Respondents say comScore can develop into a real challenger with the launch of its cross-platform ratings this spring, and they heartily approve, believing that more media measurement competition is always a good thing.
Nielsen, the 93-year-old company that has long operated an effective monopoly over television ratings in the United States, is facing blistering criticism from TV and advertising executives who see it as a relic of television’s rabbit-ears past as the digital revolution transforms how people consume entertainment. New competition — notably the $768 million merger this week of the media measurement companies comScore and Rentrak — is forcing Nielsen to evolve.
On the heels of its acquisition of Rentrak, comScore is preparing a suite of new products and services leveraging its combined assets. ComScore CEO Serge Matta says the focus of media consumption will be based on households. Leveraging what he calls the “Total Home Panel,” Matta says the new comScore will measure up to a dozen devices per home, integrated with Rentrak’s digital set-top measurements.
The two longtime media measurement firms plan to use their “massive data scale to establish new currencies for understanding consumers’ multiscreen behavior.”
In separate special meetings on Thursday, ComScore Inc. and Rentrak Corp. shareholders voted to approve the previously announced merger of the two companies. At closing, which is expected by close of business Friday, Jan. 29, Rentrak will become a wholly owned subsidiary of ComScore. Also after the close of trading on Jan. 29, ComScore will join the S&P MidCap 400 Index, moving from the S&P SmallCap 600 Index.
Rentrak today announced that KITV Honolulu (DMA 66) has signed a local market television ratings agreement covering its two program streams, ABC on its primary channel and MeTV on a […]
Exclusives
The two companies set shareholder meetings for Jan. 28, 2016, to approve the deal.
Rentrak Signs Multiple Cowles Television Stations
Rentrak today said it has signed a long-term TV measurement agreement with seven television stations comprising 11 program streams owned by Cowles Publishing Co. Under the agreement, KTMF (ABC […]
Rentrak Adds Nexstar’s Phoenix, Vegas Stations
Rentrak today announced it has added Nexstar Broadcasting Group’s CW affiliate KASW Phoenix (DMA 12) and CBS affil KLAS Las Vegas (DMA 40) to its roster of ratings clients. Phoenix […]
Sarkes Tarzian-owned CBS affiliate KTVN Reno, Nev. (DMA 106), has signed a long-term TV measurement agreement with Rentrak. KTVN will have access to Rentrak’s passive measurement system including daily […]
Waterman Broadcasting has signed a long-term TV measurement agreement with Rentrak for its Fort Myers, Fla., duopoly of WBBH (NBC) and WZVN (ABC). In addition to Rentrak’s daily demographic and […]
Rentrak and Millennial Media are launching a new product where advertisers can retarget TV commercials to mobile devices. With the new product, the companies say markets can measure results to see their specific return on investment. They can also secure “share of voice” data from Rentrak, the TV/media research company, and Millennial Media, the mobile advertising company.
The long-term deal expands the TV station group’s ratings contract to all 172 stations in 81 markets.
Rentrak boosted its contract with Sinclair Broadcast Group on Wednesday, adding 164 TV stations to its roster of stations measured. With this deal Rentrak extends its reach to 615 stations, so it now tracks nearly one-third of all the nation’s TV stations.
Helping to navigate the expected wild swings in local TV advertising inventory for the political season, pay TV provider advertising sales company Viamedia and media measurement company Rentrak have announced a political advertising planning tool.
The service will report national ratings and impressions for live, C3 and C7 metrics for total households as well as, automotive purchasing, retailer spend, credit worthiness and political audiences based on daily reporting from all 210 markets.
CBS adds 15 more stations across 10 markets to the ratings service.
Rentrak today announced an agreement with Turner Broadcasting for Rentrak Advanced Demographics that will provide data for select advertisers around Turner’s suite of advanced advertising products. This agreement, an expansion […]
Audience measurement firm ComScore agreed to acquire rival Rentrak in an all-stock deal that aims to reshape the business of sizing up what consumers are watching — and the ads they are seeing — whether on TV, the Web or mobile devices. Under the deal’s terms, each share of Rentrak will be converted into the right to receive 1.15 shares of ComScore, valuing Rentrak at $732 million, compared with Tuesday market value of $697 million.
