Pixalate, the market-leading fraud protection, privacy, and compliance analytics platform for Connected TV (CTV) and Mobile Advertising, today released the Q2 2023 CTV Bundle ID Mapping Reports. Pixalate conducted a study of billions of open programmatic CTV ad transactions in Q2 2023 to provide insights into the scale of variations in CTV Bundle IDs.
A “Bundle ID” is a string of characters that advertisers and ad platforms use to identify specific apps, such as Hulu. However, there is no standardization around the syntax of Bundle IDs. This has created significant confusion around targeting and measurement, and ad fraudsters are exploiting this programmatic ad supply chain vulnerability. Pixalate conducted in-depth research on this issue in our September 2022 CTV’s Bundle ID Crisis blog post.
Key Findings in Pixalate’s Q2 2023 CTV Bundle ID Mapping Report
According to Pixalate’s Q2 2023 CTV Bundle ID Mapping Report, the CTV Bundle ID crisis continues to be a problem for the industry:
- 83% of open programmatic ad spend on Samsung Smart TV apps goes to apps referred to by 2+ Bundle IDs
- Apps referred to by 2+ Bundle IDs on Amazon Fire TV have decreased slightly to 37% (from 38% in Q1 2023).
- 88% of open programmatic ad spend on Roku CTV apps goes to apps referred to by 2+ Bundle IDs, a slight increase from 86% in Q1 2023.
- 83% of ad spend on all three CTV platforms went to apps with 2+ Bundle IDs. Apps with 10+ Bundle IDs covered 41% of Roku ad spend.
As for solutions to this crisis, Pixalate’s Bundle ID to App store ID mapping APIs can help by consistently handling Bundle IDs and ensuring that accurate tracking, measurement, and reporting is in place. Additionally, the IAB Tech Lab has issued guidelines for the use of app IDs and OpenRTB 2.6 has offered support for Channel and Network Objects information to avoid overloading the Bundle ID field. By taking these proactive steps, the industry can help ensure the continued growth and success of the CTV ecosystem.