Nielsen might be a legacy measurement company, but they’re breaking new ground today.
The company announced it is the first national TV audience measurement provider to secure MRC accreditation for a solution that combines big data and panel measurement: the aptly named Big Data + Panel National TV Measurement.
This solution merges Nielsen’s traditional panel measurement—an opt-in household sample used to estimate national viewership—with data from cable, satellite set-top boxes, and smart TVs across 45 million households and 75 million devices. Key data partners include Roku, Comcast, and Dish.
The concept behind Big Data + Panel is to leverage the scale and stability of big data from these platforms while using the panel to provide deeper insights into real-person viewership. See this video for more context and information:
According to the announcement press release, “Big Data + Panel was widely adopted by many broadcasters and agencies for the 2024 Upfront season and Nielsen is endorsing its use as currency heading into the 2025 Upfront.”
Why This Matters:
The announcement checks a couple of big boxes for Nielsen.
First, perception. Nielsen has historically been seen as “just” a panel measurement company. While Big Data + Panel has been rolling out in stages for a few years, the MRC’s stamp of approval helps Nielsen solidify its position as a hybrid measurement provider. Competitors like iSpot and Comscore may excel on the Big Data front, but Nielsen’s hybrid approach offers a unique balance of scale and person-level depth.
Second, Nielsen and the MRC? It’s complicated. The company lost national and local TV ratings accreditation during the pandemic due to undercounting issues but regained national accreditation in 2023 after a 19-month suspension. (Local accreditation seems to be a lower priority versus Big Data initiatives.) This milestone marks progress in Nielsen’s relationship with the MRC as it becomes the first accredited national TV audience measurement provider for a Big Data + Panel solution. It also builds on the momentum of last year’s MRC approval of Nielsen’s first-party live streaming data integration.
Experts React:
There were some good quotes in the announcement press release, including:
“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 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.”
Paul Ballew, Chief Data & Analytic Officer of the NFL, added: “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. The accreditation of their Big Data solution is a significant step in the journey and we commend Nielsen for their efforts.”
Our Take:
You can, indeed, teach an old dog new tricks. To its credit, Nielsen continues to evolve its measurement platform to keep pace with shifting viewership habits, advancing technology, and changing advertiser priorities. (For more evidence of this, see some of their other, recent announcements.) The company, of course, even name-dropped the UpFronts in its announcement to drive this point home.
