The Media Rating Council has approved the accreditation of Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel TV ratings measurement.
The new method for analyzing TV ratings combines the firm’s panel measurement — which tracks a specific group or market’s viewing habits — with data from cable, satellite set-top boxes and smart TVs across 45 million households and 75 million devices, giving advertisers access to cross-platform audiences at scale. It also will help inform content programming and licensing decisions, along with carriage fees for TV distribution deals.
The offering was first introduced to advertisers and the company’s broadcasting and streaming clients prior to last year’s upfront. Amazon has notably used Nielsen’s big data panel measurement tools for its “Thursday Night Football” ratings.
“The accreditation of Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel is a landmark moment for TV ratings, as it will forever change audience measurement,” Nielsen CEO Karthik Rao said in a Wednesday statement. “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.”
Nielsen has dominated media measurement for the better part of a century, with advertisers depending on its Streaming Top 10 and Gauge reports in order to help determine their spending on commercials as audiences shift from linear TV to streaming.
But TV networks have complained that the firm is not measuring audiences as well as it should amid this transition. In 2021, the MRC found that the firm undercounted viewers during the COVID-19 pandemic, which temporarily resulted in a suspension of their accreditation.
Paramount Global, which is in the midst of a contract dispute with Nielsen, has switched advertisers’ campaigns to VideoAmp as the two sides continue to negotiate. They’ve suggested that they’re also prepared to make that switch permanent if the two parties are unable to reach a deal.
VideoAmp, which is not accredited by the MRC, is certified by the Joint Industry Committee, which represents advertisers, agencies and media owners. Other ratings measurement competitors include Comscore and iSpot.tv, which have both received accreditations from the MRC.
The MRC’s Wednesday endorsement comes ahead of the 2025 upfront season and after it recently signed off on Nielsen’s integration for first-party live streaming data and renewed the accreditation for its traditional panel measurement.
“We appreciate Nielsen’s inclusion of this in the MRC accreditation process,” MRC CEO and executive director George Ivie added. “This effort marks the first time MRC has accredited a hybrid panel/big-data product inclusive of persons level estimates.”
In addition to the launch of its Big Data + Panel measurement, Nielsen is expanding its national TV out-of-home measurement, which is also being submitted to MRC for evaluation and is in process. It also plans to submit its expanded version of Nielsen ONE, which will include outcome capabilities in addition to advanced audience, planning and measurement tools, for MRC auditing and evaluation at a future date.
