NEW YORK—The Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have released a study examining how local viewing is measured across television, mobile devices, browsers, streaming platforms and out-of-home environments.

The study, authored by Patti Cohen, also identifies critical data gaps in today’s syndicated local measurement systems and assesses how these limitations affect the accuracy and completeness of local video audience insights.

“As local video consumption continues to expand across new platforms, the industry needs to build on recent progress and take steps to plug current gaps, evolving measurement approaches to account for all viewing,” Jon Watts, managing director at CIMM, said. “TV isn’t declining, it’s just becoming more diverse, spreading across different platforms and devices. Measurement needs to follow. This important study helps to diagnose the current situation, so that we can understand where we are and work to establish the foundation for a more future-ready local measurement ecosystem.”

The study stressed that local television channels and content—from news and syndicated programming to sports—continue to play a vital role in consumers' media consumption. However, the ecosystem has become increasingly fragmented and complex, spanning broadcast, CTV apps, mobile streams, FAST channels, digital-only programming and social video, the study found. Much of this viewing is hard to measure and is not currently fully captured in syndicated measurement solutions. CIMM and TVB estimate that 20% to 30% of local viewing is not credited in syndicated measurement systems.

In the report, CIMM and TVB outline three areas of priority where industry collaboration can help improve the quality of measurement:

• Upfront collaboration: Early alignment between buyers and sellers on what is counted and how it is reported in a simple, consistent way across markets and screens to help reduce friction later in planning, posting, and reconciliation.
• Enablement: Broader adoption of tagging, mapping and integration requirements to ensure local digital and streaming audiences are fully captured.
• Shared standards: Consistent stream tagging, source identifiers and metadata mapping across platforms to account for gaps in device coverage, inconsistent inclusion logic and differences in methodologies.

“This study represents the first comprehensive effort to map how local audiences are measured across environments,” said Hadassa Gerber, executive vice president and chief research officer at TVB. “By having broadcasters, measurement vendors, and technology platforms come together around clear definitions and shared data practices, we can ensure that every local viewer across every screen is counted.”

The full report is available here.

STAMFORD, Conn.—NBCUniversal has released data showing that total viewing of the Paris Olympics is up 77% from the Tokyo Olympics after 12 days and that the NBC affiliate in New Orleans had the highest rating of any NBC affiliated local TV station. 

Tulsa was the second highest rated market, followed by West Palm Beach among NBC affiliate stations according to Nielsen. (See rankings below.)

In addition, NBCUniversal’s nightly Paris Olympics show from 8-11 p.m. ET/PT has dominated primetime, topping 13 million viewers each night across NBC and USA Network, according to Nielsen. If the NFL is excluded, NBC said that the show accounts for 12 of the 19 most-watched primetime shows in 2024. 

Beginning with the Opening Ceremony, NBCUniversal has a posted 12-day Total Audience Delivery average of 32.2 million viewers across the combined live Paris Prime (2-5 p.m. ET) and U.S. primetime (8-11 p.m. ET/PT) time periods – up 77% from Tokyo (18.2 million).

Total Audience Delivery is based upon live-plus-same day official figures from Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics. Live viewership from 2-5 p.m. ET (Paris Prime) is inclusive of NBC, Peacock, USA Network, E!, Paris Extra 1, Paris Extra 2, and additional NBCU digital platforms. Primetime viewership includes NBC, Peacock, USA Network, Paris Extra 1 and Paris Extra 2.

In terms of local markets, New Orleans leads all markets in local NBC station ratings through the first 11 days of broadcast coverage (“Paris Prime” + primetime windows). Following are the Top 20 markets (7/26-8/5):

1. New Orleans 19.8/25
2. West Palm Beach 19.6/28
3. Tulsa 19.2/25
4. Minneapolis 18.4/33
5. Dayton 17.9/26
6. Kansas City 17.8/30
7. Fort Myers 17.1/26
8. Milwaukee 16.9/27
9. Oklahoma City 16.8/25
10. Louisville 16.7/23
11. St. Louis 16.7/27
12. Indianapolis 16.5/29
13. Richmond 16.4/24
14. Austin 16.1/33
15. Norfolk 16.1/27
16. Buffalo 15.9/24
17. Pittsburgh 15.9/24
18. Baltimore 15.9/27
19. Dallas 15.7/31
20. Denver 15.5/31

 Source: Nielsen 

RESTON, Va.—As media companies explore alternative measurement systems for audiences and ads, Comscore has announced that it has been granted accreditation by the Media Rating Council (MRC) for the Total Household Rating and Average Audience estimates in both its national and local TV Time Based Grid reports.

