NBC, CBS, FOX and ABC; these are the main TV channels rated by Nielsen.
For several years now, during the rise of streaming services such as Hulu, Netflix and YouTube TV, Nielsen has had yet to get their hands on measuring the viewership for digital media. But that's changing now.
Now, Hulu and YouTube TV will be measured and reported through Nielsen's Digital in TV Ratings. With this inclusion, Nielsen measurement will provide media buyers and sellers with a more comprehensive and transparent view of audiences engaging with linear TV programming across digital devices.
Combining digital viewing of eligible Live, DVR and On-Demand TV on Hulu's live service and YouTube TV with traditional linear audience metrics, Nielsen will capture audiences watching linear TV through these services on desktop, tablets and smartphones. This capability will provide broader audience coverage and inclusion and allow Nielsen clients to more effectively monetize content across platforms.
"The inclusion of eligible TV viewership from Hulu and YouTube TV viewership in C3 and C7 through Digital in TV Ratings is a major accomplishment in delivering Nielsen Total Audience to the marketplace," said Megan Clarken, President of Product Leadership at Nielsen.
Launched in 2015, Nielsen's Digital in TV Ratings provides a method for programmers and buyers to account for all viewers across desktop and mobile devices as long as the program content and commercials match the linear TV airing. This capability brings together census-based data, persons demographics and Nielsen's high-quality, representative panels to report audiences across national and local markets.
"We built YouTube TV to bring the most popular 'must watch' TV to today's video streaming audiences and we're already seeing that live TV represents the majority of time spent watching on the service. Our network and advertising partners will benefit from Nielsen DTVR measurement of YouTube TV," said Heather Moosnick, Director of Content Partnerships for YouTube TV.
"Our goal is to make it possible for viewers to watch their favorite shows whenever and wherever they want – and be able to measure that viewership. We are pleased with Nielsen's launch of this capability, and look forward to the new insights it enables," said Cindy Davis, EVP Consumer Experience of Disney-ABC Television Group.
Added Wanda Young, SVP of Marketing and Consumer Engagement from sister company ESPN, "This move represents an important step forward toward complete cross-platform measurement, and we are encouraged by Nielsen's efforts to capture viewing across the shifting media ecosystem – particularly among the growing number of partnerships between programmers and digital distributors."
Now, when will Netflix come on board?
