Twitter and Nielsen create new TV metric

Research firm Nielsen paired up with Twitter for an exclusive multi-year agreement to create the "Nielsen Twitter TV Rating" for the US market.With the partnership, Nielsen and Twitter will deliver a syndicated-standard metric around the reach of the TV conversation on Twitter.The gathered data will be commercially available by the start of the fall 2013 TV season.The "Nielsen Twitter TV Rating" will serve to complement Nielsen's existing TV ratings, giving TV networks and advertisers the real-time metrics required to understand TV audience social activity. These ratings will build on top of NM Incite's SocialGuide audience engagement analytics platform.NM Incite is a joint venture between Nielsen, McKinsey and the hub of Nielsen's social media analytics efforts.Steve Hasker, president, global media products and advertiser solutions said that the move was much needed as "programmers develop increasingly captivating live TV and new second-screen experiences, and advertisers create integrated ad campaigns that combine paid and earned media."According to Nielsen, TV viewers discuss TV on Twitter on a constant basis with 140 million active users sending one billion TV related Tweets every two and a half days. This makes Twitter data a necessity in producing standardised metrics representing online and mobile conversations about television.David F. Poltrack, chief research officer, CBS Corporation said because of the proliferation of smartphones and tablets, there has been a substantial number of ‘connected' TV audiences who are simultaneously watching television and accessing the Internet through these devices."As this form of viewer engagement evolves into a mainstream activity, it presents ways for CBS to enhance the viewing experience for our viewers and our advertisers," he added.Peter Rice, chairman and CEO, Fox Networks Group also lauded the move adding that the combination of the instant feedback of Twitter with Nielsen ratings will benefit not only the network and program producers but also advertising partners.