Netflix to Work with Nielsen and Others as Ads Appear

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.

The announcement marks the first time Netflix audience will be reported in a similar way to broadcast and other TV channels, and comes as the streaming giant gears up for the launch of its new and cheaper 'Basic with Ads' subscription next month (1st Nov in Canada and Mexico, 3rd Nov in nine other markets including the US and UK). The service will have between four and five minutes of ads per hour, consisting of 15- and 30-second commercial spots, and will start at $7 a month.

As reported on DRNO yesterday, in the UK Netflix has joined Disney+ in signing up with official audience measurement body BARB - with Paramount+ and NowTV already involved via their links with broadcasters. In the US, YouTube and Roku are signed up for Nielsen One, the firm's integrated cross-media platform, due for launch any month and already rolled out in a test format.

The firms have come a long way from a dispute exactly five years ago, after Nielsen began reporting Netflix ratings independently in its SVOD content ratings - Netflix then said the ratings, which openly omitted viewing on mobile devices, were 'not even close' to accurate.

Netflix has affirmed that viewing data collected will only be used to support its advertising contracts and targeting, and will not be used to create profiles for targeting elsewhere. Initially, advertisers will be able to target users by country and genre, and can veto appearance in spots with which they don't want to be associated.

Web sites: www.nielsen.com and www.netflix.com .