Nielsen rolls out CTV measurement for APAC advertisers on YouTube

Nielsen has announced a significant expansion of its connected TV (CTV) ad measurement capabilities to include YouTube ads in 11 global markets.  

The collaboration with Google integrates YouTube CTV measurement, complete with co-viewing metrics, into Nielsen One Ads.  

This integration aims to change audience measurement in markets such as Australia, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, and the UK, marking a significant milestone in Nielsen's global rollout of Nielsen One. 

Campaign previously reported that the popularity of CTV streaming content in Asia continues to grow, as consumers are now offered a broader range of content and pricing options than ever before—including free ad-supported television (FAST) content (ads on the likes of YouTube and Netflix prior to paid subscription).

FAST audiences are drawn in by different content, including many international and unique interest genres that often cannot be found elsewhere. In APAC, free-to-air linear TV has always been popular, and research by Magnite shows that viewers prefer ad-funded content when it comes to streaming. 

For example, 80% of streaming TV viewers in India prefer to watch ad-supported content versus subscribing to an ad-free platform for a monthly fee, which spells an opportunity for FAST channels to drive ad inventory scale.

Nielsen One Ads, Nielsen's cross-platform campaign measurement product suite, offers deduplicated audience reach and frequency metrics. By incorporating YouTube CTV measurement on an international scale, Nielsen is providing advertisers and agencies with an all-encompassing view of campaign performance across various platforms.  

Nielsen One enables publishers and platforms to track viewership, assisting media buyers in effectively planning, optimising, and measuring campaigns. By aggregating viewing across distribution channels, Nielsen One Content aims to deepen the industry's understanding of content value, guiding content development strategies, media planning, and content distribution agreements. 

Adhering to principles of cross-platform comparability, comprehensive coverage, and measurement quality enhancement, Nielsen aims to set the standards in audience measurement. Utilising the Nielsen ID system, which incorporates panel data, third-party identity data, and direct publisher integrations, it aims to offer an understanding of true person-level viewing. 

This initiative enables a more nuanced understanding of audience reach, facilitates efficient frequency management, and ensures the verification of YouTube ad buys with newfound comparability. 

“The way people watch video has changed, and advertisers are calling for comprehensive cross-media measurement across screens,” said Kate Alessi, managing director of global product solutions at YouTube.  

“This expansion allows advertisers and agencies in 11 additional markets to compare YouTube’s reach across devices with TV, providing a more complete picture of ad spend and the deduplicated audiences they’re reaching.” 

For three-screen deduplication, which encompasses mobile, computer, and CTV, the UK is set for Q2 2024. This will be followed by Germany, India, Italy, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, and Thailand in Q3 2024, with additional markets to be announced later in 2024. 

Furthermore, the plan extends to four-screen deduplication, adding linear TV to the mix, targeting Indonesia, Mexico, the Philippines, Thailand, South Korea, and the UK for the second half of 2024.