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Nielsen has announced that its Pacific Broadcaster & Publisher Lead Tony Boyte will be stepping down in April, to be replaced by eighteen-year company veteran Scott Gillham. More
In New York, Nielsen has announced it will expand coverage of its National TV out-of-home (OOH) panel this year, in order to 'fully represent all US TV households'. More
Nielsen is suing rival TV audience measurement firm VideoAmp for alleged infringement of two recently-issued patents concerned with the correction of viewing data skewed by 'phantom' or 'zombie' viewing. More
Media measurement and ad currency giant Nielsen has appointed former Buzzfeed exec Carole Robinson as Chief Communications Officer. More
In Australia, Nielsen has rolled out a reporting platform for the country's new 'VOZ' cross-media audience measurement solution, based on the company's established eTAM software. More
Nielsen-owned entertainment data business Gracenote is launching an automotive data platform, giving easy access to its entertainment datasets for manufacturers looking to optimise in-car media experiences. More
ThinkAnalytics, which provides TV content discovery, viewer data insights and cross-platform ad targeting services, has appointed former Nielsen exec Matt Pagen as SVP in its ThinkAdvertising team. More
In Tokyo, Nielsen has appointed Naobumi Otaki as Sales Director for Japan, leading the Advertiser and Agency team in the country, driving sales, and developing long term strategic partnerships within the industry. More
In the US, data clean room software developer Habu has partnered with ad performance analyst NCSolutions (NCS), to use the latter's consumer purchase data to help brands uncover and accelerate new insights. More
Nielsen has partnered with consumer research platform GWI to launch 'the Nielsen GWI Fusion', promising clients 'more comprehensive insights' into US TV audiences, cross-media behavior and its drivers. More
Streaming service Netflix has made ad measurement a 'top priority', and will build on a recent partnership with Nielsen in the US to offer similar capabilities to partners in other countries, according to co-CEO Greg Peters. More
Nielsen has announced that CFO Warren Jenson, who joined the ratings giant just five months ago, will add the role of company President to his existing responsibilities. He will oversee the modernisation of operations and manage Nielsen's IT, Corporate Development and Global Strategy functions. More
Media and streaming group Paramount Global has announced a deal with TV audience measurement company iSpot.tv, whose Unified Measurement service will serve as an ad buying currency for the broadcaster's linear and streaming TV in the US. More
In New York, audience measurement specialist Beatgrid has appointed long-time Nielsen exec Terrie Brennan as Chief Commercial Officer. More
Cross-media measurement initiative the US Joint Industry Committee (JIC) has announced that following a 'rigorous RFI scoring process' it has granted conditional certification to Comscore, iSpot and VideoAmp. More
Long-time Nielsen exec Karthik Rao has been named as the company's new Chief Executive Officer, replacing David Kenny who moves to the role of Executive Chairman. More
Nielsen's entertainment data provider Gracenote has launched a program to help content publishers and broadcasters get their 'Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV' (FAST) channels and programming distributed by major streaming platforms. More
Nielsen is planning to lay off 9% of its global workforce, in order to cut costs and 'realign revenue'. Employees received the news in a statement issued on Wednesday, and the cuts are expected to affect around 1,000 members of staff. More
TV software and data platform VideoAmp has been awarded a ten-year contract by Allen Media Group (AMG), to become its primary and preferred currency provider. More
Nielsen has announced a partnership with TV ad impact measurement firm EDO, with measurement data from each available through both platforms for mutual clients. More
Nielsen has launched a cloud-based platform called Media Data Room (MDR), which provides a means to access and share respondent level analytics from big data sets. The firm says MDR will ultimately replace all its previous forms of data distribution, including FTP and custom apps. More
TV multi-currency analytics and tech solutions provider datafuelX has announced the launch of M3, a full-service SaaS platform allowing customers to optimize advertising by audience GRPs, impression, eCPMs, index and reach. More
Nielsen has launched a series of quarterly reports called the 'Local Streaming Insights Quarterly Solution', providing metrics on TV app usage for more than twenty major streaming apps at the local market level. More
Nielsen has said it will phase out the last paper diaries for radio listening by 2025, replacing them with mobile diaries allowing data collection via mobile phones, tablets and laptops. More
Nielsen has launched a cross-platform solution called Nielsen ONE Content Alpha, to deliver measurement of content viewing across all device types. The solution will continue to evolve with new features and enhancements ahead of its full market availability in the US at the end of 2024. More
Acast has expanded its self-serve podcast ad platform, to enable advertisers to target listeners based on Nielsen audience segments across Acast's more than 92,000 podcasts. The new Audience Segments service is available in the US, Canada and Australia. More
Consumer intelligence business NIQ, previously known as NielsenIQ, has launched a solution called Omnisales in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Great Britain, integrating its data assets across point-of-sale (POS) retail measurement data, and Foxintelligence's online purchase data. More
In the US, Nielsen says it will not be participating in the 'JIC' formed by a number of broadcasters earlier this year to certify audience measurement providers, unless the new body addresses concerns in areas including methodology, missing platforms, Nielsen IP, and the JIC's relationship to the MRC. More
Nielsen has launched an audio measurement service called Market-Wide Total Line Reporting (TLR) to enable clients in PPM (Portable People Meter) markets to gain a market-wide view of streaming audio consumption. More
Nielsen has launched a local TV measurement service for OTT and streaming apps, delivered through connected TV devices, apps and / or web sites, and viewed on the TV screen. More
In Stockholm, audience measurement body MMS (Mediamätning / Skandinavien AB) has announced the expansion of its 'total measurement' cross-media ad currency service, operated by Nielsen. More
In New York, long-time Nielsen exec Nada Bradbury has joined web-based industry ad standard Ad-ID as its first Chief Executive Officer. More
In the US, Nielsen has announced it is to market Edison Research's 'Share of Ear' and 'Podcast Metrics' services to ad agencies. More
Streaming service Netflix has expanded its measurement deal with Nielsen, with a multi-year agreement to provide linear and streaming audience data across the US, Mexico and Poland. More
Following last month's news that Nielsen is restructuring its business into three global units, and the departure of five of the firm's senior managers, the company has confirmed it is reducing total headcount to 'roughly in line with where it was a year ago'. More
US media ratings consortium OpenAP and TV ad trade group the Video Advertising Bureau (VAB) have teamed up with a group of TV broadcasters to form a joint industry committee (JIC) and create a certification process for emerging cross-platform measurement solutions. More
Nielsen Audio Managing Director Brad Kelly is leaving the firm as part of the company's 'executive shake-up', according to radio industry trade publication Radio Ink. More
Nielsen is restructuring its business into three global business units, according to online publication AdAge: Nielsen Audience Measurement, Nielsen Analytics and Gracenote. Current COO Karthik Rao will become CEO of the first of these. More
Stagwell Group's global insights and strategy firm National Research Group (NRG) has appointed Sushma Panchawati as Senior Vice President, Content & Strategy, overseeing the firm's presence in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. She is based in Singapore. More
UK commercial television broadcaster ITV has partnered with TV insights company Adalyser, to launch a 'Share of Voice' tool, through which advertisers can benchmark their TV presence. The broadcaster has also launched a retail matching tool called Matchmaker. More
In the US, the audit committee of the Media Rating Council (MRC) has voted to continue its suspension of Nielsen's National TV Ratings service, but says that reinstatement could occur 'relatively soon' following 'significant progress' by the company on most issues. More
Nielsen has expanded its Total Ad Ratings (TAR) in Taiwan, with the incorporation of YouTube measurement for desktop and mobile, following its launch in three additional APAC markets two weeks ago. More
Nielsen has announced the addition of YouTube measurement for desktop and mobile to its Total Ad Ratings (TAR) cross-media measurement solution in Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. More
Nielsen will report viewing figures for streaming pioneer Netflix in the US, via the former's Digital Ad Ratings (DAR) product, beginning early next year. Verification services DoubleVerify and Integral Ad Science will also be on hand to ensure the streamer's new ads are delivered appropriately. More
Nielsen has announced the completion of its previously announced sale to a private equity consortium in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $16 billion, including the assumption of debt. More
In Europe, Nielsen has partnered with FMCG cash-back app Shopmium, a subsidiary of its existing US partner Quotient Technology, promising improved segmentation-based digital marketing for the post-cookie world. More
Nielsen has announced that its 'always on' Digital Ad Ratings (DAR) will now include measurement of YouTube video ad campaigns, simplifying campaign measurement by eliminating the need for advertisers and agencies to manually tag or enable campaigns. More
Nielsen has partnered with healthcare audiences provider Swoop, auto insights specialist Polk, and ad and MarTech company Epsilon to expand its audiences portfolio, which includes its Audience Planner and Advanced Audience Posting tools. More
Nielsen has received shareholder approval for its sale to a private equity consortium for $28.00 per share. The all-cash transaction is valued at approximately $16 billion, including the assumption of debt, and the transaction is expected to close in October. More
Nielsen has written to clients to inform them that the set-top box and Smart TV 'big data', to be added into its National TV reporting next month, will not yet be used for transaction / ad currency purposes as previously planned, due to the need to address 'variability' and 'stability' issues. More
Nielsen is enhancing its Digital Content Ratings solution (DCR) in Australia through its Identity System, which connects digital ad impressions from the open web to Australian demographic data from both its own and third-party sources. More
Nielsen has completed the first phase of its plan to expand television measurement in Indonesia, with viewer representation on Java island increasing from 58.9 million viewers to 96 million. Phase two, involving expanded coverage outside Java island, is due to complete in Q1 2023. More
Nielsen has set out a timetable for the provision of cross-media audience measurement in Thailand, following its selection by broadcasting industry body ADTEB last year. The firm says it will deliver its full Cross-Platform Ratings service in the country in the first quarter of 2023. More
Nielsen has received the necessary government regulatory approvals for its proposed acquisition by a consortium of private investment funds. Nielsen's shareholders are next to vote on the deal. More
Nielsen has reported a 2.4% increase in second quarter revenues to $882m - equivalent to 4.5% organic growth on a constant currency basis - as the group prepares for acquisition by a group of investors. More
Linda Dupree, CEO of Nielsen Catalina Solutions (NCS) is to retire later this year, and has already been succeeded by NCS Board Chair Alan Miles. Dupree is staying on as an advisor during a transition period. More
Nielsen has announced the launch of the methodology it will use to give media buyers reach metrics for YouTube comparable to those provided for linear TV. The measurement spans computer, mobile and connected TV devices. More
Long-time Nielsen and Univision audience researcher Ceril Shagrin, described as 'a fierce champion of transparent and inclusive measurement', died peacefully in Miami on July 3rd, at the age of 89. More
Nielsen has launched the next phase of its cross-platform measurement platform, Nielsen ONE Alpha, bringing together audience measurement with 'audience and outcomes' measurement, to enable end-to-end ad campaign assessment. More
In New York, consumer insights platform Getwizer has promoted Jennifer Allison to the position of Chief Commercial Officer. More
In Australia, outdoor ad platform Wrappr has partnered with Nielsen to launch LIFT, a campaign measurement and attribution platform offering full-funnel attribution for ads on its sites, powered by an opt-in mobile location database. More
Nielsen's entertainment data provider Gracenote has launched two new syndicated datasets - Distribution Dynamics and Program Availability Archive - to understand the characteristics of content that drives viewing and the historical placement of content. More
As Nielsen rolls out a new solution for measuring media consumption in Saudi Arabia, mena.tv, a B2B marketplace for TV Content in the Middle East and North Africa, has launched a platform providing daily audience data for around five million UAE-based viewers. More
Nielsen has announced the end of its 45-day 'go-shop' period, in which the Board has investigated the potential for alternatives to its recently-announced acquisition by a consortium of private investors; and says no proposals have been submitted. More
Nielsen has expanded its Asia Pacific team with the appointment of long-time Ipsos exec Arnaud Frade as Senior Vice President and Head of Commercial Growth. More
Nielsen has reported first quarter revenue of $877m - a rise of 1.6%, but with organic real-terms growth of 3.4%. Adjusted EBITDA fell around 4% to $372m. More
Nielsen and VIZIO have signed a multi-year agreement that provides Nielsen with data from the latter's smart TV viewing data provider Inscape. The deal gives Nielsen the rights to use Inscape's ACR data from around 20 million VIZIO Smart TVs. More
The WindAcre Partnership LLC, now comfortably the largest Nielsen shareholder with 27.3%, says the share price could triple in the next three years and will host a webcast tomorrow arguing for a rejection of the Consortium bid. Meanwhile reports suggest the ratings firm could regain its MRC accreditation soon. More
US agency Horizon Media has partnered with Nielsen to develop eMbrace, a new communications and media planning platform designed to help companies engage multicultural audiences. More
Nielsen has entered an agreement to be acquired by a private equity consortium led by Evergreen Coast Capital Corporation and Brookfield Business Partners, together with institutional partners, for $28 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $16bn. More
Nielsen's Board of Directors has opted 'not to proceed' with the unsolicited acquisition proposal reported last week from a private equity consortium, valuing the company at around $15bn. The decision follows major shareholder WindAcre's announcement that it would fight the deal. More
Nielsen's shares soared by around 30% to $22.85 yesterday, after it was reported in The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that the firm is in talks to be acquired by a group of investors in a $15bn deal. More
Nielsen is suing measurement and attribution specialist TVSquared, claiming that it infringed a patent entitled: 'Methods and Apparatus to Collect Distributed User Information for Media Impressions and Search Terms'. The ratings giant's claim includes lost profits. More
In the US, the head of TV advertising trade group the VAB has written to Nielsen CEO David Kenny 'seeking the immediate cessation' of the firm's new 'Big Data' monthly impact releases. Nielsen says the VAB does not represent the overall video marketplace and has not raised the questions with it previously. More
Nielsen has reported results for the 4th quarter and full year 2021, with annual reported revenue up 4.1% to $3.5bn (up 4.9% like-for-like), and full year adjusted EBITDA up 5.4% (constant currency) to $1.49bn. More
Nielsen has announced an expanded relationship with consumer data giant Experian, aimed at advancing person-based, cross-device measurement. Experian's marketing data will enhance the Nielsen Identity System by providing persistent IDs for analysis of behaviour on the 'open web'. More
Nielsen is expanding the coverage offered by its Nielsen Media Impact (NMI) media planning and optimization solution, to include streaming data from connected television sets (CTV). More
Nielsen and AdTech firm The Trade Desk have partnered in a deal where the latter will provide consumer identity demographic data to expand Nielsen's identity system, Nielsen ID - initially in France, Italy and the United Kingdom. More
In the US, consumer intelligence business NielsenIQ has launched a software platform and methodology called BASES Renovator, to help brands adapt their existing products to consumer trends and market factors. More
Nielsen has launched a Diverse Media Equity program, to help develop a consistent framework and metrics which will demonstrate the value of diverse-owned media. More
In Oslo, Norway, the country's MOC audience measurement body has extended Nielsen's contract for radio measurement, which was due to expire in twelve months' time. More
Nielsen Sports has expanded its Nielsen Impact Score (NIS) database, originally launched for men's college basketball, with the addition of data from more than 100 college football programs. More
Nielsen has launched a solution called Streaming Signals, to help connected TV (CTV) operators and advertisers better understand who is watching a show within households. More
Nielsen has launched a deduplicate ad measurement platform called Nielsen ONE Alpha, as the first stage in its initiative to develop a single cross-platform measurement solution called Nielsen ONE, which will launch this time next year. More
Saudi Arabian ad currency body MRC (Media Rating Company) has announced a schedule for the roll-out of its television and video audience measure, in partnership with Nielsen. More
Nielsen's entertainment data provider Gracenote has launched a content analytics tool called Audience Predict, which forecasts the potential of future programming performance. More
Nielsen is suing panel-based TV audience measurement firms HyphaMetrics and TVision, claiming separate patent infringements. More
In Australia and New Zealand, Nielsen has launched a client engagement platform called STADIUM, offering a solution for media evaluation, advertising intelligence and consumer behavioural data all in one place. More
Nielsen has enhanced its Individual Commercial Metrics service with the addition of television viewing audience estimates based on individual ads rather than commercial minutes. The change is intended to aid comparison of digital and linear TV commercials. More
In the US, Spanish-language media and content company Univision Communications Inc. is to use Comscore's data to provide its exclusive local audience currency for its new stations in the Orlando and Tampa, FL markets as well as in Washington, D.C. More
Nielsen has launched an enhanced version of its Ad Intel Digital product in Singapore, allowing clients to monitor competitors' media expenditure by product across screens and formats including social, video and general display. More
Nielsen has reported a 5.5% increase in third quarter revenue to $882m (up 6.6% in organic terms). The figure is about 1% ahead of 2019 Q3 revenues for Nielsen Global Media, although comparisons are difficult after the company split and the sale of the Connect / NielsenIQ business. More
Nielsen and mobile audience data and targeting specialist Adsquare have expanded their data partnership to Australia, combining consumer data with location-based targeting capabilities so clients can reach 'hyper-relevant audiences at the right mobile moments'. More
Nielsen's SVP Corporate Controller and Principal Accounting Officer Christopher Taft is leaving the company after two years. CFO Linda Zukauckas will take the Principal Accounting Officer role on an interim basis while a successor is found. More
Nielsen has unveiled a new logo, which it says reflects the transformation of its culture and a redefined strategy focused solely on the global future of media. The outgoing logo had been served for the combined Nielsen entity before the sale of Global Connect (now Nielsen IQ). More
Nielsen has hired former Disney exec Robert (Rob) Gilby as President of Asia Pacific (APAC), tasked with driving new business opportunities and relationships and developing new media opportunities in the APAC region. He takes up the position next Monday and is based in Singapore. More
Nielsen has brought its streaming solutions together in a single measurement suite, encompassing ad-supported and subscription-based service models across content, ads and platforms. More
Sweden's audience measurement body has extended and expanded the cross-media measurement services provided by Nielsen, which it has endorsed as the country's total measurement provider for TV and digital video from next April. More
Nielsen has today announced an 'Impressions First Initiative', supporting what it calls an 'industry-wide move' to impressions-based buying and selling in local markets across the country. This will accompany the integration of broadband only homes (BBO) into its local metrics in January 2022. More
In an open letter to the industry, Nielsen CEO David Kenny has responded to recent criticisms of the ratings giant's Covid era policies, but also conceded that the firm 'needs to move faster in advancing its measurement', was 'slow to explain' panel adjustments and generally 'hasn't been perfect'. More
