• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, April 9, 2013

TiVo’s audience measurement unit TRA has a deal to begin using Nielsen data in limited fashion. While TRA aims to link ad exposure with product purchasing, Nielsen ratings cannot be used by TRA for that type of single-source calculations, a Nielsen representative noted.

TRA says it uses data from TiVo and cable operators garnered from around 4.4 million homes. In the consumer packaged-goods category, it collects purchasing data from frequent shopper cards, while using Experian information in the auto category. It also has a system in the pharmaceutical sector.

Mark Lieberman, TRA’s CEO, indicated that the company could gain more adoption with its new access, stating: “Many customers believe that they will make even more use of our data with the ability to reference the Nielsen data.”

TRA clients come from both the network and marketers' sides, ranging from CBS to Oscar Meyer. TRA, which TiVo acquired, has conducted studies with both entities.

Last June, CBS top researcher David Poltrack stated that while age and gender serve as the basis for the TV buying currency, “purchased targeting data is a growing part” of the planning process.

The story has been updated to reflect the role of Nielsen data in the TRA system.