This outcome makes Comscore the only measurement company accredited by MRC for its local TV measurement, and the only accredited national measurement that leverages “big data” science and methodology. This also marks the first time a TV measurement provider has been accredited in all 210 measured local markets based on device tuning measurement, Comscore said. 

“Achieving MRC accreditation is a banner moment for Comscore, and positions us as the only accredited company for ‘big data’ reporting for both local TV and at the national level using the same methodology. It underscores Comscore’s dedication to delivering unparalleled data quality and reliability to our clients, setting new standards for measurement with national scale and local precision,” said Jon Carpenter, CEO, Comscore. "The insights we're now able to deliver, built on MRC accredited big data measurement, are a massive differentiator for Comscore amid rapid change in the market.”

Comscore TV’s accreditation was the culmination of a rigorous process that included an independent audit conducted by a CPA firm engaged by the MRC, and a review of the audit report by a committee composed of MRC member organization representatives. MRC accreditation signifies that Comscore’s methodologies and processes meet the organization’s industry established standards, designed to ensure transparency and accountability in measurement, the company said. 

Comscore continues to work with the MRC, as part of an ongoing review, on Comscore TV’s estimates for households overlaid with age/gender demographic breaks and households with compositions, which are not part of this announcement and are not accredited by the MRC at this time.

"Comscore is to be commended for the significant effort they have made over a number of years to put enhancements and upgrades into place in response to our feedback,” said George W. Ivie, executive director and CEO, the Media Rating Council. "The commitment and dedication that the Comscore team has demonstrated has been exemplary and has led directly to the accreditation they’ve achieved today, a distinction which will benefit the industry as a whole.”

The Media Rating Council is a non-profit industry association established in 1963 composed of leading television, radio, print and digital media companies, as well as advertisers, advertising agencies and trade associations, whose goal is to ensure measurement services that are valid, reliable and effective.

NEW YORK—Nielsen has concluded a multi-market renewal with Morgan Murphy Media, a television and radio company headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. 

As part of the new deal, Nielsen will expand its local TV measurement coverage for Morgan Murphy with newly licensed TV stations in the Yakima-Pasco-Richland-Kennewick+, Marquette and the Alpena DMAs. The deal also renewed agreements for local TV service in Spokane, Wash., LaCrosse-Eau Claire, Wisc., Madison, Wisc., and Victoria, Texas.

"We are honored to expand our coverage with Morgan Murphy in Washington State, Wisconsin, Texas, and now Michigan" said Paul LeFort, managing director for Nielsen’s Local TV business. "Nielsen’s local TV solutions empower Morgan Murphy and our Local TV customers to make critical content decisions, maximize the value of their premium audiences and serve the communities where they operate.” 

"Nielsen’s innovative approach to local TV measurement in our markets was critical in our decision to expand our relationship. Their ongoing investments to transform measurement in our markets made Nielsen the natural choice to serve both our existing and new properties,” added Chris Cornelius, vice president of business development for Morgan Murphy Media. 

NEW YORK—For the first time, Nielsen has introduced reporting of data regarding local television's OTT streaming apps that are comparable to local TV data. 

The new capability will provide local stations with better data on the performance of their programming across platforms. 

The comparable data covers OTT streaming apps delivered via connected TV devices, apps and/or websites and viewed on the TV glass and it includes feeds that have unique, streamed content that is not available on the station's over-the-air channels or direct-to-cable station feeds, Nielsen said. 

As the rise of streaming continues to penetrate the media landscape, many local TV stations are utilizing streaming apps to feed their live, locally-produced, or syndicated content to their apps and websites, Nielsen noted in announcing the improved local OTT measurement. 

By enabling Local OTT measurement with metrics comparable to local broadcast, local content owners will have a more complete picture of their unique audiences regardless of platform, powering critical insights and new incremental revenue opportunities.

"Our priority remains providing the marketplace with data they can trade on with confidence," said Catherine Herkovic, executive vice president, managing director, audio and local TV at Nielsen. "We continue to evolve our measurement to account for all local audiences and are thrilled to offer a more inclusive way to capture local audiences across platforms. This new innovation is the next step in aligning our local TV measurement to national TV."

RESTON Va.—Comscore has announced that it is speeding up the delivery of TV viewing data to more local markets by expanding the availability of 48-hour TV measurement to all 210 local U.S. media markets.  

