Nielsen Sues comScore Over PPM Deal For New TV Service

Nielsen Holdings has sued comScore to stop the measurement company from using Nielsen’s technology to launch a competing TV-focused measurement service.

According to the suit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, a 2014 agreement between Nielsen and comScore only gave comScore the ability to use Nielsen’s technology measurements for both online and TV audiences as a “cross-platform” service.

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Nielsen promised federal regulators it would not discourage competition for "cross-platform" services -- ones that incorporated both TV and online viewership.

The deal, according to Nielsen, did not allow comScore to use the data for an individual “standalone” TV service. Nielsen is looking to stop the launch of comScore's “Extended TV” service, which it said would incorporate Nielsen’s proprietary Portable People Meter data.

Nielsen made the agreement with comScore after its 2013 agreement to buy Arbitron.

The launch of comScore’s Extended TV service, per Nielsen, would cause harm to its business, causing it to lose customers and endure “decreased market share."

A lawyer for comScore, in an August 8 letter, said “Extended TV” qualifies as "cross-platform" — it isn’t limited to linear TV.

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