Nielsen has enhanced its Total Ad Ratings (TAR) cross-media ad measurement methodology in Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan. The changes will allow more market coverage and reduce reliance on any one external source of data. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has suspended accreditation of Nielsen's National TV ratings service, and also cancelled an agreed hiatus for support of the company's Local Market efforts. The changes will take effect in mid-September. More
In Australia, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has appointed Ipsos as its preferred supplier for digital audience data for a three-year term, commencing in the second quarter of 2022. Nielsen previously held the contract for nearly a decade. More
Nielsen has asked the Media Rating Council (MRC) to pause accreditation of its national TV rating service, after claims it had underreported data during the pandemic. If approved, Nielsen will operate without the MRC seal of approval in a 'hiatus' period which could last for up to six months. More
Comscore has announced an expanded, multi-year agreement with broadcaster Fox Corp., to include national TV measurement; and separately that it will incorporate YouTube and YouTube TV measurement - including CTV - into its signature Campaign Ratings cross-platform service. More
From September, Nielsen will begin placing approximately 3,000 newly designed Portable People Meter (PPM) wearable audience measurement devices with a subset of its nearly 60,000 active PPM panelists, as part of plans to modernize its panels and improve panelist experience. More
Nielsen has announced a 6.2% increase in second quarter revenues to $861m on both a reported and organic basis (4.5% in constant currency terms), up from $811m in the prior year period, and similar to revenue for the Global Media half of the business in Q2 2019. More
Nielsen has launched an approach to measure authenticated and unauthenticated web traffic and validate first-party server data with real consumer behavior. More
Personalized content and viewer insights provider ThinkAnalytics and Nielsen's entertainment metadata specialist Gracenote have partnered to launch a solution through which TV providers can improve image-based personalized video search and recommendations. More
Nielsen has acquired Paris, France-based TV ad measurement and monitoring company TVTY. Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
New York-based consumer insights platform getWizer has announced plans to open additional US offices in the Midwest and the West Coast and is looking to double its sales team and hire new research staff. The firm has also made several promotions. More
The UK government has asked Netflix, Amazon and other streaming services to disclose top-line viewing data for the shows they get from public service broadcasters the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. More
Nielsen has partnered with information and analytics firm IHS Markit to integrate data from the latter company's automotive research specialist Polk Automotive Solutions into its audience and outcomes measurement solutions. More
Nielsen has announced a $1.25 billion debt refinancing initiative, and says it is allocating funds to drive its new TV ratings platform Nielsen One. More
Nielsen has appointed Alicia Olson-Keating as Australian Managing Director for Television Audience Measurement (TAM), starting next month. In her new role, she will support the new Total TV reporting and planning database, Virtual Australia (VOZ). More
Nielsen has reported a 2.5% increase in first quarter revenue to $863m, with EBITDA climbing strongly (up 18.3%). More
NBCUniversal has hired former Nielsen exec Kelly Abcarian as Executive Vice President, Measurement & Impact, tasked with pushing forward measurement solutions that reflect the 'all-screen future', while providing advertisers with new ad targeting opportunities. More
Nielsen has launched a syndicated service called Nielsen Streaming Video Ratings, providing total viewing and audience demographic insights by streaming platform, alongside linear TV ratings. More
TV advertising trade group VAB has written to Nielsen CEO David Kenny asking the ratings giant to submit to an immediate audit of its practices, as a result of what it says are 'under-counting' of viewing and lack of 'maintenance' of Nielsen panel homes during the pandemic. More
Scott Brown, former General Manager, Audience Measurement at Nielsen, is leaving to join information giant Experian. More
Mitch Barns, the former CEO of Nielsen, has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of brand and experience marketing specialist Opus Agency. Barns takes over from Monte Wood, who ran the agency for more than fifteen years and now sits on its Board. More
Nielsen has launched a campaign measurement tool called Nielsen Market Lift, to help clients evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of their campaigns on both a large national scale as well as on small scale 'test and learn' advertisements. More
Twitter has expanded the integration of Nielsen's cross-media audience measurement solutions into its video ad platform, to help advertisers with pre- and post-campaign planning and maximize their ad inventory. More
Nielsen has completed the previously announced sale of its consumer intelligence business NielsenIQ (formerly Nielsen Global Connect) for $2.7bn to affiliates of Advent Interrnational, in partnership with former TransUnion CEO James 'Jim' Peck. More
Nielsen's music, video and sports tech company Gracenote has launched a solution called 'Personalized Imagery', to help video services present the most appealing program images to viewers through their user interfaces, content carousels and program guides. More
Nielsen has reported fourth quarter 2020 net income of $35m, compared to a loss of $109m in the prior year period. Revenue for the period fell just 1.1% to $1.67bn, while adjusted EBITDA was $560m, up 13.8%. For the full year, the company almost broke even, on revenues down 3.2%. More
Nielsen has launched new scoring metrics allowing brands to compare the impact of their sports sponsorship activities to other marketing and advertising initiatives. More
Nielsen's media and entertainment data provider Gracenote has launched a solution to analyse the gender, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation of talent appearing in TV programming and the audiences watching it, which it says will help the entertainment industry to create more inclusive content. More
In Sydney, Nielsen has appointed former Hearts & Science exec Jonathan Betts as Executive Director, Commercial Growth and Product Strategy, Nielsen Media Australia. He takes up the new role next Monday. More
Nielsen has launched a measurement service called Theatrical Video On-Demand (TVOD), to capture viewing of movie releases that are directly available to consumers to rent or buy on demand through streaming/MVPD (multichannel video programming distributor) platforms. More
Nielsen's music, video, and sports tech company Gracenote has launched a live sports solution, to help smart TV and auto manufacturers develop dynamic sports experiences through which to engage fans at home or on-the-move. More
Ad targeting and retargeting specialist Criteo has hired Brendan McCarthy - most recently SVP and Head of Communications and Product Marketing for Nielsen Global Media - as its new CMO. More
Nielsen has appointed Jamie Moldafsky, formerly CMO at Wells Fargo Bank, as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, effective immediately. More
In Australia, Nielsen and financial services insights and consulting firm DBM Consultants have partnered to offer a segmentation and profiling dataset for the banking, insurance and wealth management sectors. More
Long-time Nielsen exec Pat Dodd has joined residential property sector analytics and solutions provider CoreLogic, in the newly created position of Chief Operating and Growth Officer. More
Nielsen has enhanced its Fan Insights platform, to provide a better understanding of the interests, media consumption behavior, brand attitudes and purchasing habits of sports fans across Southeast Asia. More
Nielsen has promoted Scott Brown to the role of General Manager, Audience Measurement, to lead the company's cross-media strategy. More
US-based data-driven marketing firm MediaMath has hired long-time Nielsen exec Eleni Nicholas for a newly created role, Chief Client Officer. In addition, Guillermo Abud joins as SVP of Business Development for Latin America and US Multicultural. More
In the US, former Nielsen CEO Mitch Barns has joined the Board of consumer brand agency The Stable. More
Nielsen has promoted Andrea Borelli to the role of Managing Director for Nielsen Hong Kong and Macau. More
US-based customer engagement platform Leanplum has appointed former IRI and Nielsen CEO George Garrick as President and Chief Executive Officer, as co-founder Momchil Kyurkchiev becomes Chief Product Officer. The firm has also raised an extra $27m in a Series D funding. More
Nielsen has appointed media industry exec Sean Cohan as Chief Growth Officer and President, International; while Peter Bradbury has been promoted to the role of Chief Commercial Officer US, and Karthik Rao becomes Chief Operating Officer, Nielsen Global Media. More
Nielsen has added media industry exec Tom Castro and former Walt Disney Company veteran Janice Marinelli to its Board of Directors. More
Nielsen has announced the beta launch of its linear Addressable TV platform, with A+E Networks, AMC Networks, CBS, Discovery, FOX, NBCUniversal and WarnerMedia testing the solution by running and evaluating addressable ad campaigns. More
Nielsen's entertainment data subsidiary Gracenote is expanding its Electronic Program Guide services into Europe - including Unique IDs and Deep Descriptive Metadata. More
Nielsen's Chief Financial Officer and COO David Anderson has resigned and will leave the business at the end of the year. A search for a successor is underway with the assistance of an external search firm. More
In Taiwan, Nielsen has promoted long-term employee Luke Verwey to the role of Managing Director, with responsibility for all Nielsen Global Connect's business activities across the country. More
Nielsen TV data is to be integrated into YouTube's audience planning tool, Google Reach Planner. Roll-out is initially in the US, with plans to go global next year. More
India's MRUC (Media Research Users Council) has invited agency partners to pitch for the contract to conduct its Indian Readership Survey (IRS), as the council's three-year contract with Nielsen comes to an end. More
Nielsen has launched its Influencer Brand Effect measurement solution, to help advertisers evaluate the effectiveness of influencer marketing. More
Long-time Nielsen exec Megan Clarken is joining ad targeting and retargeting specialist Criteo as Chief Executive Officer on November 25th. She replaces founding Chairman and CEO JB Rudelle, who will remain as company Chairman. More
US-based cannabis industry data and analytics provider Headset is launching its competitive intelligence tool, Headset Insights, in Canada. More
Nielsen has rolled out 'Continuous Diary Measurement' (CDM), with the first data delivery in five of 46 audio markets converting to monthly reports from the July 2019 survey. More
Nielsen has launched the 'Nielsen Podcast Listener Buying Power Service', enabling clients to profile shows using program titles collected from subscribers, in order to connect specific types of listeners with particular advertisers and specific program-level insights. More
Digital ad industry body IAB Australia has endorsed Nielsen for its introduction of video audiences for tagged content within its Nielsen Digital Content Ratings (DCR) service; enabling users to understand reach and engagement through two second and 30 second minimum video view-time filters. More
Nielsen CEO David Kenny has voiced his concerns about a plan designed by President Donald Trump's administration to add a citizenship question to the 2020 US Census, arguing that if the addition is approved by the Supreme Court, the census will yield 'flawed data'. More
Nielsen is rolling out its Marketing Cloud in Australia, to help clients digitally profile and activate their audiences across Nielsen's 86 categories and groups, as well as across the firm's understanding of consumers' attitudes, intentions, demographics and media behaviour. More
Nielsen has been granted Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its Television Audience Measurement (TAM) service in 28 cities across Mexico, offered through its joint venture Nielsen IBOPE. This is the first MRC accreditation for a TAM service outside the US. More
Nielsen has reported 2 percent growth in fourth quarter revenues to $1,656m, similar to the growth figure for the whole of 2016. Q4 revenue in the Buy consumer purchase behaviour segment fell 1.3% to $868m, while Watch media research revenue rose 5.8% to $788m. More
Nielsen has gained Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its inclusion of digital measurement in its TV ratings solution - known as Digital in TV Ratings. This is the first solution to receive MRC approval for TV audience measurement of programming viewed on desktop or mobile devices. More
Nielsen has launched a tool called the Benchmark Media Optimizer, helping brands to make data-driven media allocation decisions without the requirement for a custom marketing mix study. More
Nielsen has partnered with shopper marketing platform RichRelevance, to enable retailers to deliver personalized content, product recommendations and search results to consumers - both on their mobile devices and online. More
Nielsen is to conduct the 'first' independent measurement of syndicated retail level off-premise sales data for the beer, wine and spirits categories in the Canadian province of Alberta. This is also the first time Nielsen will to provide spirit measurement data in Canada. More
In the US, Nielsen has announced plans to expand its in-market consumer insights service Nielsen Scarborough, to local markets nationwide. More
Nielsen has deferred the full launch of its cross-device audience measure, Total Content Ratings, which was previously scheduled for March 1st. A 'limited' release will now take place on that date, with no firm deadline set for the full roll-out. More
Nielsen is proposing to issue $500m in senior notes in a private offering, which it will use for 'general corporate purposes', and possibly to fund a proportion of its acquisition of media and entertainment data provider Gracenote. More
Retail information firm The NPD Group has acquired the US portion of Nielsen's information services for the book industry, including US-based BookScan, Books & Consumers, PubEasy and PubNet; plus the three PubTrack services - Digital, Higher Education and Christian. More
Media monitoring firm Market Track has acquired assets of Nielsen Canada's Ad Intelligence Service (AIS), allowing it 'to offer the most comprehensive view of the media landscape to Canadian clients', for purposes of ROI and campaign optimization. Terms were not disclosed. More
In the US, shopper insights specialist Nielsen Catalina Solutions (NCS) has appointed Nielsen's former MD of Digital Andrew Feigenson as Chief Revenue Officer. More
Nielsen has signed a multi-year deal with telecoms giant AT&T to add the latter's anonymized set-top box data to its local and national TV measurement service. More
Nielsen has extended its Digital Ad Ratings service to New Zealand, to help clients there measure and understand unduplicated reach across computers and mobile devices. The service is now available in more than twenty countries including the US, the UK and Australia. More
Asset management firm The Carlyle Group has joined up with former leaders of Nielsen Catalina Solutions to buy consumer segmentation division Claritas from Nielsen, for an undisclosed sum. More
Japanese firm Video Research is partnering with Nielsen to measure digital video viewing and advertising reach, and analyse cross-media ad impact. More
Nielsen has appointed Nancy Ramsey Phillips as Chief Human Resources Officer, effective next week. She joins from Broadcom Corporation where she was EVP and CHRO; and replaces Mary Liz Finn, who announced her retirement from Nielsen in September. More
Nielsen has acquired London-based consumer insights and analytics company VisualDNA, for an undisclosed sum. More
The Media Rating Council (MRC) is withholding its accreditation of Nielsen's December 2016 Portable People Meter (PPM) audio measurement reports in 26 US markets, because of a meter connectivity issue. More
From the middle of next year, Nielsen will be increasing the sample size of its radio panel by 10 percent, in 48 Portable People Meter (PPM) markets across the US. More
Nielsen has acquired media and entertainment data provider Gracenote from Tribune Media Company, in a $560m cash deal. More
New York-based performance analytics company Limbik is to integrate Nielsen's PRIZM classification into its platform, which tracks audience size, composition and attention paid. More
In New York, Nielsen has partnered with location-based app and data marketing specialist Foursquare, to help marketers better understand how online ads drive consumers into brick-and-mortar stores. More
Nielsen has partnered with product data specialist Label Insight to help CPG clients understand the influence of labels that provide data about nutrients and other content, on what consumers buy, what manufacturers make, and how government organizations regulate. More
TV rating body BARC India has issued Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for firms able to provide TV viewing related consultancy services to its subscribers. More
Former BBC Sport Digital Development Editor Chris Hurst is joining Nielsen Sports as Head of Digital for the UK. More
Nielsen has launched an advanced analytics solution called Digital Ad Ratings (DAR) Publisher Insights, to enable digital publishers to analyze the reach and effectiveness of their ad campaign data, and demonstrate the value of their properties and audiences. More
In the US, pricing intelligence specialist Market Track has combined its feature ad data with Nielsen product sales data to form a new product called Feature Sales Advisor (FSA), tracking the success of this kind of promotion. More
Nielsen has launched the Shopper Essentials Suite - a web-based data visualization and analysis solution, designed to provide an interactive view of shoppers across retail channels and categories. More
In the US, Nielsen is adding data from competitive online ad intelligence firm Pathmatics to its existing digital ad tracking service, to provide clients with views of new media types used and purchase preferences, and help with the targeting of different devices. More
Nielsen has reported a 2.5% rise in third quarter revenue to $1.57bn (3.6% on a constant currency basis) compared to Q3 2015. The 'Watch' segment grew rapidly (up 6.7% at constant currency), while restructuring in 'Buy' held back its revenue and drove an 8.3% fall in Nielsen's overall net income to $132m. More
Nilesen has announced it will use its Portable People Meter (PPM) technology and panelists to measure out-of-home viewing for national television clients, and will provide subscribers with ratings combining this with in-home audiences. More
In the US, Nielsen Sports has appointed former Repucom execs Danny Townsend and Glenn Lovett as Co-Managing Directors, following its acquisition of the business earlier in the year. In addition, Repucom founder Paul Smith has announced he will leave the business at the end of the year. More
Nielsen is opening its consumer packaged goods data and insights to third-party analytic companies, through the launch of the Nielsen Connected Partner Program. More
Nielsen has partnered with digital promotions intelligence company RevTrax, whose SmartOffers solution continuously updates 'offer creative' based on real-time changes in consumer behavior. More
Nielsen has partnered with cross-cultural insights provider EthniFacts to launch a tool called the 'Nielsen Intercultural Affinity Segmentation', designed to help marketers understand how the multicultural landscape is influencing a broader set of consumers across the US. More
In India, TV rating body BARC has appointed former Nielsen exec Jamie Kenney as Business Head, Digital, as part of its plans to launch digital audience measurement in the country. Kenney will be based at the organisation's Mumbai office. More
Nielsen is adding Portable People Meter (PPM) panelists to its Local TV service, thereby doubling the sample size. The firm says it will begin introducing PPM measurement for in-home and out-of-home viewing in 2017. More
A syndicated version of Nielsen's Digital Content Ratings will be available from the end of this month, enabling clients to access daily comparative reporting across desktop and mobile devices in a single solution. More
In Australia, Nielsen Book General Manager Shaun Symonds has left the company after seventeen years, to seek 'new opportunities', and Julie Winters has been appointed to head up the Australia and New Zealand business. More
Nielsen has partnered with research and technology firm Vision Critical, promising clients the ability to extract additional value from their insight communities and better understand their customers. More
Nielsen has set out plans to introduce all-electronic measurement for local TV ratings across all 210 of the USA's designated market areas (DMAs) by mid-2017 - and to stop using paper-based TV diaries early the following year. More
Nielsen has partnered with i2C - the joint venture between Sainsbury's and Nectar card owner Aimia - to combine the latter's shopping data with Nielsen Marketing Cloud's consumer and media data, and provide brands with an omnichannel view of customers. More
Nielsen has launched a product idea testing solution called 'Concept Quick Predict', which it says enables marketers to test innovations up to three times faster than traditional methods. The tool is initially available in the US and most of Europe. More
In the US, Nielsen has launched an 'Assortment and Space Optimization' (ASO) tool, which merges real-time retailer and market data with space-aware analytics, to ensure each product within a category is allocated the optimal space needed to maximize its performance. More
Nielsen has announced the Taiwan launch of its Digital Ad Ratings service, which helps clients measure and understand unduplicated reach across computers and mobile devices. More
Nielsen and the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) have formed a partnership, to help retailers and manufacturers better understand the change driven by digital technologies within the food marketplace. More
Nielsen has partnered with mobile data and tech company Bridge Marketing, to add thousands of unique mobile audience segments and more than 400 million mobile device IDs to its Marketing Cloud. More
