Nielsen starts to count YouTube, Hulu live TV metrics

Nielsen has added viewing data from YouTube TV and Hulu’s new live TV service to its ‘Digital in TV Ratings’ audience metrics in the US.

Nielsen said it will look at how audience watch these services on desktop, tablets and smartphones, to give media buyers and sellers a “more comprehensive and transparent” view of how audiences are engaging with linear TV.

“This capability will provide broader audience coverage and inclusion and allow Nielsen clients to more effectively monetise content across platforms,” said Nielsen in a statement.

Heather Moosnick, director of content partnerships for YouTube TV said: “We built YouTube TV to bring the most popular ‘must watch’ TV to today’s video streaming audiences and we’re already seeing that live TV represents the majority of time spent watching on the service. Our network and advertising partners will benefit from Nielsen DTVR measurement of YouTube TV.”

Nielsen’s Digital in TV Ratings first launched in 2015 to let programmers and buyers account for all viewers across desktop and mobile devices – as long as the program content and commercials match the linear TV airing.

This capability was designed to bring together census-based data, people demographics and Nielsen’s representative panels to report audiences across national and local US markets.