4A’s and TVB Ask Nielsen to Replace Live Only Data Stream with Live +1

NEW YORK, Jan. 12, 2018  — The 4A’s and the Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB) have come together to propose a change to Nielsen’s published data streams that will better approximate daily consumer consumption and capture more delayed viewing behavior.

The proposal suggests replacing Nielsen’s Live Only data stream with Live +1. The Live Only data would still be tabulated and available through Nielsen but would not appear as a published stream.

Live Only captures households tuning into or people viewing a program on a specific station or cable network at the actual time the show is telecast. Any delayed viewing in excess of 25 seconds from the recorded time is not captured in Live Only data.

Live +1 data, on the other hand, captures households tuning into or people viewing a program at the actual time it was telecast, and also captures any delayed viewing within 24 hours of a prerecorded program. It accounts for the new viewing habits of today’s households, where consumers are starting programs but then pausing them and finishing them at their own pace and viewing programs on other devices that do not follow traditional program airing schedules.

“As television viewing has evolved, the Live +1 stream is now the best representation of the spot TV audience,” said Steve Lanzano, president of the TVB. “Live +1 also very closely aligns with and is the best surrogate of national C7 ratings, which has become the predominant national transaction currency.”

“Live +1 is a step forward in recognizing that the shifts in local media consumption are dynamic, and it’s our job to keep pace with consumers,” added Louis Jones, EVP of the 4A’s Media & Data Practice. “It also marks significant progress in empowering media buyers with more actionable and accurate audience data to make buying decisions with.”

The 4A’s and the TVB are in discussions with Nielsen about the proposal. It comes just six months after Nielsen’s announcement that it would start incorporating YouTube TV and Hulu’s live TV programming in its traditional ratings in order to better reflect the new ways people watch TV.

View the proposal here.

ABOUT THE 4A’S
The 4A’s, founded in 1917, is the leading authority representing the marketing communications agency business. It provides leadership, advocacy and training that empower agencies to innovate, evolve and grow. It serves 740 member agencies across 1,400 offices that control more than 85 percent of total U.S. advertising spend. The 4A’s is committed to protecting the best interests of its members, their employees and the industry at large. Its benefits division insures more than 164,000 agency professionals, and the D.C. office advocates for policies that best support a thriving advertising industry. With its best-in-class learning and career development programs, the 4A’s and its foundation fuel a robust diversity pipeline of talent for its members and the marketing and media industry, fostering the next generation of leaders. For more information, please visit www.aaaa.org.

ABOUT THE TELEVISION BUREAU OF ADVERTISING
TVB is the not-for-profit trade association representing America’s $21 billion local broadcast television industry. Its members include over 800 individual television stations, television broadcast groups, advertising sales reps, syndicators, international broadcasters and associate members. TVB actively promotes local media marketing solutions to the advertising community and works to develop advertising dollars for the medium’s multiple platforms, including on-air, online and mobile. TVB provides a diverse variety of tools and resources, including its website, to support its members and to help advertisers make the best use of local ad dollars.

Contact:
Nikki Kria
Havas PR
Tel. 646-643-2948
[email protected]