Nielsen today told clients that it will not be using first-party data from Amazon in the ratings used for buying and selling commercials during NFL Thursday Night Football.
Nielsen had a meeting with the Media Rating Council on August 30 about getting accreditation for its plan to integrate Amazon data into its already accredited panel-based rating system.
The MRC had questions about Nielsen’s methodology and it was not accredited.
"Our work with Nielsen on the integration of first party data sources into its national measurements is ongoing. MRC has not accredited these, and the official status remains “in process," the MRC said in a statement.
While the Amazon data is not included in the panel-based measurement, which Nielsen has designated as its approved product to be used as an ad-buying currency, the Amazon data is being included in Nielsen’s big-data audience stream.
Nielsen had planned for its big-data stream to be currency in this upfront, but reversed course earlier this year. The big-data stream remains unaccredited by the MRC.
The decision means that upfront ad buys based on panel data will be stewarded based on the same data.
“As Nielsen works to modernize media measurement by integrating census-level data sets, including first-party data, we remain committed to adhering to the MRC's measurement standards,” Nielsen said in a statement. “Our aim is to ensure the process with which we introduce new ways of measuring audiences is inclusive of client feedback and held to the highest standards. For now, Nielsen’s panel-only National TV service will remain the currency of record. First-party data will be included in Big Data in National measurement figures, which are available to all customers separately.”
Nielsen will continue to work to incorporate big data — obtained from set-top boxes and smart TVs as well as streaming network servers — into its ratings, the company told clients. It said the integration could be accomplished in as little as two months.
Sean Cunningham, CEO of the Video Advertising Bureau, which represents programmers and distributors, had opposed the inclusion of Amazon data in Nielsen’s TNF ratings.
Including Amazon data would boost its viewership totals, giving it an advantage over the other networks that broadcast NFL football and believe that Nielsen undercounts their audiences.
“I think everyone wins,” Cunningham said of Nielsen’s decision.
First-party data helps networks understand how to calibrate the audience shortfall in Nielsen’s data, Cunningham said.
“The key will all of this is that it’s done in an extremely well-lit manner in which all the details are completely transparent to both buyers and sellers,” he said.
