NBC Universal reached a seven-year pact for audience-measurement services covering all of its national and local television businesses with Nielsen Media Research, the two parties announced Thursday.
On the cable side, the deal covers Bravo, CNBC, MSNBC, USA Network and Sci Fi Channel. As far as broadcast, it extends to the NBC Television Network, NBC Enterprises/NBC Universal Domestic Television, Telemundo, the 13 NBC owned-and-operated stations and the 11 Telemundo stations.
The two sides called the agreement “the largest, most comprehensive contract of its kind in the history of media research.”
As part of the deal, NBC Universal has agreed to support the largest-ever expansion of Nielsen's “National People Meter” sample to nearly 10,000 homes from its current total of more than 6,000.
“With NBC's expanded portfolio of broadcast and cable properties, we wanted to ensure a consistent standard of research throughout all of our business units,” NBC Universal president of research and media development Alan Wurtzel said in a prepared statement. “This agreement accomplishes that goal.”
Nielsen CEO Susan D. Whiting added, “This landmark agreement reflects our commitment to everyone at NBC first to deliver the highest-quality estimates to their businesses every day; and second, to make certain we have invested in the right technology, the right methodology, the right partnerships and the right people to assure that television will always be the best-measured medium of audience delivery.”