The move comes as part of an expansion of “Pulse” within its TV measurement solution. Pulse provides agencies, brands and media companies with 48-hour TV measurement nationally and in all 210 U.S. media markets.

Comscore called the upgrade a first and said only Comscore delivers 48-hour post air data in all 210 markets.

Faster data delivery will allow the media industry to perform in-flight optimization for all campaigns for brands, agencies and sell-side partners, the company said. 

“Our data with Pulse is an industry first and highlights Comscore’s investment and innovation in television consumption measurement. Our measurement is now the only solution to report viewing in 48 hours for every local TV market, and nationally with the same single source methodology regardless of the market,” said Comscore chief revenue officer Carol Hinnant. “This advancement allows the industry to make faster programming and advertising decisions with confidence.”  

Available via Comscore’s product offering, API feed and third-party processors, Pulse offers the enhanced ability to optimize campaigns with data that provides 93% predictability. 

The launch of Comscore’s expanded Pulse capability at the national level and across all U.S. local media markets follows the recent selection of Comscore by Warner Bros. Discovery as a preferred currency provider for this year’s TV Upfront. The expanded partnership will tap Comscore’s linear and cross-platform audience measurement abilities to enable alternative currencies for national advertisers transacting across its linear inventory and data-driven advanced advertising solutions.

NEW YORK—Comscore has announced that Dentsu will shift local TV buying to a Comscore-based currency that supports transactions in all 210 local markets.

The agreement means that Dentsu will be the first agency network to place buys in local markets using Comscore’s advanced audiences. Dentsu will use the local TV measurement across its three US media agencies, Carat, Dentsu X, and iProspect, which will add a new addressable solution to the agency network’s toolkit. 

The move signals a significant shift for the local media industry as it seeks to utilize the same data-driven techniques that have been long employed by national buyers, Comscore said. 

Comscore and Dentsu will conduct test buys on behalf of two clients in top 10 local markets based on impressions delivered to advanced audiences built in Dentsu’s proprietary audience-building platform M1, with buys planned to go live in early 2023, the companies reported. 

The partnership will expand to additional markets throughout next year. All major broadcast stations in the markets and local cable inventory will also participate in these buys.

“At Dentsu we pride ourselves on knowing people better than anyone else and have been at the forefront of unlocking new ways to create addressable, audience-first solutions across media environments. For too long, our local TV buyers have been unable to reap the benefits of advances in data driven buying,” said Jennifer Hungerbuhler, executive vice president local and audio investment at Dentsu Media US. “As we look to what’s next in media, the scale and stability of Comscore’s local TV dataset, coupled with the power of Dentsu’s M1 audience intelligence platform, enable new opportunities for us to precisely transact on the audiences that matter most to our clients and drive value in every market.”

This partnership follows a previous announcement that the companies were expanding their long standing partnership and adding the ability to utilize Dentsu’s M1 advanced audiences within Comscore’s local planning and buying datasets, Comscore reported. 

It also represents the culmination of a two year proof of concept phase led by Comscore’s agency and brand leadership team helmed by Kathryn Roganti, senior vice president commercial at Comscore, and Karine McMaster, vice president advanced media, local investment at Dentsu Media US.

RESTON, Va.—Comscore has announced that Horizon Media is testing Comscore’s local TV measurement solution as a new form of currency for 2023 planning and buying.

The tests come in the wake of Horizon Media’s commitment to transact up to 15% of Upfronts with alternative currencies. Horizon Media is the largest U.S. media agency according to AdAge.

The assessment will be conducted in two phases, the companies said. The first will be a data analysis and discovery phase that will test the rigor, stability, and viability of Comscore data as an alternative local currency.

In the second phase, which will be an in-market, live test, Horizon will assess outcomes based on client/brand objectives and needs from test plans and buys. This phase of the test will also enable Horizon to test the technical and commercial viability of further use of Comscore local products.

The companies said that Comscore was the only local TV measurement solution selected to participate in the test, following a comprehensive RFP process.

“Horizon is looking to evaluate Comscore on various elements of the ‘currency’ process,” said Eric Blankfein, executive vice president of CORD at Horizon. "This will range from the efficacy of the planning data and tools to the stability and volatility of the data over time, as well as its usability within the buying process with Strata/Freewheel. We will also be assessing the ability to seamlessly onboard 1st and 3rd party targeting. We are encouraged by Comscore’s position on all these elements, enough so to give them the balance of 2022 to test as an alternative local video currency.”

