Nielsen to integrate Set Top Box Data from Kantar Media Into Local TV Audience Measurement.

Nielsen announced a multi-year agreement providing Nielsen with set top box data from Kantar Media’s DIRECTViewTM service for use in local TV audience measurement. Nielsen has developed a proprietary, hybrid methodology for the US market that combines Nielsen’s National People Meter panel data with set top box and other sources of data, and is continuing to explore the use of this methodology in local markets that currently rely on diary-based measurement.

“DIRECTView is one of many sources of data Nielsen is incorporating in our efforts to provide higher quality local TV audience measurement,” said Steve Hasker, President, Nielsen Media Products & Advertiser Solutions. “Our innovative approach to enhance local TV measurement addresses the technological limitations of using set top box data alone, and we expect it will provide valuable benefits to local TV markets.”

“The integration of our DIRECTView data with Nielsen’s local market data marks an important milestone for return path data,” says George Shababb, President, Kantar Media Audiences North America. “The sample size and granularity made possible through return path data advances what audience measurement has traditionally been able to deliver and will help offer advertisers in local markets an improved service.”