USA: Nielsen adds broadband-only homes to TV universe

Nielsen said Tuesday that it will include homes that can only receive video programming through a broadband Internet connection in its 2014 estimate of the U.S. TV household universe, which will expand by 1.2 percent to 115.6 million.

The move comes one year after Nielsen announced that it expected the TV universe to shrink, partly because of an increase in consumers cutting the cord on cable and satellite TV subscriptions to rely on Internet video devices for watching TV shows and movies. Nielsen has previously only counted homes that can watch TV through over-the-air antennas or subscriptions to cable or satellite TV programming packages in its calculation of the TV universe.

Nielsen wrote in a blog post that its new definition of a TV household "states that homes must have at least one operable TV/monitor with the ability to deliver video via traditional means of antennae, cable set-top-box or satellite receiver and/or with a broadband connection."

While Nielsen plans to add broadband-only homes to the TV universe, it is not yet distributing regular ratings reports that measure online video viewing. Last week, it announced that it would run a pilot program with several programmers, including CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS), Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA), A&E Networks, ABC, NBC, Fox and Univision that is focused on generating overnight ratings reports that detail online video viewing.

For more:http://www.fiercecable.com/story/nielsen-adds-broadband-only-homes-tv-universe/2013-05-08?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal