Nielsen has won accreditation for its Big Data + Panel TV measurement, becoming the first ratings provider to earn approval for that methodology.

The accreditation from the Media Rating Council is a signal to the industry that Nielsens hybrid of traditional panel measurement (with a sample of about 100,000 people) with data from some 75 million digital devices smart TVs, set-top boxes and the like is sound. Nielsen says it will encourage clients to use the big data plus panel measurement as currency in the coming upfront ad-buying season. The accreditation of Nielsens Big Data + Panel is a landmark moment for TV ratings, as it will forever change audience measurement, Nielsen CEO Karthik Rao said in a statement. No one else pairs a high quality, representative panel with a data set this large, pulling from smart TVs and set top boxes in more than 45 million homes. I believe Big Data + Panel gives the industry the most accurate measurement in the history of TV. Were grateful to our clients for helping us innovate once again.

The accreditation for the big data plus panel measurement follows the Media Ratings Councils thumbs up to Nielsen incorporating first-party streaming data with its traditional measurement for live events (currently only in use for NFL games on Amazons Prime Video, though that may change). The council also renewed its accreditation for Nielsens panel measurement in November.

MRC has completed and evaluated rigorous audits of Nielsens National Service and its new components, including first party streaming (thus far consisting of select NFL games) and the integration of big data, said Media Rating Council CEO and executive director George Ivie. This effort marks the first time MRC has accredited a hybrid panel/big-data product inclusive of persons level estimates.

The big data component of the hybrid methodology sees Nielsen collect information from 45 million households in the United States, encompassing about 75 million devices. Combining it with panel data creates a sort of checks and balances system: The wider scope of big data portion might catch more niche programming that sometimes shows up as a zero rating with panel homes, while the granular demographic details of the panel (which is representative of the population as a whole) can in turn be applied and extrapolated to the larger set.

The big data/panel hybrid also has the support of the National Football League, which is responsible for most of the biggest telecasts on TV in any given year. The NFL continues to support Nielsens efforts to modernize measurement so we can all benefit from accurate insights in an increasingly fragmented media marketplace, saidPaul Ballew, the leagues chief data and analytics officer. The accreditation of their Big Data solution is a significant step in the journey and we commend Nielsen for their efforts.