Nielsen says it reached an agreement to incorporate anonymized data from Comcast’s set-top boxes in its local TV ratings service beginning next year.
With the latest deal, Nielsen now has agreements with four major cable or satellite providers that grant the company access to the operators’ customers’ TV viewing information. Nielsen says access to this data not only allows the company to deliver all-inclusive metrics of audience viewing trends, but could also transform how local media is bought and sold.
“Our enhanced local TV measurement strategy combines the best elements from Nielsen’s high-quality panels with set-top box data from Comcast and other providers in an anonymous way,” Megan Clarken, global president of Watch at Nielsen, comments in a statement. “We are continuously innovating our local measurement solutions and leveraging all data sources to deliver a comprehensive service that offers true local market insights and showcases the power of local television. We are pleased to add Comcast to our list of local set-top box data providers.”
Sometime in 2018, Nielsen will start to include non-personally identifiable TV viewing data from Comcast homes, as well as set-top box data from other providers and Nielsen’s local meters into its local TV ratings. Using the data, Nielsen will report audience viewing trends on an aggregated basis.
“Comcast is committed to enabling more effective and efficient television measurement for the benefit of the entire industry,” Marcien Jenckes, president of advertising at Comcast Cable, notes. “This agreement with Nielsen underscores the importance of local television measurement and will have a positive impact on the quality of local ratings.”
