NBCUniversal Confirms iSpot.tv As Additional Ratings Provider As Company Continues Quest For Nielsen Alternatives

deadline.com:

As it continues to seek alternatives to Nielsen, the dominant TV ratings firm whose methodology has come under fierce industry criticism, NBCUniversal has signed a landmark deal with iSpot.tv.The firm will be added to NBCU’s roster as an official measurement provider, in addition to Nielsen.

The “test-and-learn” arrangement, in NBCU’s phrase, will provide iSpot data from both the programming and advertising sides.

It is slated to include a pilot program for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games and Super Bowl LVI.Major media agency Publicis Media will be the first media holding company to test the new setup across NBCUniversal’s One Platform.After Nielsen conceded it had undercounted both linear TV and streaming during 2020 and part of 2021, backlash grew among advertisers and networks.

The obscure but influential Media Rating Council yanked Nielsen’s accreditation and the measurement firm issued mea culpas, but insisted that at worst the margin of error had been in some cases 2%.