What is the Standard Sponsorship Identifier (SSI) and why does it matter?

Today, we launch a new sponsorship ident standard for broadcasters, agencies and advertisers. Ahead of the launch, we chatted to Jo Foster, Head of Product at Clearcast, about what’s changing, what SSI really is and what it means in practice.

Jo Foster joined Clearcast in 2022. Previously ITV’s Controller of Commercial Operations, she has deep experience in product development and the UK commercial supply chain.

First up, what is SSI?

SSI stands for Standard Sponsorship Identifier. It’s a single, shared format for sponsorship ID numbers (something the industry hasn’t had before), designed to make sponsorship IDs more consistent and easier to manage for everyone involved; agencies, advertisers and broadcasters.

Why is it changing now?

Because, for a long time, the previous setup made life harder than it needed to be. I’ve seen first-hand how tricky sponsorship IDs can be to manage – getting one often meant dealing with separate systems for every broadcaster, which led to delays and the occasional mistake. It’s been fiddly and time-consuming.

SSI is a practical fix: one consistent approach that makes the process clearer and more straightforward for everyone.

Okay, so how does SSI work?

Up to now, every broadcaster has had their own way of creating and using sponsorship IDs. SSI brings that together into one simple format used across the UK’s major publishers (for example: SABC/XXXX001/10). The idea is to make the whole process smoother – and help everyone work faster, with fewer avoidable errors. This change also enables industry systems that support the supply chain, such as Caria, to be expanded and utilised for sponsorship.

In practice, SSI numbers will be generated in The Clearcast Library, so that agencies and publishers can rely on one consistent format and validation of uniqueness, without all the extra complexity.

Does this mean Clearcast will start clearing sponsorship idents?

No – broadcasters will still manage sponsorship compliance and run their own processes, but with further phases there will be improvements to these processes, enabled by introduction of SSI.

Our role is to provide the SSI format, ensure uniqueness and make ID generation simpler through The Library. We’re here to take the friction out of the admin, not change who’s responsible for compliance. And, looking ahead, we’re already discussing further phases with our shareholders to keep improving the process for advertisers too.

What are the main benefits?

• Less admin – fewer forms and less duplication for agencies
• Fewer delivery errors – one consistent format means less room for mistakes and the ability to perform full technical compliance checks
• Faster turnaround – generate IDs directly when you need them
• Better reporting and attribution – easier to track and report sponsorship activity
• Smoother Caria workflows – now available for sponsorship CRIs (copy rotation instructions) – ready and tested

“SSI is a practical fix: one consistent approach that makes the process clearer and more straightforward for everyone.”

So, what does the rollout look like?

• Phase 1 Launch: On Wednesday 1st July, the SSI format became available for our shareholder broadcasters, in The Library. Exact onboarding dates may vary though, so check with your broadcaster contacts for their dates.
• System upgrades: The Clearcast Library and Caria also upgraded on 1st July.
• Industry-wide adoption: Other major publishers are expected to join soon.

What do agencies need to do now?

Agencies will now be able to generate SSI numbers directly in The Clearcast Library and include them in their Caria instructions. There aren’t any extra compliance steps – publishers will continue to manage compliance as they do now. However we’re working with our shareholders to improve this process and will continue to share updates as we improve the process further.

How will Clearcast support agencies through the change?

Get up to speed with the handy resources below or on our Help Desk, follow and subscribe to stay up to date with the latest updates, and chat to us if you need a hand – we’re happy to help.

By Ellie Powell