On the eve of television’s upfront advertising market, Nielsen released a statement to clients urging them to use its legacy panels-only measurement system as currency, but said it will make its big-data plus panels measurement available for clients who want to use that to transact.
Nielsen had been planning to stop using its panel-based C3 and C7 currencies in September. Accreditation for that currency was restored this month by the Media Rating Council, which Nielsen noted made it the only company with an accredited system for measuring national TV audiences.
But the Nielsen big-data system, incorporating viewing information from set-top boxes and smart TVs, has been delayed. It is still in the process of being accredited by the MRC and the Video Advertising Bureau, which represents TV networks and distributors, has pointed out errors and inconsistencies in the sample data Nielsen has released.
The VAB said it pressed Nielsen to declare which system should be used for the upfront by the end of the week to clear up confusion in the marketplace.
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“Trust and transparency throughout the buying and selling process is paramount, which is why Nielsen believes strongly that the currency used by our industry be audited and ultimately accredited by the most rigorous standards set by the Media Rating Council (MRC),” Nielsen said in its statement to clients Thursday.
“We will continue to endorse the MRC-accredited panel-only currency for the upcoming planning season while we move ahead with the process to seek full accreditation for a currency informed by big data,“ Nielsen said. “We understand these changes are complex and that every company in the media ecosystem is readying themselves at various speeds. Big data will still be available for additional measurement during this transition for clients seeking to transact on it.
“Rollout plans for Nielsen One will not be impacted by this change,” Nielsen added.
In a statement, the VAB said: “Nielsen’s decision to delay the currency use of their new Big Data Plus Panel product until September 2024 gives the buy/sell ad marketplace more time for the necessary basics: to pressure-test this new data set, make important improvements, and build confidence in its accuracy as a currency-worthy cross-platform truth set.”
Leaving the Door Open
But Nielsen’s statement appeared to leave the door open for buyers and sellers to use either measurement system as currency.
“Two currency choices from one provider for full-market use is an untenable situation and recipe for confusion and complexity that negates the orderly efficiency of an effective upfront for all,” VAB CEO Sean Cunningham said. “This is a unique situation where a portion of the delayed currency use of a new ratings product can have an important exception — Spanish-language is ready for currency use.”
Asked to clarify, a Nielsen spokesperson said: “The MRC accredited, panel-only National TV Audience Measurement [currency] remains the official currency for the ’23-’24 upfront season. Big Data will be available for additional measurement purposes. We will accommodate networks and syndicators who opt in to making deals with Big Data by lifting permissible-use restrictions and ensuring they have the data required to support these deals We are actively in the audit process for big data.”
The big data is most likely to be used for Spanish-language media. Nielsen’s big data shows significantly higher viewership for multicultural audiences.
Donna Speciale, TelevisaUnivision president of U.S. ad sales and marketing, said her company’s goal is to transact on big data.
“It has been way too long that the Hispanic community has been invisible and not represented correctly. We can’t wait another year for Hispanic viewers to be properly represented,” Speciale said.
Not all agencies may be ready to use the big data at this point because they have been doing their upfront planning based on panel only data.
NBCUniversal, which has been pushing for alternatives to Nielsen and exects to do upfront deals using data from iSpot.TV. “We’re going to continue to offer our clients the ability to transact in a multi-currency world using data we trust and have confidence in,” said Kelly Abcarian, executive VP at NBCU.
