NEW YORK — The Media Rating Council (MRC) has completed its accreditation process covering Nielsen’s innovative Big Data + Panel National TV measurement, after recently accrediting Nielsen’s integration of first-party live streaming data and re-accrediting Nielsen’s traditional Panel measurement.
Nielsen is the first accredited national TV audience measurement provider for Big Data + Panel.
In a statement distributed Wednesday by Nielsen, MRC Executive Director and CEO Dr. George Ivie said the council completed and evaluated “rigorous audits” of Nielsen’s National Service and its new components, including first party streaming (thus far consisting of select NFL games) and the integration of big data. “We have now approved the integration of big data so this combined methodology can be considered MRC accredited; we appreciate Nielsen’s inclusion of this in the MRC accreditation process,” Ivie said, adding this effort marks the first time MRC has accredited a hybrid panel/big-data product inclusive of persons level estimates.
“The accreditation of Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel is a landmark moment for TV ratings, as it will forever change audience measurement,” said Nielsen CEO Karthik Rao. “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.”
Big Data + Panel National TV Measurement combines Nielsen’s representative panel measurement with data from cable, satellite set-top boxes and smart TVs. It was adopted by some broadcasters and agencies for the 2024 Upfront season; Nielsen is endorsing its use as currency heading into the 2025 Upfront.
But, what about Nielsen ONE, which now features outcomes capabilities, advanced audiences, planning and measurement. “Nielsen ONE is not submitted to MRC for auditing/evaluation at present but is planned for this in the future,” the company says.
