Project X InstitutemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2021CIMM partnered with The Project X Institute and TVREV to develop Guide to Converged TV Measurement Providers in the US. The guide provides landscape overview and comparative analysis of cross-platform TV and video audience measurement companies.
• TVREVmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2021TVREV, an analyst group of veteran TV and advertising industry executives, partnered with CIMM and Project X Institute on Guide to Converged TV Measurement Providers. TVREV produces reports on OTT, blockchain, esports, addressable advertising, ACR, and other trending topics.
• ARF (Advertising Research Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2021CIMM was acquired by ARF in 2018 to expand member categories and initiatives. Organizations jointly developed Lexicon 4.0 with over 4,000 terms and definitions for media measurement. CIMM operates as a subsidiary of ARF adhering to principles of scientific rigor and evidence-based research.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• World Federation of Advertisers (WFA): WFA is a global advertiser body representing brands spending approximately $900B annually across 60+ markets. It is comparable because it co-convenes CIMM's International Knowledge Exchange and addresses cross-media measurement at global scale.
• Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB): TVB is the US broadcast TV trade association representing local stations. It is comparable because it co-develops CIMM's local TV currency guidelines and Buyer's Guide, addressing overlapping measurement and currency research needs.
• Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB): IAB is a major advertising industry trade association developing standards, research, and public policy. It is comparable because it operates as a non-profit industry body producing measurement and currency research, with overlapping membership and similar member-funded model.
• egta: egta is the European trade association for TV and radio sales houses with 160+ members in 40+ markets. It is directly comparable because it is CIMM's partner in the International Knowledge Exchange and serves a parallel convenor role for European TV/video measurement.
• Media Rating Council (MRC): MRC is the primary US accreditation body for media measurement services. It is directly comparable because it sets and enforces measurement standards that CIMM's research informs, operating in the same audience-measurement standards ecosystem.
• Association of National Advertisers (ANA): ANA is a leading US advertiser trade association that conducts research on media measurement, currency transitions, and cross-platform accountability. It is directly comparable because it partners with CIMM on multi-currency studies and serves overlapping buyer-side members.
• American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As): The 4As is the US agency trade association representing 600+ member agencies directing 85%+ of US advertising spend. It is comparable because it co-publishes CIMM's measurement research and convenes the same agency-side members for standards work.

Emerging players

• Joint Industry Committee for Advertising Standards & Practice (JIC): JIC is a newer cross-industry committee for UK advertising standards and cross-media measurement. It is comparable because it pursues similar cross-industry measurement and currency goals in a different geography, partially overlapping with CIMM's mission.

Broad incumbents

• Advertising Research Foundation (ARF): ARF is CIMM's parent organization and a broader advertising research body. It is directly comparable because it convenes research across the advertising ecosystem, sets scientific standards, and shares the same non-profit, evidence-based research mission.

Regional players

• Thinkbox: Thinkbox is the UK marketing body for commercial TV. It is comparable as a TV-focused trade body producing measurement research and convening buyers/sellers in a single market, with parallel scope to CIMM but limited to UK geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CIMMvideos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coalition-for-innovative-media-measurement
• Xx.com/cimm_news

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM)