Exclusive Agreement Creates “Nielsen Twitter TV Rating,” the Definitive Reach Metric for Social TV Audience Measurement and Analytics
NEW YORK and SAN FRANCISCO, December 17, 2012 – Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and insights into what consumers watch and buy, and Twitter today announced an exclusive multi-year agreement to create the “Nielsen Twitter TV Rating” for the US market. Under this agreement, Nielsen and Twitter will deliver a syndicated-standard metric around the reach of the TV conversation on Twitter, slated for commercial availability at the start of the fall 2013 TV season.
“The Nielsen Twitter TV Rating is a significant step forward for the industry, particularly as programmers develop increasingly captivating live TV and new second-screen experiences, and advertisers create integrated ad campaigns that combine paid and earned media,” said Steve Hasker, President, Global Media Products and Advertiser Solutions at Nielsen. “As a media measurement leader we recognize that Twitter is the preeminent source of real-time television engagement data.”
“Our users love the shared experience of watching television while engaging with other viewers and show talent. Twitter has become the world's digital water cooler, where conversations about TV happen in real time. Nielsen is who the networks rely on to give better content to viewers and clearer results to marketers,” said Chloe Sladden, Twitter’s vice president of media. “This effort reflects Nielsen's foresight into the evolving nature of the TV viewing experience, and we’re looking forward to collaborating with Twitter ecosystem partners on this metric to help broadcasters and advertisers create truly social TV experiences.”
TV viewers discuss TV on Twitter, creating a new dynamic between audiences and programming. The service’s more than 140 million active users send one billion Tweets every two and a half days, the vast majority of which is public and conversational, making Twitter data a necessity in producing standardized metrics representing online and mobile conversations about television.
The Nielsen Twitter TV Rating will serve to complement Nielsen’s existing TV ratings, giving TV networks and advertisers the real-time metrics required to understand TV audience social activity. These ratings will build on top of NM Incite’s SocialGuide audience engagement analytics platform. NM Incite is a joint venture between Nielsen and McKinsey & Co., and the hub of Nielsen’s social media analytics efforts.
“The proliferation of smartphones and tablets has generated a substantial ‘connected’ TV audience that is simultaneously watching television and accessing the Internet through these devices. This, in turn, will continue to create the opportunity for content providers like CBS to offer engaging interactive features for our viewers. As this form of viewer engagement evolves into a mainstream activity, it presents ways for CBS to enhance the viewing experience for our viewers and our advertisers. We are already engaged with Nielsen and Twitter in a program of research and experimentation in this exciting new area,” said David F. Poltrack, Chief Research Officer, CBS Corporation. “We are pleased to see Nielsen and Twitter join together to provide a comprehensive measurement system that will allow us to employ these social networking tools to their full advantage."
“Twitter is a powerful messenger and a lot of fun for fans of our shows, providing them with the opportunity to engage, connect and voice their opinions directly to each other and us,” said Peter Rice, Chairman and CEO, Fox Networks Group. "Combining the instant feedback of Twitter with Nielsen ratings will benefit us, program producers, and our advertising partners.”
ABOUT THE NIELSEN TWITTER TV RATING
The Nielsen Twitter TV Rating will enhance the social TV analytics and metrics available today from SocialGuide by adding the first-ever measurement of the total audience for social TV activity – both those participating in the conversation and those who were exposed to the activity –providing the precise size of the audience and effect of social TV to TV programming.
SocialGuide, recently acquired by Nielsen and NM Incite, currently captures Twitter TV activity for all U.S. programming across 234 TV channels in English and Spanish, and more than 36,000 programs. Through a sophisticated classification process, SocialGuide matches Tweets to TV programs to offer key social TV metrics including the number of unique Tweets associated with a given program and rankings for the most social TV programs.
Source: Nielsen
NEW YORK and SAN FRANCISCO, December 17, 2012 – Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and insights into what consumers watch and buy, and Twitter today announced an exclusive multi-year agreement to create the “Nielsen Twitter TV Rating” for the US market. Under this agreement, Nielsen and Twitter will deliver a syndicated-standard metric around the reach of the TV conversation on Twitter, slated for commercial availability at the start of the fall 2013 TV season.
