The Media Ratings Council (MRC) has completed its accreditation process of Nielsen’s Big Data and Panel measurement tools, providing media companies with a trustworthy method of gauging viewership for linear and digital programs. The tool has been used successfully on select NFL games, with more on the way.
“MRC has completed and evaluated rigorous audits of Nielsen’s National Service and its new components, including first party streaming (thus far consisting of select NFL games) and the integration of big data,” said George Ivie, CEO and executive director of the MRC. “We have now approved the integration of big data so this combined methodology can be considered MRC accredited; we appreciate Nielsen’s inclusion of this in the MRC accreditation process.” George added, “this effort marks the first time MRC has accredited a hybrid panel/big-data product inclusive of persons level estimates.”
For the uninitiated, Nielsen’s “Big Data + Panel” national TV measurement combines Nielsen’s panel measurement with data from cable, satellite set-top boxes and smart TVs. The data from this tool can be utilized to support the media industry beyond advertising planning and buying, by helping to inform content programming and licensing decisions, along with carriage fees for TV distribution deals. The NFL, as the entity basically carrying broadcast television these days, is pleased with the recent announcement.
“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,” said Paul Ballew, chief data & analytic officer of the NFL. “The accreditation of their Big Data solution is a significant step in the journey and we commend Nielsen for their efforts.”
Elsewhere in the Nielsen ecosystem, the company announced a recent expansion of Nielsen ONE to include outcomes capabilities in addition to advanced audiences, planning and measurement for advertisers and agencies. Note that Nielsen ONE is not submitted to MRC for auditing/evaluation at present but is planned for this in the future. For now, the company is thrilled with the news regarding its primary audience measurement tool.
“The accreditation of Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel is a landmark moment for TV ratings, as it will forever change audience measurement,” said Karthik Rao, Nielsen’s CEO. “No one else pairs a high quality, representative panel with a data set this large, pulling from smart TVs and set top boxes in more than 45 million homes. I believe Big Data + Panel gives the industry the most accurate measurement in the history of TV. We’re grateful to our clients for helping us innovate once again.”
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