Nielsen has received accreditation for its Big Data + Panel national TV measurement from the Media Rating Council (MRC), certifying its ability to combine first-party viewership data with its panel. Why it matters: The certification better positions Nielsen to accurately capture viewership for TV networks and advertisers after the rise of media fragmentation and streaming challenged its traditional methods.
- The development cements Nielsen's reputation as the most authoritative provider of TV measurement. Other companies have challenged Nielsen's standing in recent years as more viewership shifted to streaming and TV networks viewed Nielsen's practices as outdated.
Driving the news: The MRC, the media industry's de-facto measurement watchdog, said this is the first accreditation for a hybrid panel and big data product.
- The firm previously accredited Nielsen's national TV ratings and integration of first-party streaming data. This move certifies the integration of big data and the combined methodology.
- Nielsen said it will endorse this product as currency ahead of the 2025 Upfront season when TV networks pitch advertisers their upcoming programming slates.
How it works: Nielsen's product includes viewership data from 45 million households across more than 75 million set-top boxes and smart TVs. That data comes from partnerships with Roku, Comcast, Dish, Vizio and DirecTV. It also partners with streaming services like Amazon and Netflix.
- Nielsen blends that viewership data with its panel of more than 100,000 people across the U.S. to capture viewership across demographics and from antennas.
- "It's really important to have that big data that's still underpinned by that high-quality representative panel to give you stability but also representation and personification," Nielsen's senior vice president of product Michelle Gelman tells Axios.
What they're saying: The NFL commended Nielsen's efforts via a statement. As Axios previously reported, the NFL has supported Nielsen's plan to integrate Amazon's data in its livestream ratings given Thursday Night Football on Prime Video.
- "The NFL continues to support Nielsen's efforts to modernize measurement so we can all benefit from accurate insights in an increasingly fragmented media marketplace," saidPaul Ballew, the NFL's chief data and analytics officer.
- Disney's Kavita Vazirani, who serves as executive vice president of research, insights and analytics, said the company is committed to improving the accuracy of cross-platform measurement by collaborating with a variety of measurement companies, including Nielsen.
- "As brands aim to build their presence and connect with consumers across multiple screens, it's essential for our industry to address the unique requirements of linear and streaming platforms in a meaningful and impactful way," Vazirani said.
State of play: Nielsen remains the most used currency in the TV measurement space, even as TV networks have partnered with iSpot and VideoAmp and experimented with multiple currencies for TV buyers and sellers to transact.
- Gelman says the Big Data + Panel product helps prepare Nielsen for continued relevancy with the rise of content consumption on creator platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
- "The universe of content is so, so very large," Gelman says, pointing to YouTuber MrBeast and the talk show "Hot Ones."
- "A panel-only solution would not be able to measure that with the same fidelity as a big data or a census-driven solution."
What we're watching: Nielsen said it plans to seek MRC accreditation for more products, including its national TV out-of-home measurement and its cross-screen measurement platform, Nielsen One.
- Paramount has not renewed its Nielsen contract. Instead, it has relied on VideoAmp, which is not MRC accredited but deemed transactable by the U.S. Joint Industry Committee.
