Nielsen Lines Up Nat Geo Channel for New Ratings Service

Nielsen has lined up its first customer for second-by-second ratings data, hashing out a deal with National Geographic Channel that would allow for a more molecular-level analysis of consumer viewing behavior.While terms were not disclosed, the second-by-second accord is a pure research play. As such, Nat Geo will not make guarantees against the new data.The Nielsen data will be culled from some 330,000 digital set-top boxes in households serviced by Charter Communications’ Los Angeles system. The viewership data will not only give Nat Geo insight into how its audience interfaces with its programming and commercial pods, but will also provide Nielsen with another data stream to complement its People Meter ratings.The triangulation of viewership data is a key selling point for Nielsen, which is competing in the second-by-second media space with the likes of TNS Media Intelligence and TiVo. “The rapid evolution of the television landscape is causing the media industry to look for better ways to measure viewer engagement with content, as well as retention rates across commercial breaks,” said Jed Meyer, senior vp, Nielsen DigitalPlus. “[This] is another example of Nielsen developing measurement tools that address the needs of our clients and we applaud National Geographic Channel for taking advantage of the detailed insights that our service offers.” Nielsen will also measure how Nat Geo’s standard-definition feed stacks up against hi-def viewing. “We’re committed to using both syndicated and proprietary research to get a richer understanding of what resonates with our viewers to help focus our marketing and programming efforts,” said Brad Dancer, Nat Geo’s senior vp, research and digital media. “Nielsen DigitalPlus gives us unique advantages in reaching our targeted audiences because it offers a direct link between set top boxes in subscriber homes and set top boxes in its People Meter panels, enabling Nielsen to provide context for the raw STB data and integrate it with a wealth of other datasets.” Long an active participant in viewer research trials, Nat Geo recently wrapped a biometric test with Innerscope, which measured engagement as a function of certain somatic responses, like heart rate, eye movement and respiration. The network has enjoyed a solid fall season, averaging 411,000 total viewers in prime time during the month of September, an increase of 14 percent versus the year-ago period, while upping its delivery of adults 25-54 by 25 percent. Last month, Nat Geo was up 13 percent versus October 2007, while growing the demo by 15 percent.While the linear ratings have been strong, the network is particularly concerned about retention in the moments immediately before and during a given commercial pod. On the whole, Nat Geo doesn’t face any particularly knotty commercial-ratings issues; in the third quarter, the net retained 93 percent of its core demo.Nielsen is owned by The Nielsen Co., which is the parent company of Mediaweek.

Convergent TV

Nielsen Lines Up Nat Geo Channel for New Ratings Service

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