Nielsen has launched its Social Content Ratings service, announced in January as a replacement for Twitter TV Ratings, and providing a measure of program-related social media activity across both Facebook and Twitter. More
Nielsen has reported a 2.4% increase in second quarter revenues to $1.596bn, with both its Buy and Watch businesses providing a 'solid performance'. On a constant currency basis, revenues were up 4.5%. More
In the UK and Ireland, publishing data analyst Nielsen Book is launching an online site called the 'ISBN Store', where publishers and self-published authors can purchase ISBNs (International Standard Book Numbers) and related services. More
Recently-acquired Repucom has rebranded as Nielsen Sports. Leaders and staff will remain in place, the firm says, working from the same location. More
Australian TV audience measurement (TAM) body OzTAM has extended Nielsen's contract to supply TAM services in the country's five mainland capital cities and nationally for subscription TV (STV); and is also increasing the number of homes in its TAM panels by 50 per cent. More
Nielsen is integrating viewability measurement from multiple providers such as DoubleVerify, Integrated Ad Science, and Moat, to its Digital Ad Ratings service. More
Nielsen has sold assets relating to its US-based location and site products and services to marketing services and data analytics firm Environics Analytics (EA). Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Nielsen firm Brandbank has launched in the US, where it will provide CPG and retail clients with product and brand image content via digital means. More
Nielsen Book has announced that Sales Director Simon Skinner is to leave the business this week following structural changes in its Discovery & Commerce Solutions business. More
Nielsen has enhanced its N-Score celebrity influence tracking tool, adding a 'Fan Affinity' score which it says will provide a 360 degree view of the media consumption and purchasing habits of fans. More
Nielsen has completed the acquisition of sports measurement and intelligence provider Repucom, whose sponsorship data will be combined with the new parent's buyer intent and purchase data to provide clients with deeper understanding of the sports industry. More
Nielsen has launched its Marketing Cloud in Europe. The platform, which combines analytics, data management, planning and marketing activation, will be available immediately in the UK and France, to be joined soon by Germany, Italy and Spain. More
US-based cross-industry forum the Marketing Accountability Standards Board (MASB) has assessed Nielsen's BASES innovation sales forecasting model through its Marketing Metrics Audit Protocol - the first such model to go through the audit. More
In the US, shopper insights specialist Nielsen Catalina Solutions (NCS) has released what it describes as the 'first ever' consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry benchmarks for return on advertising spend (ROAS) and sales productivity metrics across media type. More
In the US, Nielsen Consumer Neuroscience has launched a suite of tools called Video Ad Explorer, which uses a variety of neuroscience technologies to predict in-market consumer sales and behavior. More
In India, newspaper and magazine circulation measurement body the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) has partnered with Nielsen to launch a solution for accredited digital measurement. More
According to German-language sports industry news site SPONSORS, Nielsen is planning to buy sports broadcast measurement specialist Repucom for more than $100m. More
Nielsen has launched an online measurement platform called Mobile Game Tracking (MGT), to provide data and insight into the performance and consumer sentiment surrounding mobile game titles. More
Hispanic multimedia company Univision Communications Inc. (UCI) has signed an agreement for Nielsen's National and Local 'Digital in TV Ratings' services, part of its Total Audience initiative. More
Nielsen has launched a new service, the Total Channel Solution, promising its clients the ability to 'unify' all their data sets - proprietary and third party, across multiple platforms - and get 'a full picture view of all factors affecting their business '. More
eCommerce analytics company and new Nielsen partner Profitero has appointed Daniel King in the new role of President and COO. More
Facebook has three new partners verifying metrics on viewings of its photo and video ads: comScore, Nielsen and Integral Ad Science. The firms will start verifying ad viewability and attention metrics 'in the next few months'. More
TV and online ad targeting specialist Videology has extended its relationship with Nielsen to include audience segments from the latter's eXelate subsidiary, allowing better cross-screen segmentation. More
Nielsen has reported a 2.0% rise in first quarter revenue to $1,487m, equivalent to growth of 5.2% on a constant currency basis. Growth reflects what it describes as 'solid performance' in both its Buy and Watch businesses. More
Nielsen and eCommerce analytics company Profitero have partnered to incorporate the latter's Digital Shelf 360 suite into the former's eCommerce offering, allowing FMCG manufacturers to correlate digital shelf analytics with actual sales data. More
Nielsen has launched its own 'Marketing Cloud', allowing clients to deliver targeted promotional and engagement initiatives to their customers across multiple platforms. More
In the US, TapInfluence and Nielsen Catalina Solutions (NCS) have announced they are working together to help CPG brands measure the in-store sales impact of their influencer marketing campaigns. More
Nielsen has signed a multi-year agreement with cable and satellite television group DISH Network, to add the latter's aggregated set-top-box (STB) data to its National and Local TV ratings service. Nielsen says this is the first nationwide dataset to be calibrated with its panel. More
IAB Australia and Nielsen have launched 'Digital Ratings (Monthly)', a new service promising to measure the country's total digital audience unduplicated across PC, smartphone and tablet, for both web browsers and apps. More
Nielsen has announced that from April 25th it will make available brand-level TV connected device data for streaming video devices and game consoles. The firm will also add information from enabled smart TVs. More
Nielsen is planning to expand Digital Ad Ratings to eight new markets globally by the end of 2016, adding to seventeen countries where it is already available. More
Nielsen has launched a new solution to measure over-the-air radio listening, across mobile apps and web players, regardless of the device used. Results will be comparable with the firm's other media currencies as part of its Total Audience initiative. More
Shopper insights specialist Nielsen Catalina Solutions (NCS) and media giant Time Inc. have teamed up to launch a cross-platform ad measurement tool, tracking the quantifiable in-store sales impact of campaigns across print, digital and TV. More
GfK and Nielsen are in discussions to develop a set of services for advertisers, agencies and media groups, possibly for launch later this year. The firms say the initiative will kick-off with the design of Brazil's 'first' cross-media measurement for ad campaigns. More
Indian TV audience rating body BARC (The Broadcasters Audience Research Council) has issued satellite TV firm Raj Television Network with a legal notice for allegedly bribing BARC panel home members, according to a report in the Times of India. More
Nielsen has acquired marketing modelling specialist Pointlogic, whose software is used by the media planning functions of agencies, media owners, and advertisers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Nielsen has promoted Megan Clarken to the newly created role of President of Product Leadership, leading its Marketing Effectiveness practice and Watch media research products. More
Nielsen is expanding its eCommerce measurement solution to the US market, to serve the needs of both retailers and manufacturers. The solution will be integrated into Nielsen's current measurement services and will be available to US clients later this year. More
In India, TV rating body BARC has launched a mobile app, which will provide access to channel/programme viewership data by genres. More
Nielsen has reported constant currency revenue rises of 5.6% for the fourth quarter of 2015 and 5.0% for the year as a whole. Reported revenue dipped 0.6% in Q4 to $1.624bn, and 1.8% for the full year to $6.172bn. More
Research industry body ESOMAR has teamed up with Kantar, comScore, GfK and Nielsen to launch an initiative called 'Research Choices', which aims to help the general public understand how their data is used for audience measurement research. More
In New York, Nielsen has promoted Matt O'Grady to the position of Chief Executive Officer of its shopper insights specialist Nielsen Catalina Solutions (NCS). More
Drinks sector joint venture Nielsen CGA has launched an on-premise measurement service for US alcohol beverage clients, called Brand Index. The service is already available to European clients. More
Nielsen is expanding its Twitter TV Ratings to include Facebook conversations, and has renamed the service 'Social Content Ratings'. The firm says it also plans to integrate Instagram at a later date. More
In Europe, Nielsen has launched a Customer Experience practice, building on its alliance with CEM software firm ResponseTek and centred around the Nielsen Listening Platform, a real-time customer feedback platform the two announced a year ago. More
Nielsen has promoted Angela Talton to the role of Chief Diversity Officer, reporting to CEO Mitch Barns. She succeeds Dr D Sangeeta who moves into the new role of Global Client Operations Leader, overseeing all regional and client-related operations and deployment. More
Nielsen has stopped using paper diaries to collect demographic data in 31 mid-size US TV markets, replacing them with its new 'Viewer Assignment' method and in consequence losing MRC accreditation for this part of the data. More
Nielsen has sold its VideoScan home video market point-of-sale retail tracking service to The NPD Group. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Marketing services and data firm Environics Analytics (EA) has acquired certain assets from Nielsen Canada, allowing it to integrate the latter's Spectra consumer segmentation and targeting services. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. More
Nielsen has appointed James A. Attwood, Jr. as non-executive Chairman of its Board of Directors, effective January 1st and succeeding David L. Calhoun. More
Nielsen has partnered with alcohol industry analytics specialist BARTRENDr to launch a real-time mobile insights tool called Nielsen Bar Moments, which will analyse conversations taking place among alcohol consumers at bars and social gatherings in real-time. More
In New York, Nielsen is promoting Steve Hasker to the position of Global President and Chief Operating Officer from January 1st. He takes over the COO role from Brian West, who announced his resignation last month. More
TV audience rating body BARC India has issued a global request for information (RFI), as it prepares to expand its measurement offering across all digital platforms. More
In the US, healthcare data provider CentraForce Health has partnered with Nielsen Scarborough and Kantar Media to add further patient-centric insights to its health intelligence platform. More
Nielsen has announced the official launch in China of a service tracking brand and model share for smart devices. Nielsen Device Share (NDS) is compiled in collaboration with independent Chinese big data service platform TalkingData. More
UK TV audience research body BARB has agreed 'fusion projects' with Kantar Media and Nielsen for its Project Dovetail initiative, which will combine panel data with census data for TV viewing through all computer devices. More
In the US, Nielsen-owned audience targeting specialist eXelate is working with mobile app and device data provider PushSpring, gaining access to mobile audience segments based on life stage, interest, activity and intent. More
Chief Operating Officer Brian J. West has resigned from Nielsen, effective at the end of the year when his responsibilities 'will be divided among existing company executives'. More
Nielsen is setting up industry discussions to initiate changes to its C3 and C7 television ratings, coinciding with the impending roll-out of its Total Audience Measurement tool. More
Nielsen is working with secure identity solutions firm Digimarc to make its digital watermarks available to clients for use in applications 'beyond audience measurement' - and specifically across second screens. More
Nielsen and GfK have announced a partnership for future co-operation within the book sector, with the aim of helping clients identify multinational trends and giving them more detail on market developments. More
Nielsen has reported a 5.0% constant currency increase in third quarter revenue to $1.53bn on a basis, and adjusted EBITDA up 6.9% to $479m on the same basis. More
Italian TV audience measurement body Auditel has suspended publication of viewing figures after the identities of families on its panel were accidentally disclosed, reportedly as a result of human error in a mail sent by supplier company Nielsen. More
In India, Nielsen / Kantar joint venture TAM Media Research and WPP agency IMRB International have jointly launched a cross-media consumption data service called TeleWeb Audience Measurement, covering TV and online platforms. More
Nielsen has added mobile campaign measurement to its Digital Ad Ratings service in five more countries - Australia, France, Germany, Italy and the UK - and will add Brazil by the end of the year. More
In the US, Nielsen has launched a service called 'Homescan Consumer Moments', which uses mobile app technology to research consumers' eating and drinking habits. More
In India, TV rating body BARC has commissioned Nielsen to conduct what it is describing as the country's largest universe estimation study on television ownership and viewing habits. More
Nielsen and ad intelligence specialist Integral Ad Science have expanded their relationship to offer viewability measurement by age and gender demographics within the former's digital ad measurement solution, Nielsen Digital Ad Ratings. More
Nielsen and multicultural consumer MR specialist Culturati have partnered to launch a new segmentation model, to help clients market to the Hispanic demographic in-store and elsewhere. More
TV audience rating body BARC India has confirmed that it has partnered with Nielsen/Kantar joint venture TAM India, to form a new meter management company. According to a statement issued by BARC, ratings data produced by the new firm will be the sole trading currency for the country. More
A busy two weeks for Google: alongside the high profile announcement of a new CEO and the creation of a parent company, Alphabet, the search and advertising giant has signed new metrics deals with comScore and Nielsen, and registered a new ad viewability patent. More
Nielsen has reported second quarter revenues of $1,559m, down 2.2% in dollars but up 4.8% on a constant currency basis, compared with the second quarter of 2014. More
UK audience research body BARB has announced that the beta version of its TV Player Report will be released in September, to provide official figures on the level of viewing of on-demand and live-streamed content through online TV Player apps. More
Around a dozen middle-ranking execs have been laid off in the Los Angeles office of Nielsen's movie tracking division NRG this week, according to unconfirmed reports. More
The Nielsen Company has appointed Eric Dale, formerly a Partner at Robinson & Cole LLP, as its new Chief Legal Officer, effective August 1st. More
Nielsen has rolled its flagship online campaign measurement solution Digital Ad Ratings out to three more Asian markets and will add another three, plus Mexico, in the coming months. More
Nielsen has partnered with atVenu, a tool that helps musicians track and report sales via mobile and online while on tour. The deal will enable artists to report their venue sales through Nielsen's music reporting tools. More
Nielsen is to launch two new analytical services within its Buy consumer purchase data unit: Marketing ROI Snapshot and Revenue Management & Optimization (RMO). The company says the tools will help mid-sized businesses with marketing and sales effectiveness. More
Nielsen has this week launched a new Preferred Platform Partner Program for ad technology companies who integrate its measurement standards into their systems. The nine initial members including many of the leading companies in the sector. More
Nielsen has launched a solution called the Design Navigator, which uses eye tracking technology to help marketers improve the effectiveness of package design. More
Nielsen has appointed banker Jordan Edmiston to investigate a possible sale of the movie tracking arm of its film and home entertainment firm NRG, according to news site Deadline Hollywood. More
In the US, shopper insights specialist Nielsen Catalina Solutions (NCS) has introduced a new approach to audience segmentation which uses purchase data to identify the most likely buyers of a CPG product, and target advertising to maximise sales. More
Technology veteran James Powell is to join Nielsen as Global Chief Technology Officer, from July 6th, from Thomson Reuters where he is EVP and CTO. More
Nielsen has announced a further secondary share offering by its Valcon holding company, aiming to raise in the region of $400m. More
Czech audience research agency Mediaresearch has changed its name to Nielsen Admosphere, reflecting its majority ownership as well as its origins. More
Nielsen has announced the launch of its cross-device campaign measure Digital Ad Ratings in China, in collaboration with online gaming behemoth Tencent; and says six more markets will follow later this year. More
Nielsen has appointed Craig Johnson to head up its Reach portfolio in Southeast Asia, North Asia and the Pacific, including television and radio audience measurement, and Consumer & Media View and advertising measurement. More
Nielsen has acquired neuromarketing firm Innerscope Research, which it will merge with its brain specialist company NeuroFocus under the Nielsen Consumer Neuroscience brand name. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Nielsen has launched a measurement solution called Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA), to help marketers gauge ROI across screens (mobile, set-top boxes, OTT devices), systems (CRM and POS platforms), and channels (paid media, search, social media and e-mail). More
According to a report in the Sunday Times, Nielsen is preparing to make a bid for Tesco-owned consumer data giant dunnhumby, which has been valued at up to £2 billion. More
Nielsen has made available content from more than 3,000 Harris Polls dating back to the early 1970s, through a new interactive web site aimed at media execs, researchers, pollsters and academics. More
Indian TV audience measurement body BARC has launched its measurement service, and rolled out the first set of results. More
Nielsen has announced the sale of another 20-23m of its shares with another underwritten secondary offering. Shares were trading last week above $46 - a considerable rise since the last offer, in December. More
Nielsen has teamed up with Chinese eCommerce company Alibaba to launch a solution called 'New Offer Advisor', to help online retailers analyse their eCommerce performance, identify areas of market potential, and drive product innovation. More
Nielsen has reported a 2.1% drop in first quarter 2015 revenue to $1.46 billion, caused by the impact of foreign exchange - at constant currency, revenue was up 4.4%. Profits rose 8.6% to $63m from $58m in Q1 2014. More
Nielsen Book has announced a partnership with Chinese retail tracking service Openbook. The deal promises clients in the English language book markets in the US and UK a better understanding of the market in China, and vice versa. More
In New York, Nielsen has appointed former Salesforce exec Harish Peri as Senior Vice President of Product Marketing, across its Ratings and Planning products. More
Nielsen has changed the name of its digital measurement tool Online Campaign Ratings to 'Nielsen Digital Ad Ratings', which it says better describes its total digital view, inclusive of mobile. The tool's user interface has also been upgraded. More
In India, broadcast audience measurement body BARC has appointed Dr Sumit Chowdhury as Technical Advisor, as it prepares for the launch its new audience measurement system next month. More
Nielsen has announced a strategic alliance with RetailNext, which provides in-store analytics for bricks-and-mortar retailers. Nielsen becomes RetailNext's preferred channel for its service, which uses cameras and mobile tech to track shopper activities. More
Software and services provider NeoGrid has partnered with Nielsen to launch two new products for the Latin American supply chain market. More
Nielsen has announced a deal with marketing technology firm Concentric which will provide its clients with a new system for brand and media planning. More
Nielsen has acquired New York-based audience targeting specialist eXelate, for an undisclosed sum. More
Nielsen has announced a further sale of shares - around $360m worth of its common stock - in a secondary offering. More
Nielsen is planning to move its legal domicile from the Netherlands to the UK in the third quarter of the year, in a bid to attract a broader group of investors from around the world. This change is not expected to significantly alter the firm's worldwide corporate tax rate. More
Nielsen has reported Q4 revenue up 1.4% to $1.6 billion. Excluding the impact of the Arbitron and Harris Interactive acquisitions, the increase was just 0.1%. However the firm notes that this was its 34th consecutive quarter of revenue growth. More
Former Nielsen employee Thomas Sook is suing the company for sending him 'at least 2,500' text messages since he left the company four years ago. More
In Singapore, Nielsen is investing an initial sum of $SG 14m over the next five years in the launch of an 'Asia Innovation Centre', to encourage the development of new research and measurement techniques for organisations operating across the continent. More
Nielsen has partnered with customer experience management (CEM) software provider ResponseTek to create a solution called the Nielsen Listening Platform, which measures and analyses customer feedback as it happens. More
Retired Unilever exec Harish Manwani has been elected as a member of the Board of Directors of Nielsen, N.V. Manwani, who joined Hindustan Unilever (HUL) in 1976, rose to the position of COO, which he held until last month. More
