TV Ad Body Backs Move from Ratings to Impressions

In the US, trade association the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB) has announced that it will lead a drive to move local broadcast measurement from a ratings-based to an impressions-based system.

TVB represents America's $21bn local broadcast television industry, with 800 members including television stations, broadcast groups, advertising sales reps, syndicators, international broadcasters and associate members. The organisation says the move to impressions reflects the new era of multiple platforms by ensuring that all viewers on all screens are counted, 'both extending reach and providing greater targeting for advertisers' - and paving the way for more sophisticated use of audience data.

According to President and CEO Steve Lanzano, 'As technology continues to weave its way into how and where we watch local broadcast television, it's imperative for the industry to measure the entire audience, no matter where they watch. The use of Impressions simplifies how we evaluate media across platforms and makes it easier to include local TV in the cross-platform consideration set'.

The association says Nielsen and Comscore already supply Impressions data to buyers and sellers, and local broadcast TV 'can continue to be planned on rating points while negotiated and purchased on Impressions - which is how network TV is currently handled'.

In January 2018 the Bureau, online at www.tvb.org , teamed up with US ad agency association the 4A's to ask Nielsen to replace its Live Only data stream with Live +1, recognising the change in viewing habits towards time-shifted.