“The Nielsen Twitter TV Rating is a significant step forward for the industry, particularly as programmers develop increasingly captivating live TV and new second-screen experiences, and advertisers create integrated ad campaigns that combine paid and earned media,” said Steve Hasker, President, Global Media Products and Advertiser Solutions at Nielsen. “As a media measurement leader we recognize that Twitter is the preeminent source of real-time television engagement data.”
“Our users love the shared experience of watching television while engaging with other viewers and show talent. Twitter has become the world's digital water cooler, where conversations about TV happen in real time. Nielsen is who the networks rely on to give better content to viewers and clearer results to marketers,” said Chloe Sladden, Twitter’s vice president of media. “This effort reflects Nielsen's foresight into the evolving nature of the TV viewing experience, and we’re looking forward to collaborating with Twitter ecosystem partners on this metric to help broadcasters and advertisers create truly social TV experiences.”
TV viewers discuss TV on Twitter, creating a new dynamic between audiences and programming. The service’s more than 140 million active users send one billion Tweets every two and a half days, the vast majority of which is public and conversational, making Twitter data a necessity in producing standardized metrics representing online and mobile conversations about television.
The Nielsen Twitter TV Rating will serve to complement Nielsen’s existing TV ratings, giving TV networks and advertisers the real-time metrics required to understand TV audience social activity. These ratings will build on top of NM Incite’s SocialGuide audience engagement analytics platform. NM Incite is a joint venture between Nielsen and McKinsey & Co., and the hub of Nielsen’s social media analytics efforts.
“The proliferation of smartphones and tablets has generated a substantial ‘connected’ TV audience that is simultaneously watching television and accessing the Internet through these devices. This, in turn, will continue to create the opportunity for content providers like CBS to offer engaging interactive features for our viewers. As this form of viewer engagement evolves into a mainstream activity, it presents ways for CBS to enhance the viewing experience for our viewers and our advertisers. We are already engaged with Nielsen and Twitter in a program of research and experimentation in this exciting new area,” said David F. Poltrack, Chief Research Officer, CBS Corporation. “We are pleased to see Nielsen and Twitter join together to provide a comprehensive measurement system that will allow us to employ these social networking tools to their full advantage."
“Twitter is a powerful messenger and a lot of fun for fans of our shows, providing them with the opportunity to engage, connect and voice their opinions directly to each other and us,” said Peter Rice, Chairman and CEO, Fox Networks Group. "Combining the instant feedback of Twitter with Nielsen ratings will benefit us, program producers, and our advertising partners.”
ABOUT THE NIELSEN TWITTER TV RATING
The Nielsen Twitter TV Rating will enhance the social TV analytics and metrics available today from SocialGuide by adding the first-ever measurement of the total audience for social TV activity – both those participating in the conversation and those who were exposed to the activity –providing the precise size of the audience and effect of social TV to TV programming.
SocialGuide, recently acquired by Nielsen and NM Incite, currently captures Twitter TV activity for all U.S. programming across 234 TV channels in English and Spanish, and more than 36,000 programs. Through a sophisticated classification process, SocialGuide matches Tweets to TV programs to offer key social TV metrics including the number of unique Tweets associated with a given program and rankings for the most social TV programs.
Source: Nielsen
Ah, so the more tweets there are about it, the better the ratings. Oooh, that's quite cool.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's quite as simple as that.
ReplyDeleteToo bad they couldn't do this before. Fringe would have done awesome!
ReplyDeleteso basically Neilson will be able to measure it but that doesnt mean it will actually mean anyhting? Have advertisers and tv networks figured out how to make money out of it?
ReplyDeleteNice, now Community probably gets from the lowest rated comedy on TV to the biggest comedy :D. If this thing really has impact, it's a formidable game-changer as long as advertisers really value social networks.
ReplyDeleteThanks, people who "simultaneously watch television and access the Internet" on their phone, iPad, iScam. My favorite shows usually are not big hits, so if social activity (which I'm not really into, I'm not that interesting of a person to type my life on Twitter) really helps, that's fantastic. Although that means typing on your phone or your computer during the viewing of one of your favorite shows, something I could never understand. As Chang, Brit Marling, Vicki, the priest and Taran Killam said, you are : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA0SLXgYyQM
This has been a while coming. Neilsen will pay Twitter for the info and that will help keep twitter ad free a little longer... The days of some stars opting out of Twitter are numbered, however. There is going to be a LOT more live tweeting...
