Nielsen and Paramount renew measurement deal

Paramount and Nielsen have renewed their measurement partnership after a four-month standoff, effective immediately, the companies announced today. The multiyear renewal will include measurement for all Paramount linear and streaming platforms, as well as licenses for new Nielsen services including Big Data + Panel, Advanced Audiences, Ad-Supported Streaming Platform Ratings, Nielsen One Ads for CTV and national out-of-home, which Nielsen announced earlier today now covers 100% of U.S. consumers. The blackout began over “substantial price increases,” Paramount’s president of advertising, John Halley, wrote in a letter to clients last September. Nielsen later disputed the claim in another letter to advertisers written by CEO Karthik Rao last November, pointing out shortcomings in Paramount’s decision to select VideoAmp as its primary currency for transacting TV ad deals in Nielsen’s absence. “We are thrilled to resume our partnership with Paramount, as their leaders continue to build one of the strongest brands in entertainment,” said Rao in a statement. “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.” Caught in the middle were advertisers and media buyers, who described VideoAmp’s shortcomings in measuring traditional broadcast age and gender demos as well as the increased work of having to translate and compare Nielsen and VideoAmp data to ensure delivery of negotiated terms. In announcing the new deal, Nielsen retroactively provided updated ratings for some of Paramount’s programming that occurred during the measurement lapse. According to the measurement company, CBS’s Jan. 26 AFC Championship Game drew 57.7 million viewers, and the network’s regular season NFL programming included top-rated games in October, November and December. CBS’s “Tracker” was the top drama program in the same three months, drawing 11.3 million, 11.6 million and 10.8 million viewers in October, November and December, respectively. Overall, CBS dramas accumulated 50 trillion minutes of viewership among U.S. consumers, more than any other broadcast network, per Nielsen. On Paramount+, “Landman” was the first show to hit 1 billion minutes of viewership in one week, according to Nielsen. “Paramount and Nielsen are committed to addressing TV’s multiplatform future to the benefit of all of our stakeholders,” said George Cheeks, president and CEO, CBS and co-CEO, Paramount Global, in a statement. “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.”

Nielsen and Paramount renew measurement deal

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