Looking to improve its local TV metrics for those markets with paper diaries, Nielsen will install nearly 15,000 TV meters in 7,000 homes.
Those homes, in 140 markets, are part of Nielsen’s
plan to start up electronic measurement in all 210 local TV markets. The meters will also “address the limitations of solely using set-top-box data for audience measurement in local TV
markets.”
For years, TV researchers and analysts have complained about the accuracy of paper diaries where panelists enter specific viewing information. Additionally, Nielsen says more
recent data from pay TV providers set-top box is lacking.
Kelly Abcarian, SVP of Nielsen Product Leadership, stated: “We’ve made great strides to incorporate data from
set-top-boxes into our local TV measurement, however, in that process we’ve uncovered significant challenges with the data.”
She added: “To solve these limitations,
especially measuring growing audiences viewing via over-the-air broadcast, we looked at multiple solutions, including online recruited panels and quick-query surveys.”
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But ultimately,
she said, Nielsen “proven” results from its longtime TV meters was the solution.
Nielsen says as of February 2017, more than 25% of viewing to broadcast stations in the 140 markets
measured by diaries came from over-the-air tuning. The market with the highest level was at 50% over-the-air.
The TV audience meters will be installed not only in homes with pay TV set-top
boxes, but also those viewing through via over-the-air broadcast.
To “capture all in-market tuning,” Nielsen says it will also include viewing from homes across those 140 markets
using diaries for measurement that contribute to Nielsen’s National People Meter panel.
Nielsen says “the meters will also serve to validate set-top-box data by serving as the
truth-set that is used to compare against and deliver actual persons-level viewing.”