Nielsen To Incorporate Views On YouTube, Facebook, And Hulu Into Digital Ratings

Nielsen announced today that it will give media publishers credit for content distributed on YouTube, Facebook, and Hulu. The analytics firm will measure viewership on these platforms in through its Digital Content Ratings system — a measurement scheme for desktop and mobile devices unveiled last fall. Nielsen already provided ratings for viewership occurring on publishers’ self-owned and operated properties.

In a release, Nielsen said that TV network and digital publishers will now be able to provide agencies and advertisers with a fuller picture of how people are consuming digital content across three of the world’s biggest platforms.

“Much of our content is being missed by traditional measurement tools,” said BuzzFeed’s vice president of research and insights, Edwin Wong

. “With this new tool at our disposal, we are able to have a clearer view of BuzzFeed’s true reach. Nielsen’s Digital Content Ratings are necessary for accurate audience measurement in today’s digital universe.” Executives from Group Nine Media, Horizon Media, Magna Global, Mic, Refinery29, and Tastemade also cheered the move.

The digital ratings on YouTube, Facebook, and Hulu will be reported separately from Nielsen’s linear television ratings, Variety notes — though the company did say last month that it would include viewership on YouTube TV and Hulu’s live TV service into its TV ratings reports.