Nielsen has announced the acquisition of Brandbank, which collects, manages and distributes FMCG product and brand image content, via digital means, for retail syndication across in-store, print promotional and e-commerce platforms. More
Nielsen and Japanese researcher INTAGE are forming a joint venture company called Nielsen-INTAGE DigtalMetrics, to develop cross-platform ad effectiveness solutions. The new firm will be officially launched on 1st April. More
Nielsen Audio has reached an agreement with broadcast company Saga Communications and its affiliate Lakefront Communications over a copyright infringement action brought by Arbitron. More
Former ESPN media researcher Glenn Enoch has joined Nielsen as Senior Vice President of Audience Insights in New York, replacing Pat McDonough who retired at the end of last year. More
Nielsen has announced the forthcoming sale of 20m shares of its common stock, priced recently at $43.77 per share. More
Viewability measurement specialist Moat has partnered with Nielsen, to offer the latter's campaign measurement capabilities to its brand advertiser and publisher clients. More
US-based digital media buying platform MediaMath has launched a new app, giving marketers access to Nielsen's Online Campaign Ratings (OCR) data. More
Nielsen has announced it will begin tracking viewing for Netflix next month, plugging a gap in its coverage created by the streaming video service's unwillingness to provide ratings information. Streaming on mobile devices will not for the time being be included. More
In the US, Nielsen has secured a perfect score of 100% on the 2015 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), which provides a national benchmark survey of corporate policies and practices relating to LGBT workplace equality. More
Yahoo! has acquired video ad firm BrightRoll, which measures billions of video impressions each month using a reporting suite featuring tools from comScore, Nielsen, Vizu and InsightExpress. The deal was valued at around $640m in cash. More
Nielsen has been testing a new service which will add previously unmeasured out-of-home (OoH) TV viewing to its ratings. More
Nielsen has acquired concept testing and forecasting software specialist Affinnova, and will integrate the latter's team into its Innovation Practice division. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Nielsen has reported third quarter revenue of $1.57 bn, a 13.3% increase year-on-year but reduced to 2.5% once the effects of acquiring Harris and Arbitron are removed. Similarly, profits fell nearly 30% - to $91m - but adjusted EBITDA was up 19.8% to $477m. More
Following a long tender process, online ad association IAB Australia has chosen Nielsen as sole supplier of digital audience measurement services in the country, for three years from January 1st 2015. More
A suit filed in the U.S. District Court of Northern California claims that Arbitron - now Nielsen Audio - made calls and left messages for consumers, contrary to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). More
In India, Nielsen has acquired analytics, economic modelling and forecasting services firm Indicus Analytics. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Nielsen has announced plans to launch its Nielsen Social solutions - including Twitter TV Ratings - in Mexico in the first half of 2015. More
Media researcher Pat McDonough is to retire from Nielsen at the end of 2014, after 44 years with the company. More
In New York, Nielsen has hired former Accenture exec Benjamin Hayes as Chief Privacy Officer, overseeing its global privacy program. More
Nielsen and GfK have made it to the final round of IAB Australia's tender to measure online audiences across the country for the next three years. More
Shopper insights specialists Nielsen Catalina Solutions (NCS) is combining its data on what consumers watch and buy, with set-top-box (STB) data from FourthWall Media, in order to extend its single-source panel for CPG marketers. More
Nielsen has promoted Steve Hasker to the role of Global President, overseeing its business across the media sector, in addition to leading its product portfolio across both Watch and Buy segments. More
Nielsen has promoted John Lewis to the role of Global President, in charge of its worldwide business in the FMCG vertical. Company veteran Karen Fichuk replaces him as President, North America. More
Digital data collection specialist Research Now has appointed Nielsen veteran Tom Markert as EVP of Sales and Business Development for the Americas. More
Nielsen has reported a 15% increase in second quarter 2014 revenue to $1.59bn - excluding acquisitions the figure was still a very respectable 4.4%. Q2 profit fell to $76m from $426m due to fees for re-financing long-term debt, but Adjusted EBITDA was up 16.2% to $460m. More
In the US, shopper insight specialist Nielsen Catalina is planning to hire new sales people, analysts and consultants at its Vine Street headquarters in Cincinnati. More
Nielsen has expanded its coverage to two new countries, Bolivia and Paraguay, and now has operations in nineteen Latin American states. More
In India, Nielsen/Kantar joint venture TAM Media Research has launched a mobile app called 'TAM India', which will provide subscribers with access to weekly top line television audience measurement (TAM) data on their iPhone, Android and Blackberry devices. More
Nielsen is integrating RDA Research's geoTribes segmentation tool into its Consumer and Media Insights (CMI) service, to provide a 360 degree view of the New Zealand consumer. More
Nielsen has teamed up with marketing modelling specialist Pointlogic, to develop 'next-generation' media planning and inventory management solutions for ads across TV, online and mobile. More
Nielsen has opened an office in Qingdao, in Eastern China, to support clients based in the coastal cities of eastern Shandong Province. More
In New York, Nielsen has appointed Andrew McCaskill as Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, with global responsibility for the firm's corporate media relations efforts. More
Nielsen is planning to recruit more than 500 employees for its Dallas call center, which was previously owned by radio ratings giant Arbitron (now Nielsen Audio); and 200 staff for its call center in San Antonio, which is being expanded to accommodate them. More
Nielsen has launched a tool called Omni Channel, integrating its own data with that of e-Commerce giant Alibaba to provide clients with a combined view of Chinese consumers' online and off-line buying behavior. More
ITWP, the parent company of online community and survey technology provider Toluna, has acquired Harris Interactive's European arm from Nielsen. As part of the deal, Nielsen will take a minority share in ITWP. More
Nielsen has announced an enhanced version of its Homescan consumer purchase panel. Homescan Premium taps the company's proprietary platforms and methods 'to create a million plus consumer panel', and promises unique in-depth analysis of consumer purchase behavior. More
Nielsen is once again the 'official market research supplier' for an Olympic Games, adding Rio 2016 to London 2012 and Beijing 2008. More
Nielsen has announced it will stop its political polling in Australia at the end of July, specifically the monthly Fairfax Nielsen Poll, which has been running for the past nineteen years. More
In the US, Nielsen is increasing the size of its local television sample in fifteen Local People Meter markets, to increase the stability of the ratings and improve representation of hard-to-reach demographics. More
Nielsen has announced three appointments for senior communications roles, including Ben Billingsley and Flavie Lemarchand-Wood to leadership positions in its Global Watch division, and Kristie Stegen in an expanded role as Global Head of Internal Communications. More
Nielsen has reached a settlement agreement with Jacksonville-based Renda Broadcasting, which Arbitron had accused of using its radio ratings information without paying. More
In the US, Massachusetts-based station Channel 5 has taken the unusual step of writing to its advertisers to blame Nielsen for its 'puzzling ratings decline' in recent months. Reports suggest Nielsen has acknowledged a problem with sampling and is at work to redress it. More
Following news earlier in the week of job cuts in Florida, Nielsen is reportedly to close its call center operations in Columbia, Maryland, with the loss of 325 jobs; and in Radcliff, Kentucky, shedding 237. More
Nielsen is closing Scarborough Research's call center in Sarasota, Florida, making 220 employees redundant by the end of September. More
Nielsen and The NPD Group have signed an agreement to produce a quarterly US Beauty Cross Channel Monitor, providing a 'comprehensive view' of the US beauty market. More
Nielsen has reported a 12.9% rise in first quarter 2014 revenues to $1.49 billion, driven by 28% growth in its media research business following the acquisition of Arbitron. More
Nielsen is in the 'final stages' of testing for the expansion of its Online Campaign Ratings product to mobile. The new service is scheduled for launch in the summer. More
Nielsen has announced the completion of a Proof Of Concept study in partnership with CBS, on the 'power of combining media buys for major advertising campaigns'; and separately the integration by media technology company Syncbak of its Software Development Kit (SDK). More
In the US, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has approved Nielsen's plan to sell off its LinkMeter cross-platform measurement technology to comScore - one of the requirements of the deal agreed for Nielsen to acquire Arbitron. More
Nielsen has extended its partnership with digital ad intelligence firm Integral Ad Science for an international roll-out of viewability measurement within its Online Campaign Ratings. Separately, Nielsen has announced it will raise around $750m from a note issue, in order to reduce debt. More
In the US, shopper insight specialist Nielsen Catalina Solutions (NCS) has teamed up with Nielsen Audio (formerly Arbitron) to launch what the firms describe as the first single-source measurement approach built for the radio industry. More
Nielsen has set up a new Multicultural Growth and Strategy team, to provide market understanding of, and deliver strategies to reach multicultural consumers. Mónica Gil has been promoted to lead it, as Senior Vice President and General Manager. More
Nielsen has announced that it will launch its Twitter TV solutions in Australia in the second half of this year, capturing and analysing chat on the social network as it relates to specific television programmes. More
Retail data giant IRI has appointed former Nielsen France MD Olivier Humeau as Managing Director of IRI France, from 31st March. He will replace Philippe Cabin Saint Marcel, who left at the end of last year to become MD of Ipsos Marketing in the country. More
The High Court in Delhi has given further breathing space to TAM and to the Indian ad industry, previously threatened with a ratings blackout for much of the year, by adjourning until July the hearing of the appeal brought by Kantar Media against new government guidelines. More
Nielsen has promoted Dr. D. Sangeeta to the role of Chief Diversity Officer, reporting to Chief Executive Officer Mitch Barns and effective immediately. More
Consumer specialist The NPD Group has partnered with Nielsen to introduce a new data and analytics service looking at the market for school and office supplies. More
Nielsen has announced that a group of its shareholders is planning to sell 30 million shares of common stock, with a possible value of around $1.4bn. More
Following a public comment period, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has determined that Nielsen's acquisition of Arbitron was not anticompetitive. More
Nielsen has announced a joint venture collaboration with Myanmar Marketing Research & Development Co. (MMRD), effective today. Nielsen MMRD will offer the services of both firms to companies established in Myanmar (Burma) or looking to enter the gradually opening market. More
Nielsen has acquired Madrid-based shopper marketing and sales intelligence specialist Nexium Customer Solutions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Nielsen has promoted CFO Brian West to Chief Operating Officer, replacing Mitchell Habib; and has appointed Jamere Jackson, who joins from General Electric, to fill the vacant finance role. More
TAM Media Research has applied to the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) for registration as a television ratings service provider, in accordance with stipulations made when a court postponed the implementation of new government guidelines just over a week ago. More
An Indian court has given ratings agency TAM a lifeline, postponing some provisions of the government's recent policy guidelines which would have left the company in breach and the country without audience currency for most of the year. More
Nielsen has reported a 5.5% increase in annual revenue to $5.7 billion. Media measurement arm 'Watch', enlarged by the Arbitron buy, saw revenue rise 11.2%, compared with 1.9% growth in the consumer research 'Buy' division. More
In the US, Nielsen has agreed to withhold broadband-only households from its local TV ratings service for the start of the 2014-2015 television season, following demands made by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) last week. More
Nielsen has launched a new solution called 'Local Buyer Reach', which links proprietary Nielsen local TV viewing data with online and offline purchase activity in order to connect what viewers watch with what they buy. More
In the US, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has demanded Nielsen delay implementation of its 'hybrid' local TV audience measurement, methodology and technology until it can be fully tested in the marketplace. More
Nielsen has today announced today that it has completed its tender offer to acquire all outstanding shares of common stock of Harris Interactive, and that the acquisition should close today. More
Nielsen and comScore have agreed terms in accordance with the order made by the FTC as a condition for the former's recent acquisition of Arbitron, concerning the continuation of a cross-platform project also involving ESPN. The FTC is now allowing time for public comment. More
In India, TV ratings regulator BARC has confirmed rumours that French company Médiamétrie is its official technology partner, and will provide licences to BARC to use its TV metering system. Meanwhile the country faces the prospect of having no audience ratings at all until October this year. More
Nielsen has increased its offer to buy Harris Interactive from $2.00 to $2.04 per share, valuing the company at around $118.9m. More
Nielsen's copyright suit against radio broadcaster Saga Communications - begun by Arbitron pre-merger - will not now go to trial until July 2015. A federal judge in Delaware has scheduled the case, following the firms' failure to reach an out-of-court agreement. More
The Indian government has announced it will regulate television ratings agencies in the country, requiring them to register with the I&B Ministry within 30 days, and raise sample size to a minimum of 20,000 panel homes - potentially a blow to Nielsen/Kantar joint venture TAM. More
Nielsen has appointed former Edelman exec Katie Burke as Executive Vice President of Marketing and Communications, responsible for the firm's internal and external communications, content development, digital marketing and industry relations. More
Nielsen has appointed Ipsos ad research veteran David Brandt as Executive Vice President, Advertising Effectiveness Strategy, with a focus on leading the development of the firm's 'Nielsen NeuroFocus' neuroscience-based copy testing solutions. More
Former OECD Ambassador Karen Kornbluh has joined Nielsen as Executive Vice President of External Affairs, leading the firm's government and public affairs services, and overseeing privacy strategy, corporate social responsibility and multicultural market development. More
Nielsen is to buy Harris Interactive for around $116.6m, or $2 a share. The deal was unanimously approved on Monday by the Board of Directors of Harris, which has recently improved profits despite a continuing slide in its revenues. More
After nine years as Nielsen's CEO, David Calhoun is to join The Blackstone Group, one of six private equity firms that purchased the research giant in 2006. More
Nielsen plans to lay off around 333 workers at the Columbia, Maryland site which formed the headquarters of Arbitron, according to reports. Now renamed Nielsen Audio, the division employs around 1,000 workers across the US, a majority based in the Columbia site. More
Nielsen has made an unconfirmed number of staff redundant in its Audio division, formed from recently-acquired Arbitron. More
Nielsen has added a new component to its Buyer Insights service. 'Nielsen Buyer Insights - Precision Marketing' combines digital behavior and consumer purchasing data to measure the link between online ad campaigns and what people actually buy. More
Google is working with a number of its advertising clients on the use of Nielsen's Online Campaign Ratings (OCR) in the assessment of YouTube campaigns. The search giant, which already partners with comScore's vCE, said it was offering clients 'objective, credentialed, third-party measurement options'. More
Nielsen is to promote Mitch Barns to the role of Chief Executive Officer from January 1st 2014, replacing David Calhoun who takes on the role of Executive Chairman. More
Following the recent seventeen-day shutdown of the US government, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is giving the public more time to comment on the 'consent agreement' for Nielsen's acquisition of Arbitron - even though the Commission approved the $1.26 billion deal a month ago. More
Broadcast giant CBS is participating in Nielsen's 'first-ever' trial to measure cross-media campaigns running on local television and radio. More
Nielsen has reported a 2.7% increase in third quarter revenue to $1.39 billion, the result of a 2.2% rise in the 'Buy' consumer research arm to $871m, and a 3.4% rise in the 'Watch' media research arm to $516m. More
Patrick Dodd has been appointed as Managing Director of Nielsen China, based in Shanghai, with responsibility for all business activities across the region. More
Nielsen has partnered with data giant Experian Marketing Services to add additional demographic and lifestyle segments to its Online Campaign Ratings tool. Variables include estimated household income range, family size and education level. More
Nielsen has officially rolled out its Cross-Platform Campaign Ratings tool in the UK, offering advertisers and agencies a means to integrate media planning and measurement across television and the Internet. More
Following the Nielsen acquisition, a number of Arbitron's execs are said to be leaving the company, including CFO Debra Delman. It is also rumoured that Arbitron CEO Sean Creamer will be leaving at the end of the year. More
Nielsen has announced that Vice Chair Susan D. Whiting has decided to retire at the end of 2013, after thirty-five years with the company. More
Nielsen has announced the successful completion of its acquisition of Arbitron, which was finally cleared by the FTC a week ago. Arbitron becomes Nielsen Audio and will be integrated into Nielsen's US Watch business segment. More
The FTC has announced it has reached an agreement with Nielsen, allowing the latter's acquisition of Arbitron to go through, with a condition safeguarding Arbitron's September 2012 cross-platform project with comScore and broadcaster ESPN. More
Speculation in the papers suggests that Nielsen's $1.3bn merger with Arbitron could finally get approval today from the FTC, perhaps with an agreement to license technology to comScore. However, at time of going to press, nothing further has been announced. More
Former Nielsen colleagues Jeff Stewart and Christophe Cazes have launched a new firm called Asia Market Development (AMD), offering alternative approaches to the larger global firms which they say offer 'inflexible solutions' not designed for the Asian market. More
Nielsen has launched a mobile app for consumers, to provide information about 'what's hot' across a number of categories such as TV shows, music, movies, books and video games, as well as consumer products like cosmetics, candy and beer. More
Nielsen is said to be in negotiations with the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding its acquisition of ratings giant Arbitron, with talks centering around a concession involving the combined company licensing measurement technology to rival comScore and other parties. More
Nielsen has once agreed to extend the period for regulatory review of the Arbitron transaction, into September - but continues to stress that it is 'confident in the ultimate outcome'. More
Nielsen has struck a last-minute deal with the Audited Media Association of Australia to ensure publishers and advertisers do not face a month without audited circulation statistics, according to reports. More
Nielsen is to acquire the Business Intelligence and Commerce Solutions products of bibliographic information specialist R.R. Bowker, aiming to measure the impact of eBook sales in the US and UK, and analyse by demographics. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Arbitron has announced MRC accreditation for its PPM ratings in another eight markets, along with continued accreditation in eighteen markets previously approved. More
According to reports, India's Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) has shortlisted five bidders for the technology section of its soon-to-be-launched television ratings system. TAM Media Research is not said to be amongst them, although both its backers, Nielsen and Kantar, are. More
Nielsen is 'running into rising regulatory static' over its proposed $1.26bn acquisition of radio ratings giant Arbitron, according to reports in the New York Post. Arbitron also has a potential headache as a critical media owner takes his argument with its methods to the US authorities. More
Radio research giant Arbitron is suing broadcaster LM Communications for alleged unauthorized use of its ratings in the Charleston, SC market. The firm has also fallen out with radio station owner Jeff Jacobs after he posted a picture of Arbitron's diary instruction page on his Facebook page. More
Ratings giant Arbitron has reported second quarter net income of $7.1m, compared with $10m in the prior year period, after incurring $6.1m of costs and expenses related to its pending acquisition by Nielsen. More
