Nielsen to Launch Video-On-Demand Measurement Service

Nielsen to Launch Video-On-Demand Measurement Service

Service Fully Operational on December 11

NEW YORK, Nov. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Nielsen Media Research announced today that on December 11, 2006 it will launch a new service to measure nationally distributed Video On Demand (VOD) content using the same National People Meter sample it uses to provide television ratings to national programmers. As with Nielsen's current ratings, clients will receive household and demographic ratings for VOD content along with other detailed audience information. By measuring VOD content in its national ratings panel, Nielsen will enable clients, for the first time, to compare the performance of programs airing on traditional channels with the performance of those same programs on demand.

Nielsen will be able to provide VOD reporting to clients who implement "watermarking," or audio code, technology that identifies specific on-demand titles. Working in conjunction with clients, Nielsen has developed the encoding tools to uniquely "watermark" VOD content so that Nielsen's newly deployed Active/Passive meter can accurately identify on-demand viewing sessions.

Nielsen's launch of VOD measurement ushers in a new level of reporting for all types of video on demand programming, including titles from the libraries of content providers and recently telecast programs shown again via VOD.

New broadcast and cable network programming that is played back via VOD is already included in Nielsen's time-shifted viewing ratings, but only if the programming content and advertising is the same as is in the original live telecast.

"Because Video On Demand is a growing business and a potentially valuable new revenue stream for programmers, it is increasingly important for them to understand who is watching their shows and to be able to compare the viewing that is being done via traditional television and VOD," said Scott L Brown, Senior Vice President of Nielsen. "With this launch, we continue to 'follow the video' wherever it is broadcast, while fulfilling a commitment we made to clients who told us last year that VOD measurement was a major priority for them. Nielsen will be working with clients to make sure they install our watermarking technology so we can identify both their library content and their new, recently presented programs shown via VOD."

Nielsen's new watermarking process involves new software that embeds content identification information in the audio of the VOD program. This software has been successfully tested by a number of clients over the course of several months and is now ready for use. Once a client installs the watermarking software, Nielsen can identify the programs it wishes to track through the VOD process, and the VOD programs viewed in sample households can be credited accordingly.

About Nielsen Media Research

Nielsen Media Research is the leading provider of television audience measurement and related services, worldwide. In the United States, Nielsen's National People Meter service provides audience estimates for all national program sources, including broadcast networks, cable networks, Spanish language networks, and national syndicators. Local ratings estimates are produced for television stations, regional cable networks, MSOs, cable interconnects, and Spanish language stations in each of the 210 television markets in the U.S., including People Meter service in ten markets and electronic set-metered service in 46 markets. For more information, please visit www.NielsenMedia.com.

Nielsen Media Research is a unit of VNU, a global information and media company with leading market positions and recognized brands in marketing information (ACNielsen), media information (Nielsen Media Research), business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Computing, Intermediair) and trade shows. The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and New York, USA. VNU employs nearly 41,000 people. For more information, visit www.vnu.com.

Source: Nielsen Media Research

CONTACT: Gary Holmes, +1-646-654-8975, for Nielsen Media Research

Web site: http://www.nielsenmedia.com/
http://www.vnu.com/

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