Nielsen launches solution to track premium theatrical films on VOD platforms

Mulan

With the increasing trend of distributors like Disney and Warner Bros skipping cinemas and going directly to streaming, measurement firm Nielsen has announced that it is launching its Theatrical Video On-Demand (TVOD) measurement service.

Nielsen said that the new offer will serve as a way to capture viewing of movie releases that are directly available to consumers to rent or purchase on demand through streaming/MVPD platforms.

The firm notes that the model of offering theatrical releases digitally at premium prices is a rapidly expanding distribution model that has been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. It said that the entire industry has a need to “analyse the volume and reach of their audiences by detailed household and person’s characteristics.”

The measurement service promises to help clients understand how many people are streaming these premium films and provide demographic and behavioral information far beyond the standard box office metrics.

Scott N. Brown, GM Audience Measurement, Nielsen, said: “As this unprecedented pandemic continues to influence consumer behavior, perhaps even through a prolonged state of recovery waves, being able to measure and help clients appropriately monetise new revenue streams has never been more crucial.

“A bigger question might be what will audiences do following any recovery, how the behavior adopted during stay-at-home orders might influence habits when consumers have the ability to go back to theaters to enjoy that experience and how content creators will leverage data to make the best decisions regarding distribution platforms in the future.”