Israeli mobile user acquisition and targeting platform Taptica has received an undisclosed amount of investment from Nielsen exec Itzhak Fisher. More
Nielsen has reported a 3% rise in second quarter revenue to $1.38 billion, driven by a 2% increase in its Buy retail measurement division and 5% in its Watch media analytics arm. More
In India, advertisers, agencies and broadcasters have settled a dispute over TV ratings measurement supplied by TAM Media Research. Tam will now issue data in the 'television viewership in thousands' (TVT) format, rather than focusing on percentage of audience share. More
Arbitron has settled with an investor who sued over its proposed $1.26bn buyout by Nielsen, admitting no wrongdoing but agreeing to remove some of what the investor had claimed were obstacles to other bidders and a higher price - and to make further disclosures about the process. More
Australian industry body The Readership Works is to work with Nielsen to merge the latter's Online Ratings data with its forthcoming cross platform audience insights survey 'emma'. More
India's fair trade regulator the CCI has asked the country's broadcasters, media buying and ad agencies to send feedback in the next two weeks on their views of audience measurement agency TAM Media Research, as it investigates claims of unfair practices. More
Nielsen has launched beta trials of its Cross-Platform Campaign Ratings tool in the UK with brands including Unilever and Mondelez International (formerly Kraft Foods), agencies Aegis, OMG and Universal McCann London, and several publishers and ad networks. More
Radio ratings giant Arbitron is continuing its pursuit of companies it alleges use and/or publish its ratings information without paying. Last week, it accused Jacksonville-based Renda Broadcasting Corporation of copyright infringement. More
The legal and commercial ramifications of NDTV's suing of Indian ratings venture TAM continue: in India, two more networks are reported to have withdrawn subscriptions to the ratings firm, while in New York, law firm Sabharwal & Finkel is now fighting both Sir Martin Sorrell and its former client NDTV. More
Nielsen has completed a successful trial using technology developed by mobile streaming provider Syncbak to capture and measure viewing of TV content on mobile devices. More
In a legal filing, US ratings giant Arbitron has claimed that radio broadcaster Saga Communications has infringed its copyrights by reproducing and distributing Arbitron audience estimates without authorization. More
Indian network New Delhi Television (NDTV) has appealed against a ruling by the New York State Supreme Court that its $1 billion ratings manipulation lawsuit against Nielsen and WPP should be heard in India. However, NDTV has only named Nielsen in the appeal. More
Nielsen has opted not to participate in a tender put out by the Audited Media Association of Australia (AAMA), for a new range of metrics to be included in its Web Audit Service. The measurement giant says the ad industry has made clear its preference for a single metric. More
In India, Nielsen / WPP joint venture TAM Media Research has set up a 'vigilance desk', headed by a former senior policeman, and a 'transparency panel' of regulation experts, aiming to guarantee the impartiality of its methods and ratings. More
US media network ABC is participating in Nielsen's 'first-ever' trial expanding its Online Campaign Ratings (OCR) solution to the measurement of ads on mobile devices. More
In the US, shopper insight specialist Nielsen Catalina Solutions has launched a tool called AdVantics On Demand, allowing clients to link TV ads with appropriate audiences, based on actual retail purchase data. More
Nielsen has issued a public offering of 35 million new shares of common stock at $35.01 each, which it says will generate nearly $1.3 billion for certain existing unnamed shareholders. More
Radio ratings giant Arbitron has reported a 5.1% increase in Q1 revenue to $111.8m, compared with $106.4m in the prior year period. Earnings are slightly down - Q1 EBITDA was to $34.7m vs $36.6m a year earlier - due the firm says to the costs associated with the planned Nielsen merger. More
Nielsen is selling its 'non-core' tradeshow business Nielsen Expositions to Canadian private equity firm Onex in a cash deal worth $950m, in order to provide funds for its planned $1.3 billion acquisition of radio ratings giant Arbitron. More
AOL has partnered with Nielsen to develop a tool to measure those audiences viewing the former's library of more than 620,000 videos. More
Nielsen is piloting a new solution, 'Nielsen Digital Program Ratings', designed to measure audiences who view TV content online. More
Nielsen has integrated its Online Campaign Ratings service with the Velocity measurement solution of digital video specialist SET Media, allowing advertisers to forecast Gross Rating Points (GRPs) by program type and by individual video, while also delivering post-impression analytics. More
US radio ratings giant Arbitron has entered a settlement agreement with Gannett-owned WKYC-TV, resolving the legal action brought against the television broadcaster in January for copyright and trademark infringement. More
TiVo Research and Analytics - a subsidiary of digital video recorder (DVR) firm TiVo - has added data from Nielsen to the media measurement and analytics services offered by its recently acquired TRA business. More
In the US, Arbitron's one-time critic the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) has told the FTC it is 'cautiously optimistic' about the potential for improvements in audience measurement for television and radio if the Arbitron-Nielsen merger goes ahead. More
Nielsen has rolled out its ad measurement service Online Campaign Ratings to four new markets - Germany, Italy, Australia and Canada. More
Point-of-sale data giant Nielsen Marketing has launched a mobile ad targeting solution called BuyerVision Mobile, through which CPG brands can deliver relevant ads to consumers, based on their previous in-store purchasing history. More
The Federal Trade Commission has asked Nielsen for additional information regarding its proposed $1.3 billion takeover of radio ratings giant Arbitron, postponing a possible deal still further. Meanwhile Nielsen may also be looking to offload its trade show business. More
With the planned acquisition by Nielsen approaching, Arbitron has set out details of remuneration packages for its senior execs including recently appointed President and CEO Sean Creamer. More
Nielsen has launched a solution for measuring the 'resonance' of brand advertising within mobile apps. The tool forms part of the Brand Effect product suite. More
A US Court has dismissed an appeal by Miami TV station Sunbeam, against an earlier dismissal of a lawsuit in which the broadcaster alleged Nielsen monopolized audience ratings systems in the region. More
New York's Supreme Court has ruled that the $1 billion lawsuit brought by New Delhi Television (NDTV) against Nielsen and WPP should be heard in India. The broadcaster alleges that staff at the firms' TAM joint venture took bribes in exchange for overstating ratings. More
The Ukraine Television Industry Committee (TIC) has awarded Nielsen a new audience measurement contract, apparently cutting short an agreement with previous incumbent GfK Ukraine after unproven allegations that the latter had bribed panellists. More
Radio ratings giant Arbitron has reported 2012 revenue up an impressive 6.5%. In the fourth quarter, growth was slower and net income was slightly dented by costs relating to the forthcoming Nielsen merger. More
After 66 years delivering Australia's radio ratings, Nielsen Media has lost the contract to GfK, to whom national industry body Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) has awarded a three-year deal starting next January. More
In Australia, Nielsen says it will retire its monthly Unique Browser (UB) metrics at the end of this month, following recent announcements from advertising bodies in the country that the figure is no longer meaningful. More
Nielsen has reported a 1% rise in revenue to $5.6 billion for the full year 2012, compared with the 8% increase it posted the previous year. Revenue in the firm's Buy retail measurement division was flat while the Watch media analytics arm saw a 3% increase. More
Nielsen and Arbitron have voluntarily agreed to provide the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) with additional time to review Nielsen's proposed takeover of the radio ratings giant. More
India's Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) has issued an invitation for agencies to submit tenders for a new approach to television audience measurement. The contract is currently held by Nielsen/Kantar joint venture TAM Media Research. More
Nielsen has begun a five-year contract to operate a new Television Audience Measurement (TAM) service in Hong Kong. More
SPMS - an association for television audience measurement in the Czech Republic - has commissioned Nielsen to measure television viewing across the country. More
Nielsen has announced it is to acquire Arbitron for around $1.26 bn, or $48 per share of common stock. The transaction has been approved by both Boards and is subject to customary closing conditions. More
Nielsen and Twitter have reached a multi-year agreement to produce a new metric, the 'Nielsen Twitter TV Rating', for the US market, covering the reach on Twitter of conversation about TV programmes. The first figures will be commercially available from the fall of 2013. More
Indian TV network New Delhi Television (NDTV) has set out its reasons for wanting a US trial for its case against Nielsen and WPP, urging the Supreme Court of the State of New York to reject the two companies' recent requests to have it thrown out. More
Nielsen has announced a reduction in the size of its Board of Directors to eleven members, with one director each from its six controlling partners. More
Nielsen has taken a minority stake in a new venture capital firm called Pereg Ventures, which plans to help start-ups offering technology for marketing and customer understanding. More
Nielsen has rolled out its real-time ad measurement and optimisation tool Online Brand Effect in the UK. More
In India, the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) has formed a three-member Technical Committee (TechComm), tasked with drawing up a roadmap for the establishment of an audience metrics system. More
According to reports, Nielsen has bought the remainder of Romanian company Retailplus Eastern Europe from co-founder Octavian Badescu. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Nielsen has extended its partnership with Informate Mobile Intelligence to provide marketers with data on mobile device usage and content consumption across Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa (APMEA). More
Nielsen and its McKinsey joint venture NM Incite have announced the acquisition of SocialGuide, which provides analysis of social media conversations about TV programs. Terms were not disclosed. More
Two and a half months after its partner WPP did the same, Nielsen has filed a motion with the New York Supreme Court for dismissal of the lawsuit brought by broadcaster New Delhi Television (NDTV) against their TAM joint venture in India. More
Nielsen has announced third quarter revenue up 5% year-on-year, on a constant currency basis, to $1.423bn, with its Buy (4%) and Watch (5%) segments both contributing. Adjusted EBITDA rose 7% on the same basis to $424m. More
Indian television measurement body TAM is suspending publication of its viewing data from week 41 (October 7th) onwards, for 8 weeks while four of the country's biggest cities switch over from analogue to DAS. More
Nielsen has rolled out its Online Brand Effect solution in Australia, offering clients there the ability to measure and optimize the effectiveness of their online advertising efforts in real-time. More
Nielsen has rolled out its ad measurement service Online Campaign Ratings in the UK, following a pre-launch test with consumer goods giants Unilever and Reckitt Benckiser. More
Nielsen has officially launched its Cross-Platform Campaign Ratings tool, which it says indicates 'the true reach' of video ads across multiple screens. The tool combines data from Nielsen's Online Campaign Ratings service and its proprietary national TV panel. More
Nielsen and the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) have formed an 'Innovation Committee' to develop and test potential new approaches to mobile television audience measurement for Nielsen's mTAM initiative. More
Nielsen is planning to raise $800m through the issue of 'senior notes' due in 2020, through its subsidiaries Nielsen Finance LLC and Nielsen Finance Co. More
Reports in the US press claim that Nielsen exec Itzhak Fisher is raising $50m which he will use to invest in start-up companies – with the initial $10m being provided by Nielsen. More
OzTAM - Australia's official source of television audience measurement – has extended its contract with Nielsen for the supply of services in the five Australian metropolitan markets, while committing to the development of multi-screen measurement. More
US-based ad targeting platform DG is to incorporate Nielsen's data and metrics into its MediaMind campaign management tool, in order to provide its own and Nielsen's subscribers with cross-platform measurement of ad campaigns. More
Nielsen has launched a cross-platform tool called 'Nielsen Online Audience Segments - TV Viewing', designed to help clients target online consumers based on their TV and web viewing behaviors. More
Indian broadcaster NDTV is suing Nielsen and Kantar Media Research over claims that staff at the firms' joint venture TAM took bribes in exchange for overstating ratings. According to the suit, this practice has damaged NDTV's business to the tune of around $810m in the past eight years. More
In New York, Nielsen/McKinsey joint venture NM Incite has appointed former McKinsey Principal Andrew Somosi as Chief Executive Officer. More
Nielsen has launched an upgrade plan for its Local Audience Ratings, which includes quadrupling sample size across all local markets and doubling it in diary markets. The firm says this will provide broadcasters with 'more granular data' for both programing and ad sales. More
Nielsen has launched an initiative called the Innovation Lab, through which it will combine its existing research with external data - from clients, industry groups and academia - to develop what it describes as 'ground-breaking ad effectiveness measurement'. More
Nielsen has underlined its commitment to cross-platform measurement with the acquisition of ad campaign optimisation technology firm Vizu. Terms were not disclosed. More
Nielsen has announced the launch of its TV Brand Effect service in China and Germany. The service gives metrics on a TV ad's 'breakthrough', or 'resonance', for purposes of real-time or post-campaign optimization. More
Nielsen has promoted Mathias Bernhardt to Managing Director in Germany, responsible for developing the firm's Buy consumer purchase behavior segment. More
Nielsen has launched a 'hybrid' version of its online video measurement methodology, to track how people consume and engage with online video content from all locations, including mobile devices. More
Nielsen has revised its full year 2012 revenue guidance downwards, following what it describes as 'changes to operating conditions' in its Buy consumer purchase behavior division outside the US. The company is now expecting constant current revenue growth of 5% to 6% for the full year. More
In the US, cable TV and Internet provider Comcast has partnered with Nielsen to test ratings measurement on portable devices such as iPads, tablets and mobile phones - currently a gap in the research giant's 3-day playback ratings offer (C3). More
Nielsen has written to inform clients it is developing a range of new audience meters and digital tracking codes, for possible deployment in or after 2004. More
Nielsen funded client think tank the Council for Research Excellence (CRE) is to conduct a three-market study of response bias in address-based audience samples, with the aim of improving diary-based TV-audience measurement. More
In Singapore, Nielsen has launched an Asian 'innovation hub' incorporating divisions for neuroscience (NeuroLAB), virtual, mobile and eye-tracking technologies (ShopperLAB) and market measurement and consumer information (MSciLAB). More
Nielsen has reported a 3% rise in revenue to $1.3 billion for the first quarter ended March 31. Growth was fairly even in its Buy consumer purchase behavior segment (up 2.7% to $800m)and its Watch media research division (up 2.6% to $480m). More
Nielsen is to integrate measures of ad safety and viewability into its Online Campaign Ratings service for Internet display and video advertising, through a partnership with ad engagement data provider AdSafe Media. More
Nielsen has partnered with The University of Chicago Booth School of Business to offer a historical perspective on consumer purchases to all US-based academic researchers. More
UKOM, the cross-industry organisation set up to oversee the measurement of online audiences, has ended its partnership with Nielsen and instead appointed comScore as its new partner for online media measurement in the UK. More
The Association of Accredited Advertising Agencies of Hong Kong (HK4As) has awarded Nielsen a five-year Television Audience Measurement (TAM) contract for the period 2013 to 2017, incorporating measurement across multiple platforms. More
WPP's GroupM is working with Nielsen to develop a new cross-platform measurement service, integrating media planning and measurement across television and the Internet. More
Nielsen has announced the launch of its NeuroFocus testing laboratories in China, citing 'huge opportunities for businesses to tap into the unmet demands' of consumers as the economy shifts its focus towards them. More
Nielsen has officially launched its NOCR (Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings) cross-media measurement system, to provide metrics for online ad campaigns similar to those used for TV ads. Consumer goods giant Unilever is the first to sign up for the service. More
Nielsen and its partners TV ad sales firm Atmedia and cable operator UPC Polska have been awarded a contract to launch what is described as the largest TV audience measurement panel in Poland. More
Talk show host Oprah Winfrey has fallen foul of Nielsen after tweeting a request to its panelists on Sunday, urging them to watch her cable network OWN instead of the televised Grammy awards. More
Nielsen Media Australia MD Peter Cornelius has left the company, following a restructure which has resulted in the firm integrating its Watch (media) and Buy (consumer purchase behavior) divisions under the leadership of former MD, Pacific, Chris Percy. More
Nielsen has reported good growth and profit with full year 2011 revenues up 8% (6% at constant currencies) to $5.53bn and adjusted EBITDA up 10% (8%) to $1.546 bn. More
Nielsen/McKinsey joint venture NM Incite has introduced the latest version of its BuzzMetrics Exchange, which features detection support for more than 50 languages, along with city-level geo-location capabilities. More
Nielsen has acquired Chicago-based fresh food industry research specialist The Perishables Group. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
CIM, the Belgian Joint Industry Committee responsible for the country's audience measurement, has awarded Nielsen a four-year contract to supply its 'TV Events' measurement system, from 1 January 2013. More
In the US, Nielsen and comScore have settled patent infringement lawsuits relating to both firms' online measurement copyrights, and as part of the deal, Nielsen has acquired $19m of comScore common stock. More
Nielsen has postponed the launch of its radio ratings service in Tasmania, Australia - reportedly less than 24 hours before results were due - citing problems with sample. More
Nielsen has announced good results for the quarter ended September 30th, including revenues up 10% (6% at constant currencies) to $1,413m, and adjusted EBITDA up 7% in real terms, at $408m. More
In Australia, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has officially launched its online audience measurement methodology and service, after what it describes as 'an exhaustive process and review'. September data will be available next week. More
Arthur C. Nielsen Jr. - the son of the research company's founder Arthur C. Nielsen, and former Chairman of the business - died in Winnetka, IL on Monday, at the age of 92. More
Former Nielsen exec Christine Earl has been granted a federal appeals court ruling to press ahead with her discrimination case against her former employer, who she claims sacked her because of her age and health problems. More
Nielsen has moved to reassure clients and investors that an error in the set-up of its NPower data processing system will have no impact on its commercial data, ratings and projections, after potential problems were apparently overplayed on Wednesday. More
Nielsen has formed a strategic alliance with India-based Informate Mobile Intelligence, which uses on-device metering technology installed on panellists' handsets. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has accredited the Nielsen Online Campaign Ratings measurement system, launched recently to provide overnight audience reach, frequency, and Gross Rating Points (GRPs) for Internet display and video advertising. More
Nielsen has received Media Rating Council (MRC) accreditation for its Puerto Rico TV audience measurement service, which was launched in April 2010. More
In the US, Nielsen has acquired market response modeling specialist Marketing Analytics Inc., and says the deal will help it to provide FMCG marketers with 'the most complete and timely view of the impact of media and marketing'. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. More
Nielsen is planning to launch a service which uses gross ratings points (GRP) for ad campaigns on Facebook and other online platforms, allowing comparison with measures of audience reach for television, print and outdoor advertising. More
Nielsen has reported a 10% rise in revenue to $1.4 billion for the second quarter, the result of a 14% increase in its Buy consumer purchase behavior segment and a 4% increase in its Watch media research arm. More
In the US, Nielsen has signed a multi-year agreement with Kantar Media to access set-top box (STB) data from the latter's DIRECTView audience measurement panel, for use in its local TV audience measures. More
Retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has agreed to resume sharing consumer data from its Walmart and Sam's Club stores with Nielsen, after a ten-year break. More
