The advert trade received’t get a Silent Evening forward of the vacations, as Nielsen and the VAB go toe-to-toe over huge knowledge + panel.

Right now, the Video Promoting Bureau (VAB), a company representing the pursuits of the TV and premium video trade, released a new report calling Nielsen’s huge knowledge + panel (BD+P) product “unstable, inconsistent, and destabilizing.” In the meantime, Nielsen says the evaluation is “significantly flawed and manipulated.”

What VAB says…

Based on the VAB, its report on viewers knowledge from Sept. 15 to Oct. 12, which spans 33 networks throughout broadcast, Spanish-language, and cable, discovered “extreme variability” between Nielsen’s huge knowledge + panel — the providing the corporate endorses to be used as a forex — and its panel solely (PO) knowledge, which was the earlier trade commonplace.

Among the many findings, the VAB stated 45% to 58% of complete hours had over a 20% viewers variance on huge knowledge + panel vs. panel-only in a number of key shopping for demographics. As well as, between 16% and 40% of hours with NFL video games had double-digit viewers variances, which VAB stated might imply the lack of a whole bunch of hundreds of viewers in demos.

VAB president and CEO Sean Cunningham stated the providing has “already gone to worst case situation on early returns.”

“There may be deep instability on the large quantity buying and selling demos of 25-54, 18-49, and 18-34, as viewers ensures have been set on a systemically faulty BD+P basis that’s now displaying pervasive viewers volatility throughout the 33 networks we analyzed. It seems no one was spared, not even the reside NFL video games,” Cunningham stated.

What Nielsen says…

A Nielsen spokesperson referred to as the VAB report “significantly flawed and manipulated.”

“From what we’ve seen, the VAB incorrectly pulled our knowledge, and the bureau doesn’t know methods to do a correct rankings evaluation,” the spokesperson stated. “For instance, they pulled knowledge for reside sports activities with out accounting for a similar video games airing in numerous time zones throughout the U.S. The VAB is losing the money and time of its members.”

Nielsen ran its personal report over the identical dates (Sept. 15 to Oct. 12) utilizing reside + similar day program knowledge and stated that greater than 70 networks confirmed positive aspects in that point vary, evaluating huge knowledge + panel to panel-only knowledge. Related traits maintain throughout different demos, in line with the findings.

How issues stand with forex…

Nielsen has had issues with its big data + panel product stemming again to the most recent upfront, with inconsistencies and adjustments in methodology resulting in in depth delays in promoting negotiations. Talking anonymously, one outstanding purchaser informed ADWEEK the Nielsen situation was “ a shit show.”

Nonetheless, a number of media consumers additionally informed ADWEEK that opponents reminiscent of VideoAmp haven’t achieved sufficient to supplant Nielsen because the dominant forex, so the large knowledge + panel product could be the trade’s go-to providing shifting ahead.