If you've been in the media & advertising industry for some time, you've certainly seen the epic corporate standoffs, mostly in the Programmer vs. Distributor world, but sometimes also in the measurement world. At the end of the day, someone always seems to blink. This public dispute between Paramount and Nielsen seems different, I'm not sure I've ever seen a National Programmer and Nielsen actually allow an existing contract to expire, with public overtures that a deal might not be imminent (or necessary). Honestly, we don't know for sure that's what this is, it could just be the usual posturing taken to an extreme level. But there are some innovative and viable competitors in the mix now...it will be very interesting to see how this plays out. Two important disclosures...I have worked with competitive data offerings recently so my interpretation could be a bit biased (although that's not my intent). And also reminder that my posts on linkedin reflect my personal opinions/POV (in which I always seek to be unbiased), and not those for whom I work. https://lnkd.in/e6ZX-jnF
Howard Fiderer
2mo
As addressable advertising and streaming services grow, ads are increasingly targeted to individual devices, with each impression directly measured. Audience-based targeting allows advertisers to define custom segments, enabling ad tech systems to deliver precise reporting at a segment level. This shift challenges Nielsen’s traditional panel-based model, which measures predefined cohorts. When addressable TV launched 15 years ago, Nielsen’s reluctance to adapt opened the door for Comscore, now the gold standard for local addressable ads. Recognizing the limits of its panel-based approach, Nielsen has integrated device-level data—the same data used by ad tech vendors and other measurement systems which reduces Nielsen's competitive edge. Nielsen’s panel still plays a crucial role, especially in measuring shared TV viewership, but new metrics, like attention-based systems, are also claiming market share. The real question: how much of its business can Nielsen retain in this evolving landscape?
Keith Bowen
2mo
This battle will go the distance and is more about cost than accurate measurement, although wouldn’t that be nice? Will the national linear ad model slowly declining, Nielsen’s costs have become prohibitive. Give Haley props for blazing the trail for our industry.
Ed DeNicola
2mo
Ha! Nielsen contracts never really expire, they go EVERGREEN. :)
Technologist, Data Scientist & Serial Entrepreneur | Media Innovator | 30 years in and still learning new tricks
2mo2019 was the last time I’m aware of. CBS went without rating for around 10 days.