The research company is poised to introduce a potentially game-changing metric that for the first time will provide data on TV viewership on platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The service, which is allegedly coming in next month, will allow companies that license content to the streaming giants to access hitherto unobtainable numbers.
Futhermore it has the potential to reshape the way Hollywood conducts its transactions with the major streaming companies.
Up until now Netflix and Amazon have not shared numbers on how many people subscribe to TV shows on their platforms. It is understood only the free, ad-supported version of Hulu shares audience data with Nielsen about users who access the service via computers.
The Journal report said the Nielsen service at launch will only provide data on streamed content on TV and will not cover content accessed via mobile devices.
The information will allow content creators to assess the adoption level of their shows on streaming services and quantify the extent to which such services eat into viewership on linear channels and cable VOD and, by extension, impact future ad revenues.
It is understood that initially companies will only be privy to view data pertaining to their content, although access to syndicated data about rivals – a situation that exists with TV ratings – might not be far off.
The report claimed that subscription to streaming services in US households jumped a little under 20% from 34% to 40% in the January-September period, with Netflix accountable for the majority of viewers.
According to data sources cited in the report, TV viewership dropped 7% year-on-year by the end of October among the 18-49 demographic. Research demonstrated a broad correlation in the adoption of streaming and the decline in linear TV viewership.
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