Paramount Resumes Partnership With Nielsen For Data Services: Details

Paramount Global (PARA) has announced a renewed partnership with Nielsen, a leading global provider of audience measurement, data, and analytics. The multi-year deal, effective immediately, will cover all Paramount platforms, including national and local broadcast, cable networks, and streaming services like Paramount+ and Pluto TV. This collaboration aims to address the evolving landscape of television's multiplatform future.

Paramount has licensed several advanced Nielsen services as part of the agreement, including:

1. Advanced Audiences: This service will enable Paramount to understand and target specific audience segments more effectively, allowing for tailored advertising and content strategies.
2. Big Data + Panel: By integrating big data with panel measurement, Nielsen will provide Paramount with a more comprehensive view of audience behavior and preferences across different platforms. This data can be used to inform content creation and distribution strategies.
3. Ad-Supported Streaming Platform Ratings: This service will help Paramount measure the performance of its ad-supported streaming platforms, such as Pluto TV, enabling the company to optimize ad inventory and pricing strategies.
4. Nielsen ONE Ads for Connected Television: This service will provide Paramount with insights into connected TV (CTV) advertising, allowing the company to better understand and monetize its CTV inventory.
5. National out-of-home expansion: By expanding its out-of-home measurement, Nielsen will help Paramount understand and target audiences that are not reached by traditional TV measurement, further optimizing its advertising and content strategies.

The partnership comes on the heels of several recent ratings milestones for Paramount. CBS' broadcast of the AFC Championship Game on January 26, 2025, averaged 57.7 million viewers, setting an all-time record for the AFC and the largest overall conference championship in fifteen years. CBS coverage of the 2024 NFL regular season included three of the top five NFL games in October, the highest-rated game in November, and two of the top five in December. As the broadcast season swung into action this fall, CBS again established itself as a leader in broadcast dramas, with Tracker taking the crown as the top drama program in October, November, and December. Even more impressive is the stable of successful drama titles, including the reimagined Matlock, which came in a close second to Tracker in all three months and was joined by FBI, Elsbeth, NCIS, and the farewell season of Blue Bloods in the top 10 every month this fall. The total viewing time by Americans of CBS dramas across the fourth quarter of 2024 topped 50 trillion viewing minutes, which approaches 100,000 years of viewing, more than any other broadcast network.

Paramount+ also experienced major success in 2024 with original series like Lioness, Tulsa King, and Landman, which all appeared in the Nielsen Streaming Top 10 simultaneously in multiple weeks this fall. Landman, in particular, became the platform's first billion-minute (in a week) performer. The three titles have all appeared in the Nielsen Streaming Top 10 simultaneously in multiple weeks this fall, another first for the platform. Paramount also earned wins for its multi-platform strategy, with the most-watched new dramas across broadcast and streaming combined being Tracker and Elsbeth.

The renewed partnership with Nielsen will help Paramount optimize its advertising and content strategies across multiple platforms by providing advanced measurement services. These services will enable the company to gain deeper insights into audience behavior and preferences, allowing for more targeted and effective advertising and content strategies. This, in turn, can lead to increased revenue and improved audience engagement.

In conclusion, the renewed partnership between Paramount Global and Nielsen is a strategic move that will help Paramount optimize its advertising and content strategies across multiple platforms. By leveraging Nielsen's advanced measurement tools, Paramount can better understand and capitalize on its audience's preferences, optimize content strategies, and maximize advertising and subscription revenue across its platforms. The success of Paramount's recent ratings milestones, including the AFC Championship Game and popular dramas on CBS, validates the value of the partnership with Nielsen and positions the company well for future growth.