Nielsen and Roku form industry-first OTT audience measurement deal

A new agreement will see Nielsen measure all video advertising delivered to Roku streaming players and Roku TV models.

Approximately half of the 250 most-watched channels on the Roku platform are already delivering advertising-supported content to consumers. The new measurement is to become an industry-first for over-the-top devices, allowing marketers to buy video advertising on the platform with the same kind of audience guarantees as with traditional TV.

Participating publishers will be able to measure their audience according to Nielsen demographics, as well as have access to Nielsen’s Digital Ad Ratings to measure and report campaign audience delivery through the Roku platform.

Megan Clarken, executive vice president of Global Watch Product Leadership at Nielsen, said that cross-platform audience measurement is “critical” for advertisers looking to leverage OTT video consumption.

“By working with Roku to measure live streaming and on-demand advertising on its platform, we can give great insights into OTT viewing and expand all the measurement and delivery of Total Audience Campaign and Content insights for all our clients.”

Scott Rosenberg, vice president of advertising at Roku, added: “We believe all TV will be streamed, and with it all TV advertising.

“We’re excited to join forces with Nielsen to significantly advance the measurement and value of OTT advertising. With Nielsen, we’re integrating these capabilities directly into the Roku OS, enabling Roku’s channel publishers and advertisers to measure and transact on the industry’s leading metrics.”