Nielsen, Twitter set up social TV ratings

US audience measurement specialist Nielsen has joined forces with Twitter to create a TV ratings system based on the social network stateside.

Nielsen Twitter TV Rating will deliver a “syndicated-standard metric around the reach of the TV conversation on Twitter” and will be available on a commercial basis from the start of the fall 2013 TV season.

Twitter has increasingly aligned itself with the TV business over the past few years and last month Nielsen bought out social TV analytics firm SocialGuide, which ranks shows according to Twitter activity.

The new ratings system will complement Nielsen’s existing TV ratings, giving TV networks and advertisers the real-time metrics required to understand TV audience social activity, according to the two parties.

They will build on the SocialGuide business, which is part of Nielsen’s NM Incite social research arm – a joint venture with McKinsey & Co.

Nielsen president of global media products and advertiser solutions Steve Hasker said the company recognised Twitter as “the preeminent source of real-time television engagement data.”

“The Nielsen Twitter TV Rating is a significant step forward for the industry, particularly as programmers develop increasingly captivating live TV and new second-screen experiences, and advertisers create integrated ad campaigns that combine paid and earned media,” he said.

Twitter claims over 140 million active users and a significant proportion of tweets related to TV shows.

“Our users love the shared experience of watching television while engaging with other viewers and show talent. Twitter has become the world’s digital water cooler, where conversations about TV happen in real time,” said the company’s VP of media Chloe Sladden.

“This effort reflects Nielsen’s foresight into the evolving nature of the TV viewing experience, and we’re looking forward to collaborating with Twitter ecosystem partners on this metric to help broadcasters and advertisers create truly social TV experiences.”

It’s not clear, however, what this means for social TV specialists such as Trendrr and Bluefin Labs, which have largely built businesses based on the providing clients with insights into what Twitter activity around their programming means.

For more on the fast-moving social TV space, see C21’s 2012 Social TV season.