• by Joe Mandese , January 17, 2007

As expected (MediaDailyNews Jan. 15), Nielsen Media Research Tuesday unveiled its plan for rolling out new average minute commercial ratings data for an evaluation period leading up to its introduction as official ratings data with the beginning of the 2007-08 season in September.

The plan calls for releasing six streams of the commercial ratings data - "live," "live" plus same day, "live" plus one-day, "live" plus two-days, "live" plus three-days and "live" plus seven-days of playback - from May through August to allow the industry to evaluate their impact before their rollout next season. The timing of the release, which will include data going back to the first week of April, likely will impact discussions for 2007-08 upfront advertising deals, which generally take place in June and July.

Nielsen is expected to make as many as all six of the data streams available next season, which when coupled with three existing streams ("live," "live" plus three-days, and "live" plus seven-days) of program average ratings, could mean as many as nine streams of data could be circulating in the TV marketplace next season.

The major TV networks have pushed for the new commercial ratings as a means of regaining audience playback as the basis of their advertising guarantees, which they lost during last year's upfront negotiations when they agreed to guarantee ad deals for this season based on "live" only ratings. Advertisers and agencies have been circumspect on those plans, but are expected to dig in and hold the line on such deals.