Nielsen Launches Expanded Streaming Video Ratings Offering, Saying Streaming Is Now 25% Of TV Viewing

Dade Hayes
·2 min read

Nielsen has launched Streaming Video Ratings, extending its effort to capture the most rapidly expanding area of media and entertainment.

In its announcement, the measurement firm said the new tool will capture how much streaming activity is happening on TV screens. It will also measure how the various streaming providers compare, what devices are being used to stream and how different audience groups stream.

More from Deadline

Ten streaming services will be tracked, but Nielsen’s initially announcement does not name them. Since last summer, the company has included Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Hulu and Netflix in its weekly content ratings.

The tool will also include seven categories of apps, including subscription-based, ad-supported, network, social, gaming as well as multichannel video programming distributors (MVPD) and virtual MVPD apps.

The objective of the boosted set of streaming tools will be to hold up digitally delivered numbers alongside traditional linear ones.

According to Nielsen Streaming Video Ratings, among homes that are streaming capable, Netflix now accounts for about 7% of total time to the TV. Overall streaming has gone from 18% to 25% over the past year. One-third of streaming capable homes access between three and four SVOD services per month, but nearly half of homes also use an ad-supported service as well.

Beyond SVOD and AVOD, linear streaming, such as vMPVD apps, has also emerged as a popular and viable consumer content option according to insights uncovered via Nielsen’s SVR service.

“By 2024, it’s estimated that streaming platforms will have amassed 210 million subscribers, which represents a staggering number of consumers and a major shift in media habits,” said Kevin Rini, SVP Product Management, Nielsen. “Now more than ever, it’s important for our clients to have a clear understanding of the streaming landscape, both from a program or content perspective, which our SVOD service does, as well as at a macro view of audience consumption that takes into account the total use of streaming platforms comparable to linear TV. Nielsen Streaming Video Ratings does just that—rounding out our suite of streaming solutions and providing a comprehensive view of streaming consumption and advanced audience demographics. It will help any business buying, selling or investing in media to have the clear picture of the impact of these consumer shifts.”

Best of Deadline

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.