Video Advertising Bureau calls for suspension of Nielsen’s accreditation
The Video Advertising Bureau (VAB) has formally requested Nielsen’s Media Ratings Council accreditation for their national TV service be revoked due to multiple, major and persistent violations.
Nielsen, the market research firm whose methodologies are often viewed as the definitive standards for television and connected television (CTV) ratings and ad measurement, is currently facing intense scrutiny as VAB claims Nielsen’s sample was not consistent with pre-Covid standards and therefore was negatively effecting TV viewership.
The Video Advertising Bureau, which counts A+E Networks, Disney, Fox, NBCUniversal and ViacomCBS as members announced: “VAB is fiercely advocating for transparency and accuracy on behalf of our members, as well as marketers who rely upon fair and accurate reporting to base their buying strategies. To maintain the integrity of the currency used to transaction billions of dollars of ad revenue, VAB has been actively monitoring Nielsen’s sample since we discovered systemic issues during Covid. Our initial investigation led to an independent MRC audit, revealing significant under-reporting of viewership.”
“Although Nielsen has taken steps to rectify the issues with its sample, our current analysis proves the issue persist. With nearly 18% of respondents still missing, the sample still does not accurately represent the TV viewing population, particularly diverse and younger homes.”
As a result, The VAB, on behalf of its publisher and distributor members, submitted an in-depth 10-page document to the Media Ratings Council detailing specific violations committed by Nielsen starting in March 2020 extending through today.
However, per an Adweek report, Nielsen which has long served as the industry standard for media advertising said it is fully committed to returning to pre-COVID operations and is working closely with and through the MRC to address any outstanding issues and requests and is also committed to their process concerning accreditation.
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