CIMM Names Directors, Sets Agenda for 2026

The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement added two senior executives, Dana McGraw of Disney and Ben Hovaness of OMD to its board of directors as it charts its plans for 2026.

McGraw and Hovaness join Kate Sirkin of Epsilon and Larry Allen of Comcast Advertising on the board. 

CIMM said its strategic priorities for the year are to focus on:

• Unlocking the full potential of CTV, streaming and programmatic.
• The revolution in advertising effectiveness, attribution and outcomes measurement.
• The transformation of advertising measurement, planning, buying and optimization in the age of AI.

“AI will speed up planning and optimization, but only if the inputs are credible,” said Hovaness. “CIMM’s work to strengthen measurement and governance will help ensure automation increases client value, not just activity. Better measurement is the foundation for better performance.”

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Here is a chart from iSpot showing minute-by-minute viewing of the Super Bowl. 

It shows viewership peaking just before halftime and an unusual drop during Bad Bunny’s halftime show. 

The audience returned until the Seahawks took a commanding third-quarter lead and slowly declined until the game ended. 

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Speaking of the Super Bowl, Disney, which will televise next year’s NFL championship game, is already lined up with a year-long schedule of events from now through next Valentine’s Day.

ESPN, which will have the game for the first time, is calling this “The Year of the Super Bowl.” Super Bowl LXI will also be broadcast on ABC. 

ESPN started the hullabaloo with ESPN original Chris Berman making an on-air handoff to Scott Van Pelt at SoFi Stadium, where Super Bowl LXI will be played. 

Throughout the year, ESPN will be airing special programming, including a weekly series of vignettes called I Scored a Touchdown. They will feature players who scored in the big game, starting with David Tyree, who made the “helmet catch” for the Giants against the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. 

Disney plans to have Super Bowl content across every platform and expanded cross-company collaborations using Disney’s characters, franchises and platforms.

A promo campaign called “We’re Going” had its debut on Good Morning America this week and will feature cameos of personalities doing what game MVPs have been doing since 1987: going to Disneyland.

Disney Advertising will be at work as well with a year-round supply of inventory.

“Advertisers will gain access to innovative integrations, custom content solutions, live events, and first‑of‑its‑kind, cross‑platform visibility tied to the Super Bowl and the NFL’s biggest moments. With Disney’s tentpole live events serving as cultural touchpoints throughout the year, brands have an unprecedented opportunity to connect with fans across the full Disney ecosystem,” the company said.