Paramount, Nielsen strike multiyear measurement deal ending bitter standoff
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Paramount, one of the largest TV networks in the U.S., announced on Monday a multiyear measurement agreement with Nielsen, ending a contentious four-month standoff between the two firms.
Why it matters: The deal, effective immediately, allows CBS to leverage Nielsen's ratings data from the 67th Grammy Awards, which aired Sunday night on CBS.
- Without a deal, CBS was unable to use Nielsen's viewership data to sell ads against its major live events, such as the Golden Globes and NFL playoff games.
Zoom in: The new deal allows Nielsen to measure all of Paramount's platforms, including its national and local broadcast channels, all of its cable networks, and its streaming platforms, Paramount+ and Pluto TV.
- As part of the deal, Paramount will license new Nielsen services. That includes advanced audiences, Nielsen's cross-media planning product, and Big Data + Panel national TV measurement — its newly accredited product that includes viewership data from 45 million households across more than 75 million set-top boxes and smart TVs.
- "We are thrilled to resume our partnership with Paramount, as their leaders continue to build one of the strongest brands in entertainment," Nielsen CEO Karthik Rao said in a statement.
Zoom out: While Nielsen has been criticized by TV networks for having outdated methodology, it's still considered the most authoritative measurement vendor in the industry.
- During its standoff with Nielsen, Paramount relied on viewership data from VideoAmp, an alternative measurement provider that is not as popular. VideoAmp and Paramount renewed their partnership in January.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional details about the deal.
