Nielsen has revealed it will end its panel-based television ratings later this year, ending a decades-long practice that served as the industry standard.
In the fourth quarter, Nielsen will stop selling its panel-based ratings, instead focusing on its Big Data + Panel measurements. Last week, the company revealed the Big Data + Panel measurements had been accredited by the Media Rating Council. The new measurement metric combines figures from the company’s consumer panel data with those supplied by third-party vendors, namely smart TV manufacturers.
The decision from the ratings agency comes after years of stating its intention to move away from the panel-based formula. In 2020, Nielsen revealed it would move away from the system by 2024. However, due to pushback from advertisers that claimed the move was rushed, the company continued to operate as normal.
The change from Nielsen comes on the heels of increased digital measurement competition from companies like iSpot, Comscore, and VideoAmp, among others in a growing field.
According to a survey released by Advertiser Perceptions last year, 60% of advertising firms used an alternative to Nielsen in 2024. That does not mean those same advertisers didn’t also utilize data from Nielsen, but it does show the rise of challengers to the field dominated by the company.
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