Yan Xuan has been appointed as President of Nielsen Greater China, reporting to CEO David Calhoun and with a seat on the Nielsen Executive Council (NEC). More
UKOM, the cross-industry organisation set up to oversee the measurement of online audiences, is to begin a major review of its main audience contract next month, allowing time to consider 'major changes' before the end of the contract - currently with Nielsen - in December 2012. More
Nielsen has launched a new approach to helping companies with their product innovation strategies, which it claims will increase the likelihood of new products succeeding to 75%. More
Peter Greene has left consumer and retail specialist The NPD Group after nearly 20 years, to join Nielsen's Segmentation and Local Market Analytics division in a newly created role, SVP Durables Strategies. More
In the US, Nielsen has formed an alliance with grocery media network and software firm MyWebGrocer, to develop what it says is the 'First Comprehensive View of US Online Supermarket Purchases.' More
After a week of silence from all the involved parties, Nielsen announced yesterday that it had acquired 100% of brain research specialist NeuroFocus Inc., and confirmed that founder and Chief Executive Officer Dr. A.K. Pradeep will continue to lead it. More
Nielsen has won IAB Australia's contract to supply the country's online audience measurement currency, following an eight-month tender process. More
Nielsen has agreed to acquire the remainder of neuromarketing firm NeuroFocus, to fend off a bid from marcoms giant WPP, according to a report in MediaDailyNews. More
Nielsen has promoted Emilie Darolles to the role of Managing Director of its operations in Taiwan. More
From November, Nielsen will produce all US local ratings for Hispanic TV programming using the same ratings panels used for English language stations. More
Nielsen has promoted former Microsoft exec Celia Fan to lead its 'Watch' media research division in Hong Kong. More
Dave Thomas, President Global Media Client Services at Nielsen, is to leave the firm after 22 years. His replacement will be Mitch Barns, currently President of Nielsen Greater China. More
Nielsen has promoted Karthik Rao to the position of Managing Director of its Greater China region, based in its Shanghai office. More
Nielsen has seen an 8.9% increase in revenue to $1.3bn for the first quarter of 2011. Net income rose from $16m to $64m but the firm reported a $181m loss in Q1 due to $206m costs relating to its recent initial public offering (IPO). More
In Hong Kong, Nielsen has added mobile Internet audience measurement to its Market Intelligence (MI) service. More
comScore has responded to Nielsen's recent patent infringement lawsuit with a suit of its own. More
Nielsen has reportedly accused comScore of violating five of its patents relating to the collection, analysis and reporting of information about online activity. More
In Singapore, Yahoo! and Nielsen have partnered to launch Brand Impact, a study aimed at quantifying the branding effectiveness of online ad campaigns across Asia. More
In the US, Nielsen has promoted Mary Liz Finn to the position of Chief Human Resources Officer, to lead the firm's human capital strategy, and oversee leadership development programs, compensation and benefits packages. More
In Malaysia, Sun Media Corporation (SMC) is taking legal action against Nielsen for publishing what it describes as 'false and misleading readership estimates' for its newspaper theSun. More
Nielsen has reported 2010 revenue of $5.13 billion, a 6.1% increase on a constant currency basis. Net income of $132m for the year compares well with a loss of $489m in 2009. More
In the US, Nielsen funded client think tank The Council for Research Excellence (CRE) has selected research and advisory firm BIA/Kelsey to conduct a review of research currently available about user experience on multiple video platforms. More
Cyprus-based MEMRB (The Middle East Market Research Bureau) has been bought by Nielsen for an undisclosed sum, thought to be around 60m Euros. More
Nielsen has priced its forthcoming initial public offering (IPO) at around $1.64bn or $23.00 per share. The shares will trade from today on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol 'NLSN'. More
In the US, Sunbeam Television has dropped two charges against Nielsen that claimed the research giant had engaged in unfair trade practices and breach of contract. More
Ahead of the official release of its financial results for calendar year 2010, Nielsen has reported an expected revenue increase of between 6.3% and 6.7% to between $5,110m and $5,130m (2009 = $4,808m), equivalent to 5.8% to 6.2% on a constant currency basis. More
In the US, antitrust charges brought by Sunbeam Television against Nielsen have been dismissed by a Florida federal judge. More
In Warsaw, Poland, public broadcaster Telewizja Polska (TVP) has given Nielsen a four-year contract to provide television audience measurement services, beginning this month. More
Nielsen's Chief Human Resources Officer Roberto (Bob) Llamas is to leave the firm at the end of the first quarter 2011. The firm plans to name a successor during the transition period. More
Nielsen will provide clients early in 2011 with preview reports for its 'Extended Screen' initiative. The approach adds Internet viewing of TV programs into Nielsen's National People Meter (NPM) television ratings, to demonstrate the impact of online viewing on program measurement. More
Nielsen has formed a joint venture with China Cable Union Data Services (CCData) to pioneer the delivery of new and more detailed insight on China's growing digital TV market. More
Nielsen has announced that it is shutting down its diary-based radio ratings service in the US, from the Fall 2010 period. The firm said in a statement that the decision will not impact its international radio measurement services. More
Nielsen Singapore has appointed Grace Liu as Head of Consumer Research, succeeding Joan Koh who was promoted to the post of Managing Director in April. More
Following its admission last month of a flaw in the measurement of web traffic due to pages with 'very long URLs', Nielsen has now notified clients that it will 'restate' ratings for nine TV stations in four of its metered markets due to problems with 'software logic'. More
IPO-bound research giant Nielsen has reportedly struck a new deal with CEO David Calhoun, adding three years to his contract in exchange for a salary rise and a $6 million signing bonus. More
In the US, Nielsen has launched a Media Analytics initiative, focused on developing tools to provide additional insights from its existing syndicated media research data. The new initiative will be led by Bill Moult, a founding partner of the Media Behavior Institute (MBI). More
US ad industry ratings watchdog the Media Rating Council (MRC) has withdrawn its accreditation for local television ratings in Nielsen's 154 diary-only markets, backdating the withdrawal to 2009. More
Nielsen has apologised to clients for a 'flaw' in its web traffic methodology which has led to under-counting of web traffic in products including its NetView service. More
Two of Nielsen's subsidiaries are planning to sell $750m of senior notes which are due in 2018, in order to pay off a proportion of the research giant's debt. More
Nielsen has this week told clients it may widen the definition of its new Extended Screen ratings, dropping the absolute requirement that online TV programs must carry the same ads as their original broadcast. Separately, the research giant is said to be piloting a new 'GRP'-style online audience measure. More
Dubai-based Real Opinions has signed a reseller agreement with The Nielsen Company. Real Opinions will offer a number of Nielsen Online solutions in the Middle East, including SiteCensus, Market Intelligence and Campaign Analysis. More
In the US, the dispute between Sunbeam Television and Nielsen appears to be coming to a conclusion: the parties informed a judge in Miami last week that they are close to resolving the suit. More
Nielsen has developed an iPad app using audio watermarks to automatically detect and synchronize with TV programs, to serve viewers with relevant interactive content and advertisements. More
In the US, Sunbeam Television's lawsuit against Nielsen is back in the news, with mandatory mediation due to start on Monday in Boston. Sunbeam has submitted a long list of individuals it may cite or call upon for evidence, including network execs and current and past Nielsen competitors. More
Nielsen has increased the amount it wants to raise by selling stock to $2.01bn, in its initial public offering (IPO) filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm has also added two new categories for measuring TV viewing. More
Nielsen has announced results for the quarter and six months ended June 30. Reported quarterly revenues rose to $1,270m, up 7% year-on-year and reported operating income rose 6% from $172m to $182m - a rise of 10% after adjusting for one-off costs and currency changes. More
Nielsen has appointed Gai Le Roy to the role of Vice President Research - Audience Measurement, in its Asia Pacific online division. More
In the US, the Media Rating Council (MRC) has given approval to all 25 of Nielsen's Local People Meter (LPM) markets - ten of which had their accreditation renewed, while the remaining fifteen markets were granted accreditation for the first time. More
In the US, Manish Bhatia, Nielsen's President of Advanced Digital Services, has left the company, resulting in a re-structure which will see the firm integrate set-top-box (STB) data into its current audience measurement services. More
Nielsen has told clients it will bring back its 'live-only' television ratings, dropped in April in favour of a measurement combining live and time-shifted viewing. The company says it has not changed its view that live/same day is a better measure, but can now offer both due to increased data capacity. More
Nielsen has been reappointed as New Zealand's supplier of television audience measurement (TAM) services, winning an eight-year contract from SKY, TVNZ and TVWorks. More
US video ad network BrightRoll has unveiled a new reporting suite that offers a means to measure the ROI on their online video campaigns, using measurement and analytics tools from research partners including comScore, Nielsen, Vizu and InsightExpress. More
Nielsen and management consultancy McKinsey have formed a joint venture - NM Incite - to help companies use social media intelligence to drive business performance. More
TV ratings body TAM Ireland is to expand the size of its television audience measurement panel, while introducing the ability to track time shifted viewing (TSV) - a move which it says makes Ireland among the earliest countries to measure such trends in viewing behaviour. More
Nielsen is to track South African consumers' lifestyle habits and engagement during the imminent World Cup, using BlackBerry devices. Participants will compile mobile diaries including photos and captions, giving a detailed picture of their movements and interaction with the tournament. More
Nielsen has filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission to raise up to $1.75bn in an initial public offering (IPO), which it will use to pay down debt and for 'general corporate purposes'. More
Nielsen Online's UK Managing Director Stephen Brooks has left, as part of a company restructure. More
As part of an internal restructure, Nielsen has transferred Ivar Michaelsen from its Denmark office, to lead its operation in Germany, while appointing Justin Sargent as Group Managing Director for UK and Ireland. More
Nielsen has added mobile Internet audience measurement to its Australian market intelligence service, a 'world first' in online audience measurement methodology according to the measurement giant. More
In the UK, Nielsen has appointed AOL Europe's former Director of Insights and Sales Strategy Andrew Bradford, as a new member of its European online division. More
Nielsen has acquired US-based video analytics and technology company GlanceGuide, and integrated the firm's advanced analytics capabilities into its own online video measurement tools. More
WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell says the figure reported in the press for Nielsen's possible valuation is 'out of the ballpark' and 'doesn't work in any way, shape or form'. Both companies reported encouraging results today, WPP forecasting growth for the year and Nielsen seeing 4% real revenue growth over Q1 2009. More
Nielsen has withdrawn 'TV Channels Receivable', a reporting service which showed how many channels the average TV household receives. The firm cites the change in the way channels are presented by different multi-channel providers as the reason behind the move. More
Nielsen has released initial findings from its China 'Three Screen Report', which aims to provide insights into how Chinese consumers are using TV, Internet and mobile platforms. More
Nielsen has launched a global Research and Development program in China, focusing on market research technologies and methodologies. The firm says this initiative will become its most important R&D program outside the US home market. More
Nielsen is said to be preparing to trade as a public company, inviting a number of investment banks to underwrite an initial public offering (IPO) which could be worth up to $21bn. More
Nielsen and Facebook have released the findings of a study which claims to show that ads placed on social media sites are more likely than others to be noticed and remembered, while also increasing users' intent to purchase. More
In the US, Nielsen has partnered with word of mouth (WOM) specialist Bazaarvoice to integrate the latter's consumer ratings and reviews into its BuzzMetrics dashboard. More
In the US, Nielsen has appointed media research veteran Ira Sussman as Senior Vice President and Managing Director of National Television Client Services; replacing Catherine Herkovic who has held the role since 2007. More
Nielsen has rolled out its television audience measurement system in Puerto Rico, adding to the more than 30 markets where it already provides TV ratings. More
In Malaysia, Nielsen has promoted Kow Kuan Hua to the position of Managing Director of its Consumer Group, after 13 years with the firm. More
Joan Koh has been promoted to the position of Managing Director of Nielsen in Singapore, after more than a decade with the firm. She replaces Paul Richmond, who has taken on the role of regional Managing Director of Retail Services and Product Leadership. More
In the US, Nielsen is to eliminate live-only TV ratings, and has confirmed it will be introducing major changes to the way it calculates national ratings, including adding duplicate viewing to program telecasts. More
Software developer Openwave Systems Inc. is to collaborate with Nielsen to develop an 'insight engine', combining demographics and analytics to help mobile operators analyze, profile and target audience segments. More
In the US, Nielsen has partnered with online targeting data firm eXelate to integrate granular online and anonymous household-level offline data into eXelate's Targeting eXchange. More
Nielsen has acquired Munich-based market research consulting firm USP Market Intelligence, which focuses on consumer goods such as tobacco, confectionery and beverages in Germany and Austria. Terms were not disclosed. More
Sunbeam Television's lawsuit against Nielsen Media Research, filed last April, looks like it might be going to court after all, following a decision by a Florida judge. The claims centre around lower audience figures from Nielsen's new LPM system. More
The Nielsen Company has announced its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2009. Revenue was almost exactly level with the previous year ($4,806m) but up 4% if currency fluctuations are excluded. More
Nielsen's TV ad effectiveness arm 'Nielsen IAG' is planning a UK roll out for its ad and programme engagement measurement service, running in the US since 2000. More
In the US, joint tests by The Nielsen Company and the Television Advertising Committee of the ANA (Association of National Advertisers) have paved the way for the provision of individual or 'brand-specific' commercial ratings, the partners claim. More
Nielsen has promoted Justin Garrett to the post of Greater China Head within its newly formed Global Financial Services Practice. Based in Hong Kong, his role also covers China and Taiwan. More
UKOM - the UK Online Measurement Company - and Nielsen have officially launched the UKOM Audience Planning System (APS), by publishing inaugural data from the online audience measurement system. More
Neuromarketing firm NeuroFocus has formed a joint venture partnership with Nielsen to roll out its services in Australia. More
In India, Nielsen has promoted Piyush Mathur to the role of Managing Director for its South Asia Business. More
In the US, mobile advertising exchange Mobclix is to add Nielsen's data to its platform, to help increase the effectiveness of mobile advertising spend and enable mobile application developers to make more money through advertising. More
Nielsen has modified its plan to change the metric on which advertising deals for local TV ads are made, and says it will continue to provide Live TV ratings until the end of March 2010. More
Multi-screen measurement firm Rentrak Corporation has acquired Nielsen EDI, which provides measurement information and research solutions to the movie industry. More
Nielsen has formed a joint venture with St. Petersburg, Florida-based consumer-driven print communications firm Catalina Marketing Corporation, addressing the current hot topic of linking marketing exposure with purchasing behaviour. More
Former Nielsen exec Grace Pan has joined performance based digital marketing company SinoTech Group in the role of Chief Strategy Officer. More
The Nielsen Company is selling eight publications including Billboard music magazine and The Hollywood Reporter, to a newly formed media investment group, e5 Global Media LLC; and is discontinuing two other titles. More
The Nielsen Company has promoted Eva Leung to the position of Executive Director, Retail Measurement, Hong Kong, replacing Angel Young who has moved to a regional role within the firm.. She was previously Director, Client Service, Retail Measurement. More
Nielsen is to begin measuring television viewing in Puerto Rico, from the first quarter of next year. Launch clients include the island's three largest television providers: WKAQ-TV, the owned and operated Telemundo station; WLII-TV, the Univision affiliate; and WAPA-TV (Independent). More
The recently launched Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) is to make digital set-top-box data (STB) its first priority, following a recent meeting held with audience measurement leaders. More
The recently formed Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) will be hosting a meeting with Nielsen, Rentrak, TiVo, TRA and TNS to discuss how the firms can work with the coalition to foster set-top box data research innovation. More
Nielsen and online targeting firm DataLogix have partnered to enable advertisers to target consumers based on their lifestyles, purchasing habits and media usage. More
Brand protection specialist MarkMonitor has appointed Nielsen's Vice Chair Susan Whiting to its Board of Directors. More
Nielsen is to give its client think tank, the Council For Research Excellence (CRE), an additional $2.5m, bringing its total four-year investment to $10m. More
In New York, Nielsen has hired Steve Hasker to fill the newly created position of President, Media Product Leadership and Advertiser Solutions - a new business unit set up to help advertisers 'deliver the right messages to the right consumers'. More
At a launch event held yesterday, UKOM - the UK online measurement body - unveiled further details about the online audience planning system it is developing in partnership with Nielsen. More
Nielsen Online has underlined its commitment to the panel-based methodology it will use for the UK's first web measurement currency, following competitor comScore's proposal of a 'person-centric' approach using a hybrid technique employing cookie deletion. More
UKOM, the UK online measurement body, has appointed Nielsen as its official partner to create the country's first currency for planning advertising campaigns on the Internet. More
Nielsen and Facebook have signed a multi-year partnership to help clients better measure the impact of online advertising and develop and market new products. More
Nielsen's decision to do away with live-only program ratings is 'a significant step backwards' according to GroupM North America's Chief Investment Officer, Rino Scanzoni. More
Following client consultation, Nielsen is to move to live-program-plus-same-day ratings in its Local People Meter (LPM) and Set Meter markets by early December. More
In the US, the newly formed Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) has attempted to clarify its goals in a conference call, stressing that rather than creating a competitor for Nielsen Media Research, it wants to fund new research into cross-platform and TV set-top box measurement. More
Nielsen has acquired KoreanClick, a web measurement company in South Korea, for an undisclosed sum. More
A group of 14 companies has formally announced the founding of the Council for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM), a consortium that will create a new TV audience measurement system, designed to challenge Nielsen's control over the marketplace. More
Nielsen has moved Oliver Rust into the position of Managing Director, overseeing its business portfolio in Hong Kong. He replaces Ms Fanny Chan, who has moved to a regional role with the company. More
Nielsen Media Research has developed a new meter which will measure online video viewing in the same way the firm's A/P Meter does for television. More
Media giant Time Warner has signed a seven year agreement with Nielsen, which will bring together TV, online, mobile measurement services, research on advertising segmentation and targeting, and consumer engagement research, under one contract. More
In response to last week's news that a consortium has been formed to challenge Nielsen's TV audience measurement 'monopoly', the firm has been in touch with employees to confirm that 'three screen' measurement remains central to its strategy. More
In the US, Nielsen executive Steve McGowan is to return to the Discovery Channel as Senior Vice President of Research, in charge of directing all broadcast, digital media, marketing, ancillary and other types of research. More
In the US, Nielsen Media Research veteran Tom Ziangas has joined TV production company Rainbow Media Holdings as Senior Vice President of Research, to oversee programming and sales research. More
