Nielsen NZ has responded to news that Nielsen US has updated its total audience metric to better reflect changes in TV viewing habits.
The US update has resulted in a lift to US audience levels, which have increased by around 10%.
The Financial Times reported: “In what could be a significant boost for TV networks, who have frequently complained that Nielsen ratings do not properly measure online audiences, the new metric includes viewers of online video sites, such as Netflix and YouTube, as well as traditional channels, and captures data across multiple devices.
“In addition, Nielsen will extend the period it counts viewers from the current standard of three or seven days to a full 35 days.
According to the Financial Times report, Nielsen has already released this total audience data to US TV networks, so they can review it, before the new ratings are rolled out to ad buyers by the start of the autumn TV season.
Tests have shown that the new measurement increased viewership across all TV shows by 10% on average, but one broadcast drama saw a 23% increase in viewers, rising even higher for the most popular shows.
While Nielsen NZ marketing & comms manager Kim McFadden partly answered our questions, she did not appear to directly address the Netflix and Youtube measurements.
“It’s our long-term vision to help our clients capture the complete view of media consumption regardless of screen,” she said.
“We are committed to realising Nielsen’s global vision for this total measurement right here in New Zealand.
“Our current media metrics remain in place to meet the needs of individual clients whilst we have already begun the journey to capture a complete audience.
“We’ll continue to work with our clients as well as looking to other markets, including the US, to bring measurement solutions to New Zealand where applicable.”
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