SAG-AFTRA to License Nielsen Streaming Data

SAG-AFTRA has tapped Nielsen as its third-party provider of streaming content measurement.

The American actors’ union will use Nielsen’s Streaming Content Ratings service to inform the forecasting and enforcement efforts around the terms of its new TV/theatrical contract with the studios. It will complement the first-party data it receives from streaming platforms.

“The rapid evolution of the media landscape and audience behaviors over the past decade has not only affected how content is consumed and measured but also greatly impacts the financial models on which the entertainment industry operates,” said Nielsen CEO Karthik Rao. “We are incredibly proud that SAG-AFTRA has chosen Nielsen as the source for objective and consistent audience measurement insights in the streaming space.”

“New business models require new tools, and that’s why we’ve enlisted Nielsen,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA’s national executive director and chief negotiator. “The information they provide will give us the means to cross-check the data streamers give us and ensure employers are fulfilling their contractual obligations to our members.”