In the US, Nielsen is facing a lawsuit brought by Sunbeam Television Corporation, over claims that the ratings firm is understating the broadcaster's TV audiences. More
Nielsen has transferred Jed Meyer from its US operation to the post of Managing Director, Media Services, Greater China based in Shanghai. More
Nielsen has appointed Duncan Falzon as Executive Director of Nielsen Media Thailand and Media Index, Asia Pacific. More
Nielsen is about to roll out its store layout and category space management solution my.spaceman, across more than 100 markets. More
Around 6.5 million US homes (5.7% of households) are not ready for the transition to digital TV (DTV) which is now scheduled to take place on June 12 this year, according to Nielsen estimates. More
In the US, Nielsen has announced the indefinite suspension of its P.R.I.S.M. initiative, which it set up with the In-Store Marketing Institute in 2006. P.R.I.S.M. aimed to establish a common industry metric to measure audiences and gauge the effectiveness of in-store marketing. More
In Singapore, Nielsen has appointed Suresh Ramalingam as Managing Director of Consumer Research for its newly expanded API, MENAP and Southern Africa regions (APIMEA). More
In the US, Nielsen has partnered with broadcast measurement firm Repucom to analyze content and measure viewers' exposure to sponsored media during televised sporting events. The new service will replace Nielsen's current Scorecard offering. More
Nielsen has written to clients announcing a delay to the rollout of its Local People Meter (LPM) service in local television markets. The company will pause when the LPM is in use in 25 markets, instead of continuing rapidly to reach all 56 originally scheduled. More
Nielsen is moving into direct competition with Arbitron over US radio ratings: two major radio broadcasters today announced a switch to Nielsen Media's ratings service in a number of markets from Q3 of 2009. Arbitron has described the once-a-year Nielsen service as 'a step backward'. More
In the US, Nielsen has promoted Executive Vice President Susan Whiting to the post of Company Vice Chairperson, joining Chairman and CEO David Calhoun in the newly created 'Office of the CEO' to provide oversight and direction to the company's initiatives and operations. More
Nielsen has delayed plans to measure online media usage in a number of its People Meter panel households, to provide time to include both Internet video usage and web site navigation. More
The Media Rating Council (MRC) has completed the first phase of its audit of Nielsen's NetSight meter technology, which is used in the firm's international panels and US MegaPanel and will now be integrated into its audience measurement products in the US. More
Nielsen has appointed Rebecca Chiu as Director, Consumer Research (FMCG) based in Hong Kong. More
Social networking site 'Hey! Nielsen' is to close. The research giant says it is 'working on a new consumer site' but has not yet given details of the reason for the closure or the nature of the new offering. More
Nielsen has launched a new service to benchmark the quality of mobile phone networks across 39 markets in India. More
In the US, Nielsen has launched a new panel which it says is the first to simultaneously measure use of both television and the Internet in the same home. More
In the US, Nielsen has expanded its suite of out-of-home (OoH) media measurement services to cover the $1.3bn advertiser-backed video network business. More
Nielsen has reported increased second quarter revenues of $1,304m, up 12% from the same period in the previous year; and a year-on-year rise of 12% in first half revenues to $2,518m. More
Nielsen Mobile and Mediamark Research & Intelligence (MRI) have jointly launched a database of consumers' mobile and offline media usage, that will allow mobile media companies and advertisers to better target audiences with their mobile campaigns. More
In partnership with Digital Media Group (DMG), Nielsen has conducted what it describes as the 'first ever' China subway TV rating survey, using an evaluation method that the pair say has never been applied to digital outdoor media until now. More
GfK's discussions regarding a possible offer for TNS are 'progressing positively' the company said today, as it announced a strong order book from the first half of 2008 and a two-week delay in financial reporting. However, TNS has reportedly been talking to Sir Martin Sorrell and scouting for other possible buyers. More
Canadian-based public opinion and market research firm Angus Reid Strategies has hired former Nielsen Media Research President Mike Leahy to launch a new syndicated research division. More
Nielsen Media Research has been awarded a five-year contract to conduct the South African Advertising Research Foundation's (SAARF) All Media and Products Survey (AMPS) and the Radio Audience Measurement Survey (RAMS). The contract commences on 1st January 2009. More
Ratings giant Nielsen Media has told clients it will drop its landline-based random digit dialling (RDD) telephone sampling method for recruiting paper diarists, from November, in favour of one using the addresses of prospective panel households. More
Nielsen's film and home entertainment specialist NRG (National Research Group) has become part of the firm's BASES division, which provides new product optimization, marketing plan simulation capabilities and sales forecasting. More
Nielsen has reported $1,214m revenues for Q1, an increase of 13% from Q1 2007. Excluding the impact of currency fluctuations, the increase was a healthy 8%. However, the firm still made a net loss from continuing operations of $82m. More
Nielsen Media Research has sent clients a 9-page letter explaining its plans for the transition to digital-only TV broadcasting, which comes into effect in February 2009. To accommodate the transition and avoid potential disruptions, the firm will be moving its February 2009 TV viewing 'sweeps' to March. More
In the US, Spanish-language media giant Univision Communications Inc. has announced further collaboration with Nielsen, aimed at providing improved measurement and insight covering the Hispanic consumer segment. More
In the US, the anti-trust lawsuit raised by TV ratings company erinMedia against Nielsen Media Research (NMR) has been dismissed by the court, with terms of the agreement remaining undisclosed and both parties agreeing to pay their own court costs. More
From next January, Nielsen Media Research will switch to 'time-shifted' commercial minute ratings data as the standard currency for local TV ratings. The system will use 'live plus three' data, meaning that video played back within three days of initial broadcast will be included. More
In the US, The Nielsen Group has promoted Karen Watson to the position of Chief Communications Officer and Senior VP of Global Communications, from her previous title of SVP Communications for Nielsen Media Research. More
In the Philippines, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court has suspended proceedings filed by broadcaster ABS-CBN against AGB Nielsen Media research, to allow the parties time to try and reach a settlement. More
Nielsen Media Research is funding a $3.5m year-long study to observe how people actually consume media on both traditional and emerging video platforms inside and outside their homes. More
Commercial Radio Australia – the industry body representing Australia's commercial radio broadcasters – has teamed up with Nielsen Media Research to develop an enhanced ratings system to reflect changes in audience listening habits. More
Nielsen Media Research has informed clients that it is close to making a decision on whether to make its local TV ratings more consistent with national TV ratings currency. More
Following a series of problems with its TV coding system, Nielsen Media Research has written to US TV stations asking them to help ensure there are no future glitches. Nielsen has also sent them a 'Guide to Encoder Best Practices', which outlines the correct coding procedures. More
Nielsen has announced plans for the September launch of an enhanced weighting procedure for its TV ratings estimates. It will also be consolidating all its national ratings systems into a single 'calculation platform' during the next two years. More
From the end of the year, Nielsen Media Research will no longer collect data on remote control ownership in households in its metered panels. The ratings giant says 96% of its US sample have a remote control device and most new sets now come with one. More
Nielsen Media Research is commencing the Singapore launch of the Nielsen Personal Outdoor Device (Npod), and plans to launch the measurement system in Hong Kong in the near future. More
India's audience measurement agency TAM has confirmed that its Radio Audience Measurement (RAM) survey will go ahead this month using Diary methodology, despite concerns expressed by the Media Research Users Council (MRUC) that the technology is not sufficiently robust. More
Nielsen Media Research has informed its TV network and syndication clients that its Monitor-Plus tracking system is struggling to identify some new forms of 'live' TV advertising; and asked them to work with it to solve the problem. More
Nielsen Media Research in China has promoted Rita Chan to the post of Executive Director of Sales & Client Services, more than 25 years after she joined the group. More
Nielsen Media Research has blamed technical problems for underreporting of ratings for the USA Network for five days last week, including WWE wrestling program 'Raw'; and says the system is now functioning normally again. More
In South Africa, Nielsen Media Research has uncovered anomalies in its print adspend data going back to January, which have resulted in advertising spend being overstated for both newspapers and magazines. More
Nielsen Media Research has released the first electronic TV ratings for New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, but ad agencies and advertisers will have to wait another two weeks before they can see them. More
The Nielsen Company has reported revenues for the first quarter of 2007 up 5% over the same period last year, helped by a strong performance (up 7%) from its Media Research division. More
Nielsen Media Research has launched a service to track Internet advertising spend in Singapore, through its Advertising Information Services (AIS) unit. More
Nielsen Media Research is to enhance the weighting of its National People Meter (NPM) ratings sample, with the aim of making it more representative of the US population. More
Nielsen has announced the consolidation of its digital television set top box measurement activities into a new service, Nielsen DigitalPlus. The system will take data from both cable system operators (MSOs) and satellite providers and integrate it with other Nielsen information. More
The growth of new media notwithstanding, Nielsen Media Research is forecasting a massive 47% rise in the number of TV-owning households in the States – up from 111.4 million to 163.7 million – in its annual report 'Projected Estimates of TV Households and Persons 2008 to 2050'. More
Nielsen Media Research has released the Arianna(TM) television ratings tool in the US. NMR says the tool, which is already in use in 30 other countries across four continents, will enable local clients to 'move into the arena of desktop data analysis'. More
On schedule, Nielsen Media Research has commenced its inclusion of the viewing of college students living away from home in its National People Meter (NPM) ratings. The company also released stats from November hinting at the kind of impact the addition may have on overall viewing figures. More
Nielsen Media Research has confirmed that it will begin providing commercial-minute ratings as early as the end of this month. Clients will get an updated version of the firm's NPOWER software on Jan 29th to perform their own minute-by-minute analyses, and Nielsen's own All Minute Data File will follow in April. More
For the first time, more US households now own DVD players (81.2% of all households) than VCRs (79.2%), according to the 3rd Quarter Home Technology Report from Nielsen Media Research. More
Nielsen Media Research has agreed to develop its TV ratings along two lines, following a meeting last week with more than 100 clients. Parallel with the development of more flexible minute-by-minute data, the firm will offer a simpler 'average commercial minute ratings' service. More
VNU has announced its quarterly and 9-month financial results for the period to September 30. Pro forma operating revenue for the third quarter was Euros 904m, up 6% on the previous year at constant currency, while operating income fell 29% to Euros 72m. More
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) will launch a service to measure nationally distributed Video On Demand (VOD) content, on December 11th. The service will use the National People Meter sample used for television ratings, and 'watermark' content for detection by its new Active/Passive meter. More
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) has today announced findings from its first ever Product Placement Valuation Study, part of its A2/M2 initiative. The research demonstrates and quantifies the value that product placement contributes to traditional TV advertising. More
Nielsen Media Research has created a further body to advise it on ethnic audience measurement issues, an African American Advisory Council (AAAC) consisting of 12 industry, community, and business leaders. More
Merging information from television and Internet panels into a single database, Nielsen Media Research and NetRatings have announced the launch of their National TV/Internet Fusion database. More
Nielsen Media Research and News Corporation have announced an eight-year agreement for audience measurement services. Relations between the two firms had been troubled since News Corp company Fox TV questioned Nielsen's methods in 2004 and at one point called for government regulation of TV ratings. More
Audience measurement specialist Nielsen Media Research has a new division, Nielsen Wireless and Interactive Services, headed by VP Jeff Herrmann; and has announced the launch of GamePlay Metrics, a new rating service for video games. More
Nielsen Media Research has announced that its Local People Meter (LPM) technology will be launched in the five key centres of Phoenix, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Miami and Denver, in 2008. More
Audience measurement giant Nielsen Media Research has established five new Client Advisory Committees, consisting of almost 90 senior clients, to guide the company's Anytime Anywhere Media Measurement (A2/M2) initiatives, aimed at moving measurement into the integrated media age. More
News of another advisory body established by Nielsen Media Research: the Council for Research Excellence, the firm's independent forum established last year, is commissioning a pilot study on consumption of traditional and emerging video platforms inside and outside the home. More
Nielsen Media Research has announced a start date - January 29, 2007 – for the inclusion of students at college in National People Meter (NPM) audience estimates. The system, known as 'Extended Home viewing', is part of the firm's drive to 'measure television viewing wherever it occurs.' More
VNU has announced results for the three months ended June 30, dominated by an adjustment of Euros 71m for costs relating to the sale of the company in May. Excluding this, pro forma operating revenue was up 6% year on year in constant currency to Euros 943m, and operating income up 11% to Euros 114m. More
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) has announced it will include data for Azteca America, the newest Spanish-Language TV network in the US, in its National People Meter ratings service, the NTI. Nielsen has also released stats showing the growth in ethnic TV household numbers at the national and local DMA levels. More
Figures out this week from Nielsen Media Research show changes in the US TV audience including an overall rise in television households of 1.1% and a 16% decrease in the number in the New Orleans area. More
Nielsen Media Research has announced that cable service provider Insight Communications has signed up to its new NORA(TM) on-demand transactional reporting service, which began testing only this year. More
Nielsen Media Research has named Catherine Herkovic as General Manager in charge of its Local Business Unit. She moves from a Senior VP role at the Nielsen Station Index (NSI), and replaces Jack Oken who moves to the role of General Manager, Strategic Measurement Initiatives. More
VNU continues to build the Communications team for its research businesses. Last week, it appointed Karen Watson in a Senior VP Communications role covering Nielsen Media Research and the MMI Group – this week Gary Holmes has joined her team as VP, Global Communications and Chief Press Officer. More
US advertising spend in the first quarter of 2006 rose 5.6% over the same period last year, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus, the advertising intelligence service of Nielsen Media Research. More
Karen Watson has joined VNU as Senior Vice President, Communications for Nielsen and for the Media Measurement and Information (MMI) Group. Watson served last year on the Independent Task Force on Television Measurement, and is a former Director of the Office of Public Affairs for the Federal Communications Commission. More
It's hard to find anyone over the age of fifteen in Hong Kong that doesn't own a mobile phone, according to the latest findings from Nielsen Media's Media Index and Panorama. The survey looks at media habits, lifestyles, attitudes and product consumption across Asia Pacific. More
Nielsen Media Research has announced that it will provide integrated, all-electronic ratings for television regardless of the platform on which it is viewed, under the 'Anytime Anywhere Media Measurement' initiative (A2/M2). More
VNU's acquisition by the Valcon consortium looks likely to go ahead after Knight Vinke Asset Management (KVAM), hitherto the loudest opponent of the deal, said it would tender its shares at the new bid price, before the deadline for acceptance passed this afternoon. More
Nielsen Media Research has appointed Siriporn Kittichutchawarl as its Director in Thailand, based in Bangkok and reporting to Richard Basil Jones, Asia Pacific MD. More
Media intelligence solutions firm Video Monitoring Services (VMS) has announced an agreement with Nielsen Media Research's Monitor-Plus division, which will supply it with near-real time, automated identification of breaking television commercials. More
In the USA, The Council for Research Excellence has announced that it will soon begin its first detailed study into one of the fundamentals of television audience measurement – the quality of the research samples from which the ratings are drawn. More
AGB Nielsen Media Research has announced the appointment of Justin Sampson as Managing Director of its UK unit. He joins after some 18 months at ITV preceded by 9 years at the Radio Advertising Bureau, latterly as MD. More
Media owner Frank S. Maggio has set launch dates and ambitious targets for his interactive television company ReacTV. Maggio's erinMedia, a challenger to Nielsen Media Research, will provide advertisers with its own second-by-second TV viewing data, plus web ratings from NY-based 24/7. More
Two of VNU's major shareholders could scupper the US$10.3 billion private equity buyout backed by the group's Board earlier this week. Fund manager Fidelity International, which owns 15% of VNU, said it was 'unlikely to support this offer', while FT reports suggest 2% holder KVAM is 'actively looking' for a Chief Executive to run VNU. More
VNU, parent of ACNielsen and Nielsen Media Research, has announced that it has agreed to a public offer from a private-equity consortium including AlpInvest Partners, valuing the company's equity at approximately EUR 7.5 bn in cash, or EUR 28.75 per common share. The option of breaking the company up has been rejected. More
VNU has announced 'better-than-expected results' for 2005. The Media Measurement & Information division (MMI) showed 11% organic growth, led by a strong Nielsen Media Research (NMR). Group-wide, organic growth was only 5%. VNU says favourable settlement of tax audits 'more than offset' the $55m cost of the recent IRI settlement. More
Nielsen Media Research has declined its option to work with Arbitron in developing the latter's PPM technology as the primary measurement tool for US media ratings currency. Nielsen has spent millions of dollars on assessing the technology since signing an agreement in 2000, but will now pursue a multi-stranded 'portfolio strategy'. More
From next year, Nielsen Media Research will include the viewing of college students living away from home in its national television ratings. The addition is likely to increase ratings for young adult viewing by as much as 12%. More
A group of VNU shareholders is pressing the Dutch company to break itself into three divisions and sell each separately rather than agree to the proposed 7.3bn Euro buyout deal with private-equity firms, according to reports today in the Wall Street Journal. More
VNU, owner of ACNielsen and Nielsen Media Research, announced this morning that it is continuing 'active talks' with a private-equity consortium over a proposed buyout. The company's Supervisory and Executive Boards plan to give their view of the offer by the end of this month. More
In a keynote speech to the Detroit Economic Club this week, Susan Whiting, President and CEO of Nielsen Media Research, spoke about the company's attempts to provide new measurement services that can accurately capture increasingly fragmented multimedia audiences. More
Nielsen's Local People Meter (LPM) audience measurement system, closely scrutinised since claims last year that it under-represented people of color, actually counts a higher proportion of African-American viewers than traditional diary systems, according to the company's latest stats from trials in Dallas and Detroit. More
TNS Media Intelligence is forecasting a 5.4% increase in US advertising spend this year, well up on the estimated 3% in 2005. Meanwhile in Asia Pacific, Nielsen Media Research reports that ad spending grew by 14% last year, with the market in China surging by 21%. More
Rebecca Tan, who formerly led Nielsen Media's business in Singapore, is taking on the new position of Executive Director for both Singapore and Malaysia. She will spearhead both countries' operations, including the advertising expenditure tracking and custom media research businesses. More
The Local People Meter (LPM) TV audience measurement system records higher viewing figures than traditional diary and set meter systems, according to new data from Nielsen Media Research. During its trial of LPMs in Detroit and Dallas, recorded viewing figures rose by as much as 18%. More