ComScore and Rentrak will combine in a stock-for-stock merger, the companies said Tuesday afternoon. Rentrak will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of comScore in the deal and comScore’s CEO, Serge Matta, will lead the combined company.
Rentrak has signed a TV measurement agreement with KNSD, the NBC-owned station in San Diego (DMA 28). KNSD joins other NBC-owned stations — KNBC Los Angeles, KXAS Dallas-Ft. Worth, WTVJ […]
Rentrak has signed a TV measurement agreement with Midwest Television-owned KFMB, the CBS affiliate in San Diego (DMA 28). KFMB will use Rentrak’s measurement system that gathers data from […]
The new agreement will provide the rep firm with ratings and demographic information for all 210 local markets.
May Ratings Good News And Bad For WAVE
Rentrak has signed a TV measurement agreement with Me TV affiliate WBBZ Buffalo, N.Y. (DMA 52). The station becomes the first in the market to use Rentrak’s massive and […]
Rubik lets networks and advertising agencies understand and identify the most relevant target households. Among its features is the ability to combine different segments into a campaign target so that custom reach and frequency reports can be defined and calculated.
Rentrak Making TV Measurement Headway
TV station executives — particularly those in small diary-only markets — say the more detailed and immediate Rentrak numbers have improved their selling position, and media agencies say they like Rentrak’s melding of viewership and product purchasing data. Challenges remain, however, including figuring out how to track mobile, tablet, online and OTT viewing.
The cable programmer will use Rentrak data to support its sales efforts, including the recently announced Viacom Vantage data-driven advertising product.
Rentrak has signed a TV ratings agreement with Crossmedia, an independent full-service media planning and buying agency. Crossmedia will use Rentrak’s national and local measurement services and its advanced analytics […]
Rentrak has signed a TV measurement agreement with Ellis Communications Group’s independent KDOC Los Angeles (DMA 2). With the addition of KDOC, Rentrak is providing measurement services to all of […]
Gannett’s CBS affiliate in the nation’s capital is the latest station to adopt the ratings technology.
Rentrak today signed a TV ratings and automotive segmentation agreement with Discovery Communications. Discovery will adopt Rentrak’s TV ratings and IHS Polk Automotive data, providing measurement of advertising campaigns running […]
Following more than a year of extensive auditing of its TV audience measurement methods, the Media Rating Council has determined that Rentrak’s national and local TV ratings are not yet ready for primetime and will not receive accreditation. The MRC noted that it is not unusual for a complex ratings system not to pass its initial audit, and said Rentrak has indicated it plans to follow through on “remediation steps” recommended by the MRC and would comply with a new audit that would be necessary for the MRC to reconsider accreditation of the services.
Game Show Network has signed TV ratings and video on demand measurement agreements with Rentrak. “GSN consistently ranks within the top 25% of all broadcast and cable networks and Rentrak ratings […]
Rentrak Adds Lilly Broadcasting’s WSEE, WENY
Rentrak today announced an agreement with Lilly Broadcasting to provide local market TV ratings to CBS-CW affiliate WSEE Erie, Pa. (DMA 150), and ABC-CBS affil WENY Elmira, N.Y. (DMA 175). The […]
The media services agency will use Rentrak’s national, local and on-demand services.
The TV station group will use Rentrak’s ratings services at all its stations in 33 markets.
Rentrak today announced a TV ratings contract with Saatchi and Saatchi Los Angeles. Saatchi & Saatchi LA will adopt Rentrak’s national TV ratings currency, including its automotive segmentations. “We are […]
The ratings service will combine its TV viewing information with Kantar Shopcom’s purchase transaction data from loyalty cards, credit cards and debit cards.
