Nielsen Initiates TV Ratings Revamp

Nielsen is setting up industry discussions to initiate changes to its C3 and C7 television ratings, coinciding with the impending roll-out of its Total Audience Measurement tool.

Launched in 2007, C3 defines commercials watched both live and for three days through DVR playback, while C7 indicates ratings for live plus seven days and was introduced in 2012. Writing for Mediapost.com a year ago, Nielsen's EVP, Global Watch Product Leadership Megan Clarken said the company was calling for the industry to adopt new rating standards, to reflect the growing penetration of new devices and the popularity of subscription-based streaming services, time-shifted, and over-the-top viewing. In the article, she said that trading metrics had not kept pace with consumer behaviour, and that C3/C7 ratings only reflect the average audience of commercials within a specific program.

Now - in an article published by Ad Week two days ago - Nielsen says it has assembled a group of 25 top execs, including network ad sales and buying chiefs, to start discussions about 'transitioning to a new set of criteria'. At an initial meeting, attendees talked about the next iteration of C3 and C7, as well as a shift toward a complete change in the currency using Total Audience Measurement, which combines the total audience for a program or content regardless of the mode of access. Reports suggest Nielsen can now measure ratings up to 35 days after live airing, for both linear and digital TV.

The planned series of meetings will include those execs who attended the original summit and others who regularly analyze ratings data, with a view to putting in place a new set of advertising criteria during 2016.

Web site: www.nielsen.com .