Nielsen is the firm Hollywood turns to when it wants to know anything about TV show viewership, but for years the group has suffered from an ever-widening blind spot: the internet.
The company went some ways toward rectifying that in 2013 when it began recognizing users who watch TV on their phones and tablets.
But thanks to a new partnership with Adobe, Nielsen is finally poised to start comprehensively counting users who consume content digitally in its ratings, the companies announced today.
Nielsen's Digital Content Ratings, powered by Adobe, is "the industry's first comprehensive, cross-platform system for measuring online TV, video and other digital content across the Web and apps," according to a press release.
That's a mouthful
The system combines Nielsen's existing digital audience measurement products with Adobe Analytics and Adobe Primetime.
They say the system can measure consumer audiences across all major online devices, including computers, smartphones, tablets, game consoles, and set-top boxes. And it's not limited to TV content; they'll also track videos, games, audio and text online, according to this announcement.
They hope the Digital Content Ratings will help "accelerate the adoption of a digital ratings currency."
The system will be available to media companies, advertisers and other clients beginning in 2015. Several customers, including ESPN, IPG Mediabrands, Sony Pictures Television, Starcom MediaVest Group, Turner Broadcasting, Univision Communications Inc., and Viacom, are already on board.
The takeaway for you? Yet more companies could soon be tracking what you do online. Granted, Nielsen knows what it's doing in this department, but it remains to be seen how anyone will benefit from this.
