Nielsen CEO Tells Clients Paramount Seeks ‘Nearly 50%’ Price Cut in Weeks-Long Measurement Battle

variety.com:

Brian Steinberg Senior TV Editor The battle between Paramount Global and measurement giant Nielsen is fast becoming a war of words.

In a dispatch sent to clients earlier this week, Nielsen CEO Karthik Rao said that Paramount has been pushing for “a nearly 50% reductionin the price of our service” in as-yet-unfruitful negotiations between the two sides that has resulted in a weeks-long blackout of use of Nielsen ratings for Paramount properties such as CBS, Comedy Central and Paramount Network.

Paramount, which is in the midst of cutting $500 million from its operations, has suggested it should not be paying Nielsen higher prices when the fees come to more than the advertising revenue that TV ratings generate.

Paramount, like many of its rivals, spends hundreds of millions on Nielsen measurement each year. “This really is not about affordability.