Speaking with B&T on Monday, Bench Media co-founder and COO Shai Luft described the acquisition as an “offensive and defensive move” for Nielsen as the media measurement landscape becomes increasingly fragmented. “This feels like both an offensive and defensive move by Nielsen,” Luft said. “It remains one of the biggest names in audience measurement, but its traditional dominance has been challenged by declining linear television audiences, fragmented viewing and platforms building their own measurement ecosystems.” Walton said the significance of the deal lies in “bringing audience measurement and media-quality verification into the same commercial proposition”. Ultimately, Luft said the acquisition could represent a major evolution for Nielsen if it can combine DoubleVerify’s media-quality signals with its cross-screen audience measurement without compromising independence.