Paramount and Nielsen have buried the hatchet.
After failing to come to an agreement last fall, Paramount — operator of networks like CBS, Nickelodeon, and Comedy Central — and Nielsen, the industry standard in audience measurement, have agreed to a multi-year deal that will see Nielsen measure Paramount’s content across linear and digital platforms.
The deal will include the use of new Nielsen measurement services, most notably its Big Data + Panel measurements that incorporate first-party streaming data and its newly expanded out-of-home viewing measurements.
“We are thrilled to resume our partnership with Paramount, as their leaders continue to build one of the strongest brands in entertainment,” said Nielsen CEO Karthik Rao in a press release. “Our trusted data shows how Paramount’s content and advertising strategy is thriving across every platform, across all ages and demos. As Paramount continues its evolution into a next-generation media company, we’re proud to play a critical role and know this deal will be a win for everyone: Nielsen, Paramount and all of our joint advertising partners.”
“Paramount and Nielsen are committed to addressing Television’s multiplatform future to the benefit of all of our stakeholders. Karthik and his team continue to meet the needs of our marketplace across all our platforms, and we are incredibly pleased to reinforce and reinvigorate our deal with our longtime partner,” said George Cheeks, Co-CEO of Paramount Global.
Nielsen has recently made two major changes in how it measures audiences, particularly for programs like live sporting events. First, the company has rolled out its Big Data + Panel measurements which were recently accredited by the Media Ratings Council. These measurements allow Nielsen to pull on first-party streaming data obtained directly from the content provider (i.e. Paramount+) to incorporate into its total audience figure.
Second, Nielsen has now expanded its out-of-home viewing measurements to cover 100% of the American television population. Previously, that measurement only covered about two-thirds of the country.
While both changes will ultimately provide a more accurate picture of how many people are watching a given event, they’ll also further cloud comparisons to past years in which measurements were taken without these innovations.
Under the new deal, Nielsen’s measurements will cover all CBS broadcast networks, Paramount-owned cable channels, the Paramount+ streaming service, and the free ad-supported television platform Pluto TV.
The deal should also mark the return of publicly released viewership data from Paramount. The company went nearly the entire football season without issuing a single press release touting NFL viewership, despite having a very successful season from a ratings perspective.
Monday’s announcement also reaffirms Nielsen’s place as the standard bearer for audience measurements. There are certainly competitors in the space, like iSpot or Comscore, but Nielsen remains the currency by which networks sell inventory to advertisers. That’s an enviable place to be in the ever-fracturing environment of modern media.