CBS include digital in Nielsen ratings
October 1, 2015
CBS becomes the first US network to count digital viewers in its Nielsen TV ratings — the benchmark for pricing TV advertising. The network and the media measurement company said that Nielsen would measure viewing of CBS All Access, the company’s digital subscription service launched last year.
The arrangement is part of Nielsen’s Total Audience Measurement effort, planned to debut by the end of this year, which aims to capture viewing across TV and digital devices.
Nielsen has benn under pressure from broadcasters who say its ratings do not capture their full reach, and value to advertisers, because they do not include online viewing.
The company is facing a challenge from the proposed merger of two ComScore and Rentrak. The combined company is taking on Nielsen by promising to create a new advertising currency based on viewership across all platforms.