Nielsen to Measure U.S. Video On Demand Usage From Set Top Box Data

Nielsen to Measure U.S. Video On Demand Usage From Set Top Box Data

New NORA(TM) Service to Report on Real Time, Transactional VOD Data, Integrated with Additional Data from across The Nielsen Company

Comcast First Provider to Utilize NORA Service

NEW YORK, Jan. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The Nielsen Company today announced the commercial launch of NORA Nielsen On Demand Reporting & Analytics(TM), a new measurement service that aggregates and anonymously reports on video-on-demand (VOD) usage based on real time transactions collected at the set-top box level.

Part of the Nielsen DigitalPlus service, this new web-based tool will also provide integrated data sets from other measurement services from across The Nielsen Company, including Nielsen EDI and Nielsen VideoScan. The new NORA offering complements Nielsen's existing panel-based National People Meter VOD Audience Measurement service.

At launch, Comcast, the nation's leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services, will be providing VOD data for the NORA service, covering January 1, 2007 to the present. Comcast will also begin using the NORA service immediately to analyze trends in VOD usage based on a number of factors, including programmer, program distributor, program category (e.g., if the program is available at no charge, is part of a premium service or is a title customers pay for individually) and the box-office revenue.

"Nielsen is very pleased to build on the success of our trial work over the past year with the commercial launch of NORA," said Holly Leff-Pressman, Nielsen's Senior Vice President of On Demand and Television Practice. "Between our new transactional measurement service for VOD and our National People Meter VOD service, Nielsen is well-equipped to help our clients make the most informed business decisions regarding the on-demand distribution platform."

By providing set top box-level data on actual VOD selections, NORA will enable Nielsen clients to interpret VOD viewing trends as well as analyze the impact of VOD usage. Nielsen is also developing the integration of additional data sets into NORA, such as those from Nielsen Media Research, Claritas, ACNielsen Homescan and Nielsen Online.

"On Demand usage is skyrocketing with more than 275 million programs viewed monthly on Comcast alone," said Derek Harrar, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Video Products for Comcast. "Our work with Nielsen will help us better understand what our customers like to watch, which is an important part of our commitment to providing the best viewing experience possible."

About The Nielsen Company

The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions and recognized brands in marketing information (ACNielsen), media information (Nielsen Media Research), online intelligence (Nielsen Online), mobile media (Nielsen Mobile), trade shows and business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek). The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and New York, USA. For more information, please visit, www.nielsen.com.

Source: The Nielsen Company

CONTACT: Anne Elliot of The Nielsen Company, +1-813-366-3556 or
anne.elliot@nielsen.com

Web site:

http://www.nielsen.com/

-------
Profile: intent