Seems like everyone in and around ad-supported media wants to tap TV set top box data — the better to help them associate the shows you watch with the products you buy. Now that includes the Dolan family, which famously founded Cablevision Systems and this year sold it to French telecom firm Altice.
Dolan Family Ventures just created its own audience measurement and analytics business, called 605, that will tap its “relationships with partners across the country that provide extensive, privacy-protected, set-top box viewing data.”
In conjunction with that, DFV bought data firm Analytics Media Group, which it says has “deep political, marketing and analytics expertise.”
“Our experience in the industry tells us there are major gaps in audience measurement and television analytics in the current marketing and programming landscape,” says 605 CEO Kristin Dolan, who ran Cablevision with her husband James before the sale.
With AMG they have “a company with real scale, significant resources, profound analytic capabilities, extensive set-top box data and management experience” that “fills a critical need for media and entertainment businesses in today’s rapidly changing viewing landscape.”
Others led by comScore are also making deals with cable companies for set top box data.
But 605 says that its information “is unique in terms of its footprint and the rights granted which enables a deeper, broader and more granular analysis to deliver actionable insights to programmers, brands and advertisers.”
Working with Dolan at 605 is its President Ben Tatta who had been President of Cablevision Media Sales. Also, Chauncey McLean is EVP of Client Solutions after serving as AMG’s co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer.
The Dolans introduced Dolan Family Ventures earlier this week with James as an investor and strategic adviser. Investment bank PJT Partners served as an adviser on the launch.
