The Media Rating Council approves the company's use of traditional panel sampling alongside input from millions more homes.

Nielsen has received accreditation for its Big Data + Panel national TV measurement from the Media Rating Council (MRC), certifying its ability to combine first-party viewership data with its panel. Why it matters: The certification better positions Nielsen to accurately capture viewership for TV networks and advertisers after the rise of media fragmentation and streaming challenged its traditional methods.

Nielsen's Big Data + Panel technology which includes measurement of smart-TV audiences, won backing from the Media Rating Council before the upfront