PARAMOUNT AND NIELSEN SIGN MULTI-YEAR MEASUREMENT AND ANALYTICS DEAL ACROSS PARAMOUNT'S LEADING BROADCAST, CABLE AND STREAMING PLATFORMS
Rhea-AI Summary
Paramount Global (PARA) and Nielsen have signed a new multi-year measurement and analytics deal covering all Paramount platforms, including broadcast, cable networks, and streaming services. The partnership includes advanced measurement services like Advanced Audiences, Big Data + Panel, and Nielsen ONE Ads for Connected Television.
The announcement highlights significant ratings achievements for Paramount, including CBS's AFC Championship Game drawing 57.7 million viewers and strong performance of drama series. Tracker led as the top drama with 11.3-11.6 million average viewers across fall months, while Paramount+ celebrated success with series like Lioness, Tulsa King, and Landman, the latter becoming its first billion-minute weekly performer.
CBS dramas accumulated over 50 trillion viewing minutes in Q4 2024, surpassing other broadcast networks. The multi-platform strategy proved successful with Tracker and Elsbeth achieving 26.07 billion and 14.94 billion minutes viewed respectively across multiple platforms.
Positive
- Record-breaking AFC Championship Game viewership of 57.7 million viewers
- Tracker leads drama ratings with 11.3-11.6 million average viewers
- CBS dramas achieved 50 trillion viewing minutes in Q4 2024
- Landman becomes first Paramount+ series to reach billion-minute weekly viewership
- Strong multi-platform performance with Tracker (26.07B minutes) and Elsbeth (14.94B minutes)
Negative
- None.
Insights
The new multi-year partnership between Paramount and Nielsen marks a strategic evolution in Paramount's data-driven approach to content monetization and audience engagement. The deal's comprehensive scope, covering broadcast, cable and streaming platforms, positions Paramount to optimize its $7.2B market cap business across all distribution channels.
The agreement's timing is particularly strategic, coming after significant viewership achievements. CBS's record-breaking 57.7 million viewers for the AFC Championship Game and the consistent performance of drama series like Tracker (11.3-11.6 million viewers) demonstrate Paramount's strong content portfolio. These metrics, now validated by Nielsen's enhanced measurement capabilities, strengthen Paramount's position in negotiations with advertisers.
Notable advantages of this partnership include:
- Advanced Audiences and Big Data + Panel services enable more precise targeting and premium pricing for advertising inventory
- Nielsen ONE Ads for Connected Television provides important streaming measurement capabilities as Paramount+ expands its market presence
- National out-of-home expansion captures previously unmeasured viewership, potentially increasing advertiser value proposition
The deal's most significant impact lies in its potential to optimize content investment decisions. With Paramount+ achieving its first billion-minute performer and multiple shows simultaneously appearing in Nielsen's Streaming Top 10, the enhanced analytics will help inform future content development and acquisition strategies. This data-driven approach is particularly valuable as Paramount balances investments across traditional broadcast and streaming platforms.
This partnership represents a strategic advantage in the increasingly competitive media landscape. By securing comprehensive measurement across all platforms, Paramount gains critical capabilities for optimizing its multi-platform distribution strategy. The ability to track cross-platform performance of content like Tracker (26.07 billion minutes viewed across CBS, Paramount+ and Hulu) enables more sophisticated content windowing and monetization strategies.
The deal's business implications are substantial:
- Enhanced ability to demonstrate ROI to advertisers through advanced audience measurement
- Improved content investment decisions based on comprehensive viewing data
- Stronger negotiating position with advertisers due to validated cross-platform reach
- Better optimization of content distribution across owned platforms
The timing aligns with Paramount's evolution toward a next-generation media company, providing essential tools for competing in both traditional and streaming markets. The success of original series like Lioness, Tulsa King and Landman on Paramount+ demonstrates the platform's growing strength, while CBS's continued dominance in broadcast programming shows the company's ability to maintain traditional revenue streams while building streaming presence.
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Nielsen Reports Major Recent Ratings Milestones for CBS and Paramount+ Series
The announcement was made today by Karthik Rao, Nielsen CEO and George Cheeks, President and CEO, CBS and Co-CEO, Paramount Global.
"We are thrilled to resume our partnership with Paramount, as their leaders continue to build one of the strongest brands in entertainment," said Rao. "Our trusted data shows how Paramount's content and advertising strategy is thriving across every platform, across all ages and demos. As Paramount continues its evolution into a next-generation media company, we're proud to play a critical role and know this deal will be a win for everyone: Nielsen, Paramount and all of our joint advertising partners."
"Paramount and Nielsen are committed to addressing Television's multiplatform future to the benefit of all of our stakeholders. Karthik and his team continue to meet the needs of our marketplace across all our platforms, and we are incredibly pleased to reinforce and reinvigorate our deal with our longtime partner," said Cheeks. "Paramount Global's ratings wins reported today are just one of many successes we look forward to with Nielsen as we build upon this new future together."
Paramount hit a number of recent ratings milestones. CBS' broadcast of the AFC Championship Game on January 26 averaged 57.7 million viewers, setting the 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 (27.5 million viewers) in the November interval; and two of the top five in a hotly contested December. As the broadcast season swung into action this fall, CBS again established itself as a leader in broadcast dramas, building on its track record to develop new franchises. Tracker came back for its second season and took the crown as the top drama program in October (11.3 million average viewers), November (11.6 million) and December (10.8 million). Even more impressive is the stable of successful drama titles including this season's breakout new hit, 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 Lioness, Tulsa King, and one of the most talked about shows of the season, Landman, which has given the platform its 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. In 2024, the most-watched new dramas across broadcast and streaming combined were Tracker, with 26.07 billion minutes viewed (CBS, Paramount+, Hulu) and Elsbeth, with 14.94 billion minutes viewed (CBS, Paramount+).
The deal comes on the heels of a number of Nielsen innovations. On February 3, Nielsen announced its Out-of-Home (OOH) measurement now covers
About Paramount
Paramount Global (NASDAQ: PARA, PARAA) is a leading global media, streaming and entertainment company that creates premium content and experiences for audiences worldwide. Driven by iconic consumer brands, Paramount's portfolio includes CBS, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, Paramount+ and Pluto TV. Paramount holds one of the industry's most extensive libraries of TV and film titles. In addition to offering innovative streaming services and digital video products, the company provides powerful capabilities in production, distribution, and advertising solutions.
For more information about Paramount, please visit www.paramount.com and follow @ParamountCo on social platforms.
About Nielsen
Nielsen is a global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics. Through our understanding of people and their behaviors across all channels and platforms, we empower our clients with independent and actionable intelligence so they can connect and engage with their global audiences—now and into the future.
For advertisers, agencies, and publishers, Nielsen has recently expanded Nielsen ONE to include outcomes capabilities, in addition to advanced audiences, planning and measurement. Nielsen's measurement is powered by person-level data from panels of over 1.2 million individuals and backed by the scale of the industry's largest big data footprint and broadest coverage across digital, linear, streaming, and CTV.Learn more at www.nielsen.com and connect with us on social media (X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram).
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SOURCE Nielsen