ReplyDeleteWatch for advertisers to start building twitter into their ads as they air...
ReplyDeleteWould like someone to give a clearer idea what this means.
ReplyDeleteBasically it's the first tentative of many steps towards changing the Nielsen system.
ReplyDeleteWe'll know more when they start releasing their numbers in Fall 2013 and to see how the Networks and more importantly the Advertisers use and view this data.
This is basically the first step.
I see, it seems like a good idea but I am a little annoyed its come this late, so many shows could have done with the boost.
ReplyDeleteThere are still no indications if this will have any impact, remember it's the Advertisers that ultimately matter. If they see no value in this then it won't make much difference. eg a Show could trend hugely which, whilst great , if it does not lead to Advertiser X selling more products then it does not really matter to them.
ReplyDeleteBut it's a good first step in the right direction.
It looks like they are trying to stay relevant. I am wondering how if any changes will help.
ReplyDeleteI suggest you read the article on TVBTN
ReplyDeleteAbout time they do something like this
ReplyDeleteAbout time! If only they started this awhile ago we might of had a 6th and 7th season of Fringe!
ReplyDeleteNot sure this helps shows that were certain to be cancelled to well....not be cancelled.
ReplyDeletecould be super important for several shows.
ReplyDeleteis this any step towards polling older than 49 yr old viewers?
ReplyDeleteStars only seem to opt out when they let their opinions run a muck. If they keep it relevant and useful most stay a VERY long time.
ReplyDeleteDamn, if only this came last year, it could have saved The Secret Circle!
ReplyDeleteIt wouldn't have. It's still not being used by the advertisers
ReplyDeleteand its unlikely to be used in the future, social media is free advertising why would advertisers want to pay for something they already get for nothing? Its the TV networks that want socail media to be accounted for because they're the ones who stand to make money from it.
ReplyDeleteit dosent, it will however be used a spin by networks and no doubt used by fans clutching at straws
ReplyDeletesocial media is a form of free advertising, so advertisers arent going to want to pay for what they already get for free.
ReplyDeleteIt does however help both advertisers and networks see where they can further exploit the market.
Networks can increase their reach and hopefully get more viewers watching but ultimately those viewers will need to still actually be neilson viewers aged 18-49 and be infront of their tv screens.
stars endorsing products via social media?
ReplyDeleteSome stars (I'm thinking specifically of Jensen Ackles) have opted not to join twitter at all. Some stars join but never use it. It is starting to be written into contracts that talent is responsible for having a social media presence - so whether they like it or not, they may be required to live tweet during a show - no doubt it will be hashed out how many, what time zone, etc. However, that it also likely going to mean that talent will be allowed to have fewer of their own opinions on the accounts that are tied specifically to the shows. Talent - like Ashton Kutcher - and others who have tweeted stupid things or things they've regretted - take a "twitter-break" because of the bad press. Many have PAs who tweet for them - or publicity people who handle it...
ReplyDeleteThat's not what I said. Advertisers will have some sort of hook during commercials for people to tweet with them - something to keep viewers watching the actual commercials themselves.
ReplyDeleteI think you misunderstand how the system works. Neither the advertisers NOR the networks/studios are making money via social media. The networks/studios make the shows. Advertising (dvds, international sales, netflix - and other distribution channels) pays for the show. Advertisers determine how much they are willing to spend for air time based on how many eyeballs will see their commercial. Neilsen ratings are one way to count those eyeballs. What Twitter will add to that, is a way of seeing how many people are tweeting LIVE while a show is airing - thus being exposed to those same ads. Yes, you can have one person tweeting a 150 times during one show - but I'm betting they can figure out how to filter the results.
ReplyDeleteI actually see this as having more relevance to advertisers than counting DVR numbers. Counting how many people are LIVE tweeting during a show indicates eyeballs actually watching and more likely to see commercials without the ability to ff through them. Advertisers use the Neilsen ratings to determine how many people are actually watching so they can determine how much they are willing to spend on airtime for an ad during that program. The other thing a twitter feed can demonstrate is how active the viewer is. Viewers can also comment on ads or make a point of supporting the advertisers to support their show. Supernatural viewers did this last season. So they would watch and then afterwards they would tweet about the advertisers - so, for eg, "Great episode of SPN. Let's thank Brand X for their support by buying their Y."
ReplyDelete