Nielsen Earns MRC Accreditation for Big Data + Panel National TV Measurement

The Media Rating Council (MRC) has officially accredited Nielsen's innovative Big Data + Panel National TV measurement. This comes after the recent accreditation of Nielsen’s integration of first-party live streaming data and the re-accreditation of its traditional Panel measurement. As a result, Nielsen is now the first accredited national TV audience measurement provider for Big Data + Panel.

Karthik Rao, CEO of Nielsen, stated, “The accreditation of Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel is a landmark moment for TV ratings, as it will forever change audience measurement. No one else pairs a high-quality, representative panel with a data set this large, pulling from smart TVs and set-top boxes in more than 45 million homes. I believe Big Data + Panel gives the industry the most accurate measurement in the history of TV. We’re grateful to our clients for helping us innovate once again.”

George Ivie, CEO and Executive Director of the MRC, remarked, “MRC has completed and evaluated rigorous audits of Nielsen’s National Service and its new components, including first-party streaming (thus far consisting of select NFL games) and the integration of big data. We have now approved the integration of big data so this combined methodology can be considered MRC accredited. This effort marks the first time MRC has accredited a hybrid panel/big-data product inclusive of persons-level estimates.”

Paul Ballew, Chief Data & Analytic Officer of the NFL, stated, “The NFL continues to support Nielsen’s efforts to modernise measurement so we can all benefit from accurate insights in an increasingly fragmented media marketplace.”

Further, “The accreditation of their Big Data solution is a significant step in the journey, and we commend Nielsen for their efforts,” he added.

Big Data + Panel National TV Measurement blends Nielsen’s high-quality, representative panel data with insights from cable and satellite set-top boxes and smart TVs, covering 45 million households and 75 million devices. This comprehensive measurement supports planning and cross-platform audience analysis within both Nielsen’s ecosystem and its partner systems.

Beyond advertising, the solution also supports content programming, licensing decisions, and TV distribution agreements. It was widely adopted by broadcasters and agencies during the 2024 Upfront season, with Nielsen endorsing its use as the currency for 2025.

In addition to Big Data + Panel, Nielsen has broadened its National TV out-of-home measurement, which is currently under MRC review. Nielsen also leads in streaming measurement with products such as Streaming Content Ratings, which power the Nielsen Streaming Top 10, and Streaming Platform Ratings, which contribute to The Gauge and the Media Distributor Gauge.

Nielsen has expanded Nielsen ONE for advertisers and agencies to include outcomes capabilities, in addition to its existing tools for advanced audiences, planning, and measurement. Although Nielsen ONE has not yet been submitted for MRC accreditation, plans for its evaluation are currently in progress.