Nielsen And Paramount Global Bury The Hatchet, Agree To Long-Term Measurement Deal

Nielsen and Paramount Global ended a four-month standoff, agreeing to a new multi-year TV measurement deal.

Claiming that Nielsen was looking to charge it too much, Paramount last fall decided not to renew its deal with the company that dominates the ratings on which advertising deals are based.

Paramount appeared to be surviving without Nielsen ratings. If other media companies had decided to join Paramount in not renewing their Nielsen deals, there would have been a chance that Nielsen’s near monopoly of the business could have been challenged.

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Both sides officially expressed satisfaction with the new arrangement.

“Paramount and Nielsen are committed to addressing television’s multiplatform future to the benefit of all of our stakeholders. Karthik [Rao, CEO of Nielsen] and his team continue to meet the needs of our marketplace across all our platforms, and we are incredibly pleased to reinforce and reinvigorate our deal with our longtime partner,” said George Cheeks, co-CEO at Paramount Global in a press release. “Paramount Global’s ratings wins reported today are just one of many successes we look forward to with Nielsen as we build upon this new future together.”

“We are thrilled to resume our partnership with Paramount, as their leaders continue to build one of the strongest brands in entertainment,” said Rao. “Our trusted data shows how Paramount’s content and advertising strategy is thriving across every platform, across all ages and demos. As Paramount continues its evolution into a next-generation media company, we're proud to play a critical role and know this deal will be a win for everyone: Nielsen, Paramount and all of our joint advertising partners.”