Nielsen and Twitter join hands to provide social TV rating

Nielsen and Twitter join hands to provide social TV rating

MUMBAI: Global provider of information and consumer insights Nielsen and micro blogging site Twitter have entered am exclusive multi-year agreement to create the “Nielsen Twitter TV Rating” for the US market.

Under this agreement, Nielsen and Twitter will deliver a syndicated-standard metric around the reach of the TV conversation on Twitter. The metric will be available for commercial use at the start of the fall 2013 TV season.

The Nielsen Twitter TV Rating will serve to complement Nielsen’s existing TV ratings, giving TV networks and advertisers the real-time metrics required to understand TV audience social activity. These ratings will build on top of NM Incite’s SocialGuide audience engagement analytics platform.

NM Incite is a joint venture between Nielsen and McKinsey & Co, and the hub of Nielsen’s social media analytics efforts.

The proliferation of smartphones and tablets has generated a substantial ‘connected’ TV audience that is simultaneously watching television and accessing the Internet through these devices. This, in turn, will continue to create the opportunity for content providers to offer engaging interactive features for the viewers. As this form of viewer engagement evolves into a mainstream activity, it presents ways for content providers to enhance the viewing experience for our viewers and our advertisers.

Nielsen Global Media Products and Advertiser Solutions president Steve Hasker said, “The Nielsen Twitter TV Rating is a significant step forward for the industry, particularly as programmers develop increasingly captivating live TV and new second-screen experiences, and advertisers create integrated ad campaigns that combine paid and earned media. As a media measurement leader we recognize that Twitter is the preeminent source of real-time television engagement data.”

Twitter vice president of media Chloe Sladden said, “Our users love the shared experience of watching television while engaging with other viewers and show talent. Twitter has become the world‘s digital water cooler, where conversations about TV happen in real time. Nielsen is who the networks rely on to give better content to viewers and clearer results to marketers. This effort reflects Nielsen‘s foresight into the evolving nature of the TV viewing experience, and we’re looking forward to collaborating with Twitter ecosystem partners on this metric to help broadcasters and advertisers create truly social TV experiences.”

According to a press statement by Nielsen, TV viewers discuss TV on Twitter, creating a new dynamic between audiences and programming. The service’s more than 140 million active users send one billion Tweets every two and a half days, the vast majority of which is public and conversational, making Twitter data a necessity in producing standardised metrics representing online and mobile conversations about television.

CBS Corporation chief research officer David F Poltrack said, “We are already engaged with Nielsen and Twitter in a program of research and experimentation in this exciting new area. We are pleased to see Nielsen and Twitter join together to provide a comprehensive measurement system that will allow us to employ these social networking tools to their full advantage."

Fox Networks Group chairman and CEO Peter Rice said, “Twitter is a powerful messenger and a lot of fun for fans of our shows, providing them with the opportunity to engage, connect and voice their opinions directly to each other and us. Combining the instant feedback of Twitter with Nielsen ratings will benefit us, program producers, and our advertising partners.”