Nielsen Launches Analytics Platform for Top 56 TV Markets

Nielsen said it launched Nielsen Grabix, a new analytics platform covering the top 56 U.S. TV markets that combines minute-by-minute TV ratings with smart-TV viewership data from its Gracenote unit.

“Viewership insights from Nielsen Grabix have given programmers and advertisers a competitive edge for years,” said Kelly Abcarian, senior VP of Product Leadership for Nielsen. “But the new addition of Gracenote Smart TV viewership data, which provides real-time insights and complements Nielsen’s industry standard ratings, pushes Grabix to the next level. The latest iteration of the product gives TV programmers and advertisers more power than ever to make data-driven business decisions that help them grow and build their audiences.”

The information provided via Gracenote previously had been available only for digital media. Now, Nielsen says, programmers, advertisers and news directors can instantly access audience behavior and trending topics while more effectively determining gains and losses for their programming and that of their competition.

Gracenote’s Silicon Valley development team redesigned the entire Grabix user experience. A new intuitive interface lets users seamlessly switch from micro to macro analysis and dynamic graphs feature real-time video streams to detail the exact moment of audience tune-in or tune-out. As a result, programmers can access detailed insights to enhance program content, scheduling, advertising and on-air promotions using real-time Smart TV viewership information.

A new, search capability lets programmers, newsroom staff and advertisers measure the number of mentions of a particular news event, politician, celebrity or trend by on-air talent or within in-program content. Programmers can separate different portions of a program into various segments, such as weather, news segments, advertising breaks, pre-game or half-time shows, and quickly assess viewership changes. A new interactive geographic heat map also allows users to analyze audiences by zip code.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.