Nielsen Signs New Local Ratings Deal With Zenith

Media agency Zenith signed an agreement renewing its access to Nielsen’s local television ratings data.

Nielsen is battling comScore in providing audience measurement in local markets.

The new deal with Zenith, part of Publicis Media, covers audience information across all 210 designated market areas.

“At Zenith, we believe in having access to the most accurate and complete measurement data that provides us with a total market view of local TV audiences,” said Joe Cerone, executive VP of local media investments at Zenith. “Nielsen is making substantial investments in its Local Measurement solutions, and we look forward to the evolution of the market currency combining the best that panels, return path, census data, OTT and other sources have to offer to measure the total viewing audience.”

Nielsen says it has been upgrading its local measurement, which in some markets was still based on outdated paper diaries. Nielsen says it is increasing the size of its local panels by incorporating data from Personal People Meters and set-top boxes.

“In today’s fragmented media environment, media buyers need access to dependable, actionable and accurate data that facilitates the advertising planning and buying process. Nielsen’s wide range of solutions enables agencies like Zenith to effectively deliver on an advertiser's campaign objectives while helping them uncover new audiences and consumer segments,” said Michael Sharp, managing director for Nielsen Local Agencies. “The enhancements that we are making to our Local TV service not only strengthen the measurement, but continue to bring the same level of confidence to the marketplace that the advertising industry has historically relied on to transact Local TV media buys across all markets.”

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.