“As brands continue to invest in local media, due to its consumer relevancy and proximity to point of purchase, the need for better reliable measurement has grown with it,” added Carol Hinnant, chief revenue officer, Comscore. “We have worked through a lengthy RFP process with Horizon to substantiate that Comscore is the optimal provider for local currency. Comscore has been the only true local-market currency against the incumbent for more than ten years and we are proud to count Horizon among those looking for a more reliable and innovative alternative. We look forward to continuing through the testing phase and working with Horizon as we continue to advance innovation in local TV measurement.”

NEW YORK—Nielsen has announced a multi-year agreement with Whitehardt, Inc. to provide the agency with local TV measurement in all markets. 

Whitehardt, which is based in Nashville, Tennessee, is a full-service broadcast and digital media agency specializing in legal marketing and consulting for law firms. They offer national and local services and have been buying media for almost 20 years. 

“Nielsen’s continued enhancement of local TV measurement provides us the ability to plan and execute our media campaigns with confidence,” said Kylie Murdock, director of local media at Whitehardt.  “As TV viewership evolves, it’s critical to understand the shifting viewing behaviors and have a complete picture of each local market.  As an agency that is relentlessly results-driven, Nielsen’s insights will enhance our efforts to deliver great results for our clients.” 

Murdock also applauded Nielsen’s move to impressions. “We have successfully utilized impression-based buying since 2016," Murdock said. "Using impressions has shown to be more efficient when negotiating with station representatives, and getting the value that our clients deserve.” 

In September 2021, Nielsen announced that it will take the lead on an “Impressions First Initiative” to support an industry-wide move to impressions-based buying and selling in local markets across the U.S. The move to impressions will occur in conjunction with the integration of broadband only (BBO) homes into Nielsen’s local measurement metrics in January 2022. The inclusion of BBO homes will enable the industry to rapidly transition to trading on impressions. 

NEW YORK—Nielsen and Marquee Broadcasting Group have come to terms on a multi-year deal that will see Nielsen provide local TV measurement services to all Marquee broadcast stations.

“We believe that Nielsen data are vital and critical components in our comprehensive suite of tools we utilize to serve our communities across all of our markets,” said Patricia Lane, CEO of Marquee. “With Nielsen, we are confident Marquee will continue to provide the highest level of service and expertise to our viewers, our advertising partners and the communities we serve, because local truly does matter.” 

Marquee, which provides news, weather and sports reporting, owns stations in Maryland, Georgia and Kentucky. Marquee says that it has plans to further expand in the future.

Starting this month, Nielsen’s local TV measurement service will provide daily delivery of local TV ratings, which is meant to help empower media buyers and sellers and show the power of local broadcast TV, Nielsen says.

“The backbone of the Local TV business are Local broadcast TV stations,” affirms Catherine Herkovic, executive vice president/managing director, Nielsen Local TV. “Nielsen is proud to help Marquee serve its local communities and to provide a service that supports accurate, comprehensive delivery of the news.”

RESTON, Va.—Comscore and CoxReps have announced a new deal that will have Comscore provide full-service ratings and impressions data for all local TV markets affiliated with CoxReps.

This is a renewal of long relationship between the two companies, according to CoxReps COO Ann Hailer.

“Comscore’s ability to offer targeted automotive, political and consumer data enables CoxReps to provide a superior national sales representation for our client stations,” said Hailer.

For more information, visit www.comscore.com. 

NEW YORK—The year-plus rollout of new measurement technology from Nielsen has been completed, the company announced on Thursday, Oct. 3. Nielsen has finalized additions of advanced meter technology, big data and people-powered panels to its local TV measurement service in 71 markets for in-depth and accurate metrics on what people are actually viewing in local broadcast markets.

With this latest batch of installments, plus the 137 markets that were updated in the summer of 2018, Nielsen has applied these changes to 208 local TV markets.

Nielsen had deployed Portable People Meter measurement integrated with existing TV panels in 25 Local People Meter and 19 Set-Meter markets, which according to Nielsen doubles the number of households and people in samples, on average, for local TV ratings. In the other 27 markets that have added these new services, 12 Set-Meter and 15 Code Reader markets will integrate return path data and National People Meter homes, resulting in an increased sample size of more than 2 million return path data households.

“The local TV environment has changed and the industry has long awaited developments in measurement that capture the myriad viewing preferences of our audiences,” said Wendy McMahon, president of ABC Owned Television Stations Group. “Nielsen’s Local TV measurement delivers greater accuracy and stability on the audience’s size and composition giving us a better understanding of audience behavior and delivering greater ROI to our advertisers.”