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Nielsen to Deliver All-Electronic Measurement to Local TV Markets in 2017 and Retire Paper TV Diaries in 140 Local Markets

2 minute read | September 2016

Return Path Data and Electronic Measurement Combined with Local Panels and Meters Provide Comprehensive Measurement Across All 210 DMAs

New York, NY – Sept. 14, 2016 – Today, Nielsen (NYSE:NLSN) announced that by mid-2017, it will provide all electronic measurement in its local television ratings across all 210 designated market areas (DMAs). Nielsen will incorporate Return Path Data from set-top boxes and other electronic measurement into local services, including the 140 TV markets currently measured by paper TV diaries. The integration of Return Path Data will pave the way for the retirement of paper TV diaries in early 2018.

“By tapping into the strengths of Return Path Data and electronic measurement, and combining it with Nielsen’s gold-standard panels and meters, we will be delivering a superior product to help all local clients address current challenges and be better positioned for future trends,” said Megan Clarken, President, Nielsen Product Leadership. “These enhancements are part of Nielsen’s commitment to invest in and transform how local TV is measured in a cross-platform world across all screens and devices.”

Nielsen will combine its currency-grade panel data with Return Path Data and other electronic measurement from millions of homes across multiple providers to provide the market with unparalleled granularity, stability and market insights.

Nielsen is advancing local TV services by providing clients with consistent measurement, true-person exposure data and complete local market coverage. This enhanced measurement service will provide actionable audience estimates, enabling precise buying of persons-level data to uncover the true value of local audiences. For the 210 DMAs, the new service will bring measurement on a daily, weekly or monthly basis, 365 days a year. 

With these enhancements, Nielsen’s Local TV service will continue to provide the industry with the trusted measurement that buyers and sellers need to transact with confidence across all 210 DMAs.

ABOUT NIELSEN

Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE: NLSN) is a global performance management company that provides a comprehensive understanding of what consumers watch and buy. Nielsen’s Watch segment provides media and advertising clients with Total Audience measurement services for all devices on which content—video, audio and text—is consumed. The Buy segment offers consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers the industry’s only global view of retail performance measurement. By integrating information from its Watch and Buy segments and other data sources, Nielsen also provides its clients with analytics that help improve performance. Nielsen, an S&P 500 company, has operations in over 100 countries, covering more than 90% of the world’s population. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.

Contact

Gorki De Los Santos, gorki.delossantos@nielsen.com, 646-654-4837