Nielsen Sports Adds College Football Data to Impact Score

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.

Rolled out last October, NIS uses the firm's TV measurement tools, alongside local market research data from in-market consumer insights service Nielsen Scarborough, to help universities showcase the impact their programs can have on prospective players. According to the firm, the service provides metrics similar to those a brand would consider when evaluating sports marketing partnerships. In addition, programs that use the NIS can personalize recruitment pitches based on factors that may help a student-athlete benefit from the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) new 'name, image, likeness' (NIL) legislation, which allows them to monetize their NIL while still studying.

Nielsen says that three of the four teams to make the College Football Playoff - Alabama, Georgia and Michigan - all rank in the top 10 of its NIS. The fourth school, Cincinnati, is the highest-rated team among the Group of Five conferences.

Nielsen Sports MD Jon Stainer (pictured) comments: 'It is exciting to see the continued momentum and demand for Nielsen Sports and the types of data-driven solutions we're able to bring to the market to help sports leagues, teams, governing bodies, brands, rights-holders - and in this case, university athletic programs. Our rich portfolio with the Nielsen Impact Score, as well as Fan Insights, Return on Sponsorship Investment and Sports Connect, positions us as the global leader in sports media valuation, data intelligence, strategy and insights.'

Web site: www.nielsen.com .