After weeks of speculation, VNU revealed today that it a private equity consortium has offered to buy the company for 28 to 28.5 Euros per common share. VNU says it is considering the proposal, and is not proceeding with discussions with any other party. More
The Chairman of US TV ratings company erinMedia says he is considering a takeover of its rival Nielsen Media Research if Nielsen's parent company, VNU, is sold. erinMedia has also announced a second lawsuit against Nielsen Media for false advertising, countering Nielsen's claims that it measures 'millions of viewers'. More
Advertising and media company the Interpublic Group (IPG) has committed to using Arbitron's Portable People Meter (PPM) measurement of radio audiences. The group says it will be the first to switch to PPM audience estimates as soon as the service becomes available. More
Nielsen Media's TV industry forum, the Council for Research Excellence (CRE), is calling for proposals from research agencies for its Audience Consumption of Media study. The proposals should focus on measuring new technologies, such as digital video recorders (DVRs), and their effect on viewing habits and engagement. More
In the US, Urban Television Network Corporation has signed up for Nielsen Media's national and local syndication service. The agreement will allow the company's UATV network, which specifically targets urban African Americans and English-speaking Hispanic Americans, to use Nielsen audience data for programming and advertising purposes. More
VNU, owner of ACNielsen and Nielsen Media Research, is to give potential private equity bidders limited access to its books, according to reports in the Financial Times last week. Shares in the company rose by more than 4% following the FT report. More
Media company Univision Communications is to become the first Spanish language television network to join Nielsen Media Research's national TV ratings service, the Nielsen Television Index (NTI). The service provides television ratings for all the major US networks. More
VNU expects its earnings per share and revenue growth for 2005 to fall below previous estimates, due to disappointing results in Europe, coupled with the costs of the aborted VNU/IMS Health merger. The company has also confirmed that it is currently evaluating approaches made by potential buyers. More
Shares in VNU, owner of ACNielsen and Nielsen Media Research, rose more than 4% on Friday after reports that two private equity firms were considering making bids for the Netherlands-based company. More
Three new reports give varying degrees of encouragement to the advertising industry. Nielsen Media Research highlights healthy growth in the US, and the UK's Advertising Association forecasts long-term growth in display, while ZenithOptimedia's global projections offer most optimism for the Internet... and for market researchers. More
Nielsen Media Research has added an extra 2,000 households to its National People Meter TV measurement sample. This is the first step in a plan to increase the effective sample to 10,000 homes by next year, in order to improve accuracy and allow for more in-depth analysis. More
Nielsen Media Research has created an Asian-Pacific American Advisory Council to advise the company on the best ways to reach Asian Pacific Americans (APAs), and to measure their TV viewing habits. More
erinMedia's antitrust lawsuit against Nielsen Media Research is set to proceed to trial, after a US District Federal Court ruled yesterday against Nielsen's attempt to dismiss the suit. The judge deemed erinMedia a viable potential competitor, whose business could be at risk, but dismissed co-plaintiff ReacTV. More
Larry Gerbrandt, former COO and Senior Analyst at Kagan Media, has joined Nielsen Entertainment in the US as Senior VP and Senior Corporate Analyst, reporting to CEO Andy Wing. He will work on strategic analyses of the entertainment industry, including the company's new 'Benchmarking the Digital Household' report. More
Nielsen Media Research is stepping up its evaluation of the use of Portable People Meters (PPMs) for TV audience measurement - a joint venture with Arbitron. Meanwhile, Arbitron has been meeting with radio industry executives to discuss electronic audience measurement, and has appointed a technology expert to its Board. More
For the first time, Nielsen Media Research is to provide direct access to its database of minute-by-minute TV ratings. Clients will be able to access and analyse full information from Nielsen's National People Meter sample via an electronic file, to be updated each week. More
Frank Maggio, CEO of Erin Media, is poised to announce details of a new ratings service - VAST Ratings - designed to compete with Nielsen's audience measurement system. Earlier this year, Erin filed an antitrust lawsuit against Nielsen Media Research in a bid to break up its ratings monopoly. More
The US DISH Network satellite TV service has signed an agreement with Nielsen Media Research for a national TV ratings service. The deal allows DISH to use Nielsen's data for marketing, programming and sales purposes - for example to guarantee companies a specific number of viewers for their ads. More
US marketing information company Claritas has introduced a new product, PRIZM TV Profiles, that combines data from its PRIZM NE lifestyle segmentation system with TV viewing information from Nielsen Media Research's People Meter service. The launch follows Nielsen's announcement that US TV viewing is higher than ever before. More
Synovate has achieved 17.9% revenue growth for first half of this year, compared with 14.8% for its parent Aegis Group as a whole. Similarly at VNU, the research division outperforms the rest of the company. Other company results vary, but all point to growth in the MR sector. More
Total US advertising expenditure for the first half of 2005 rose to $70.5 billion, a 4.5% increase from the same period last year, according to TNS Media Intelligence. Figures from Nielsen Media Research are slightly higher, showing an increase of 5.7% over the same period. More
Nielsen Media Research and software producer Anystream are working together to automatically encode Video On Demand (VOD) content, so that it can be easily incorporated into audience measurement systems. Nielsen is due to include VOD in its TV ratings service from next year. More
US-based Nielsen Media Research International has acquired South Korea's largest advertising monitoring and intelligence companies - Korea Advanced Digital Data (KADD) and its subsidiary BasisNet. More
Nielsen Media Research and Nielsen Entertainment are collaborating on a new research study to assess the factors behind the effectiveness of product placements. It will analyse the influence of the viewer's relationship with a programme, as well as their familiarity with the brand and type of product. More
This week has seen a rush of activity in the controversy over Nielsen Media's LPM introduction and Senator Conrad Burns' FAIR Ratings Act. Leading associations of US advertisers declared their members' opposition to the bill on Tuesday, while Nielsen's critics spoke out before a Senate Committee on Wednesday. More
TV ratings provider erinMedia has announced an exclusive Strategic Alliance Agreement with Atlanta-based Navigauge, Inc, agreed by the boards and likely to lead to the acquisition of the latter in the fourth quarter of 2005. The agreement would give erinMedia cross-media, sector-specific ratings services across TV, radio, and outdoor. More
The Television Viewer Protection Bill, introduced in the US last week, is calling for increased regulation of TV ratings methods. The Bill is the latest step in the controversy surrounding Nielsen's local people meter (LPM) ratings system and its coverage of 'people of color'. More
Angela Mariana Freyre has joined Nielsen Media Research as Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel for Legal and Strategic Affairs. Freyre, who worked as Nielsen's counsel for seven years whilst at Coudert Brothers in New York, will oversee contracts, support political affairs, and expand relations with clients. More
The MR landscape is to undergo a seismic shift as VNU, the world's biggest research provider, buys IMS Health, the next biggest in the US, in a transaction valued at 5.8 billion Euros ($7.0 billion). VNU's CEO is confident that the deal will quickly lead to major cost savings and new revenues. More
US Senator Conrad Burns has introduced the Fairness, Accuracy, Inclusivity and Responsiveness in Ratings (FAIR Ratings) Act to strengthen existing private sector oversight of US TV ratings. The move reflects the Senator's feeling that Nielsen Media Research has not co-operated sufficiently with the current authority. More
Nielsen Media Research has implemented staff training, translation services and other measures recommended by last year's Independent Task Force on Television Measurement. The services are part of a string of measures aimed at better representation of the ethnically and culturally diverse TV audience. More
In the latest episode of the Local People Meter (LPM) controversy, US TV ratings company Nielsen Media Research claims that its new measurement system is actually giving higher ratings to shows with an African-American theme or cast, countering critics' claims that they 'under-represent people of color'. More
Nielsen Media Research has announced an extension of its collaborative relationship with Time Warner Inc. The existing TV audience estimate contract ran for seven years from 1998 – it will now run until at least 2008. More
In the USA, Nielsen Media Research has announced that it has acquired AudioAudit, a leading provider of broadcast verification technology services for the advertising industry. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. More
In the USA, Spanish language media company Univision Communications and Nielsen Media Research have agreed to a new contract that will provide comprehensive ratings for Univisions local television stations. More
Nielsen Media Research International has acquired BBC De Media en Reclame Bank B.V. (BBC), the biggest ad spend intelligence company in the Netherlands, for an undisclosed sum. More
Nielsen Media Research has publicised disclosures made by its opponents in the LPM debate, confirming the heavy involvement of News Corp in the Don't Count Us Out campaign. The lobbying firm involved also admitted directing a campaign of calls to Nielsen execs which shut down their corporate switchboard. More
America's Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has told Congress that it will not be formally monitoring the accuracy of media ratings, and that it believes Nielsen did not misrepresent its Local People Meters or fail to disclose 'material facts' about the system. The Commission says self-regulation via the Media Rating Council appears to be working. More
Nielsen Monitor-Plus has announced an enhancement to its outdoor advertising measurement service, increasing the number of co-operating outdoor companies and bringing the total number of US markets measured to over 150. More
Nielsen Media Research yesterday made public, and welcomed, the content of the report of The Independent Task Force on Television Measurement. The Task Force was established last year as an independent body, amid the controversy over Local People Meters and their measurement of the viewing behaviour of people of colour. More
Audience measurement giant Nielsen Media Research has appointed Howard Shimmel as Senior Vice President, Client Insights. Shimmel has worked for the company before, on beginning his career in media industry research in 1979. Most recently, he was VP, Market Research at AOL. More
VNU has announced that its subsidiary Nielsen Media Research International has successfully closed its 30-country joint venture TV ratings deal with WPP's AGB Group, announced on 5th August last year. More
Advertising tracking specialist Nielsen Monitor-Plus has extended its coverage to provide brand-level detail for spot radio in the US. The system now reports on more than 500 radio stations, representing a growth of 68%, and measures more than 50% of all US advertising spend. More
Nielsen Media Research will launch a branding advertising campaign in the US in February, promoting its accurate reporting of TV viewing by all different kinds of people, led by the slogan 'Every View Counts'. The move follows a year of controversy over the launch of its Local People Meters. More
Nielsen Media Research and Univision Communications, Inc, have announced that they have dropped litigation against each other, relating to the use of Local People Meters (LPMs). More
Nielsen Media Research and NBC Universal have announced the signing of a seven-year contract for audience measurement services covering all of NBC Universal's national and local television businesses, the largest ever of its kind. More
Following recent endorsement by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Neilsen's controversial Local People Meters (LPMs) have received further support from Kweisi Mfume, President and CEO of the NAACP, who describes the new system as 'a vastly improved way of measuring television viewership'. More
Nielsen Media Research and the William C. Velasquez Institute (WCVI) recently announced the formation of a major research alliance designed to significantly enhance Nielsens ability to more successfully measure television viewing habits among Latinos in the United States. More
A further salvo in the battle over Local People Meters: Nielsen Media Research announced yesterday that the methodology has been endorsed by the Rev. Jesse Jackson, founder and president of the Rainbow / PUSH Coalition and arguably the USA's best known politician of color (at least until Don King's convention performance last week). More
The AGB Group and Nielsen Media Research International have today announced a 50/50 joint venture that will offer television ratings in 30 countries. AGB Group's TV audience measurement services will merge with those wholly owned by Nielsen Media Research International. The deal does not include Nielsen's US TV ratings service. More
In the latest exchange of the long-running controversy surrounding PPMs, LPMs and their supposed under-representation of certain groups, Nielsen have issued a statement responding to Fox Television's appeal for government regulation of television ratings. More
Arbitron and Nielsen Media Research have announced substantially improved results in their recruitment and maintenance of panels for the PPM. More
A review commissioned in May by Nielsen Media Research but conducted by an independent body has concluded that criticisms of Nielsen's methodology for measuring ethnic audiences made by Rincón and Associates 'Latino Television Study' were not solidly supported. More
Four new members have this week been added to the TV measurement Task Force assessing Nielsen Media Research's representation of people of colour. Among the four – who arrive just in time for the Task Force's first meeting - is George Takei, alias Star Trek's Mr Sulu. More
With the launch of its controversial Local People Meters (LPMs) in Chicago scheduled for August 5, Nielsen Media Research has announced the appointment of PR veteran Cheryl Pearson-McNeil as Vice President of Communications and Community Affairs. More
Nielsen Media Research's tribulations with the launch of its Local People Meter are continuing. In the same week that NMR announced a high profile task force to ensure fairness, a leading Spanish-language media company has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop its 'false and misleading' advertising and the use of data based on 'flawed sampling'. More
From today (June 3rd), Nielsen Media Research is offering Local People Meter (LPM) data in New York. The new system will run in parallel with the old Meter/Diary system for a transition period of three months, with either set of data allowed for commercial use. More
Further moves in the saga of Nielsen's local people meters and their representation of ethnic audiences. Nielsen Media Research has announced that it has contracted with the University of Southern California's Tomás Rivera Policy Institute (TRPI), to review the findings of a Latino Television Study which questioned Nielsen's techniques. More
Following criticisms by News Corporation last month and the subsequent postponement of its New York People Meter launch, Nielsen Media Research has announced an increase in its samples of African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans both at the local and national level, and given details of the numbers involved. More
Nielsen Media Research has postponed the NYC launch of its 'people meter' system to June 3rd, under pressure from News Corp and various political figures / groups. A task force including Congressman Charles Rangel, whose district includes Harlem, will help Nielsen look into concerns that the system undercounts minority audiences. More
Trouble - of rather different sorts - for audience measurement providers on both sides of the Atlantic. The UK's radio audience research body RAJAR is being sued for £66m, while in the US Nielsen Media Research has been criticised by News Corporation over its imminent launch of People Meter technology in New York. More
Nielsen Media Research have signed an agreement with digital video recording (DVR) pioneers TiVo to deliver information on DVR usage to advertisers and television executives. Data will be collected from an Opt-In panel of TiVo's standalone subscribers. More
Recent figures from Nielsen Media Research put the total number of television households in the USA (including Alaska and Hawaii) at an estimated 108,400,000. This represents an increase of 1.7 million television households, or 1.6%, from the 2002-2003 season. More
Audience measurement leader Nielsen Media Research has enhanced its Monitor-Plus advertising intelligence service with the introduction of Quick*Views, a web-based product providing instant access to summary-level US ad spend information. More
Advertising spending for the first half of 2003 rose 2.8% versus first half 2002, according to preliminary figures released last week by Nielsen Monitor-Plus, the advertising information service of Nielsen Media Research. The fastest growth was in Hispanic TV (19%), National Magazines (c.14%) and Local Newspapers (c.10%). More
Scarborough Research and Nielsen Media Research in the US have recently formed a partnership to offer the NSI Profiler-a new qualitative television rating which combines Nielsen Station Index (NSI) ratings with Scarborough's qualitative consumer indices. More
With strong backing from key broadcasting and cable clients, Nielsen Media Research has recently announced a rollout schedule for bringing continuous, overnight demographic ratings into the top 10 television markets in the U.S. Nielsen will initially launch electronic People Meter ratings service in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and San Francisco next year. More
Nielsen Media Research, a subsidiary of VNU Media Measurement & Information, has reached a landmark, seven-year agreement with NBC in the States to provide audience measurement services to all of NBC's national and local television businesses. More
Advertising spending for 2002 in the USA rose nearly 6% over 2001, fueled by gains across most major media, according to preliminary figures released by Nielsen Monitor-Plus, the advertising information service of Nielsen Media Research. More
Nielsen Media Research and Ucentric Systems have announced an agreement to create television audience measurement software that will track usage of personal video recorders on multiple television sets. Many digital set-top boxes will be powered by Ucentric Multi-TV PVR applications. More
Advertising spending through the third quarter of 2002 rose 3.8% over the same period last year, fuelled by gains across most major media, according to preliminary figures recently released by Nielsen Monitor-Plus, a service of Nielsen Media Research. More
Arbitron has recently announced an update on the status of its Portable People Meter development programme in the USA, a new radio, television and cable audience ratings technology that Arbitron has been testing in Philadelphia since the fourth quarter of 2000. More
Simmons Market Research Bureau in the US has recently introduced Simmons Behaviorgraphics a proprietary data integration technique that links data from the Simmons National Consumer Study with Nielsen Media Research's National People Meter database using segments based on similarity of viewing behaviours in the two databases. More
Arbitron Inc has this week announced that it will expand its Portable People Market trial in the United States. More
England versus Argentina proved to be the most popular match with FIFA World Cup viewers during the week of June 3-9. It succeeded in capturing the largest overall audience so far, placing it within the top five worldwide, according to new Nielsen Media Research data. More
More than 31 million people tuned in to see Senegal's first-round victory over France in the 2002 FIFA World Cup - making it the most-watched match of the opening weekend (May 31) - according to preliminary audience estimates for 17 countries released this week by Nielsen Media Research. More
Nielsen Media Research (International) has predicted an overall global ad spend recovery for the second half of 2002. In a study released recently, Nielsen has detailed how spend in the world's 14 key ad markets fell by 5 percent during 2001, with a modest total upturn now due by the end of 2002. More
Marketing, media and research giant VNU has just completed two in-depth, one-day presentations in both London and New York. More
The chairman and CEO of VNU media research business, Michael P. Connors, has announced that the Nielsen brand name is to be expanded to all international markets and also linked to the company's global entertainment information businesses. More
Susan D. Whiting has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of Nielsen Media Research, the US television ratings company, effective from the beginning of next year. She had been President and Chief Operating Officer since May of this year and first joined the company in the late 1970s. More
Starting with the May sweep in 2002, Nielsen Media Research is to use People Meters as its standard methodology for collecting television audience estimates in Boston in the USA. More
Feasibility testing of the Arbitron Portable People Meter (PPM) system has progressed on from its first US phase. PPM has now moved into a test phase with the help of Nielsen Media Research involving the greater Philadelphia DMA. More
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