Lionsgate’s free, ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel MovieSphere will become the first of its kind to be measured by Nielsen Media Research, the companies announced on Tuesday.
The deal comes at a time when more consumers are opting for FAST services and channels to fulfill their entertainment needs, but that switch has been made without many measurement solutions in place to accurately gauge how often those products are used.
The lack of independent measurement data against FAST content streams means marketers aren’t always able to gauge the effectiveness of their campaigns. Lionsgate says they’re closing that gap by bringing “proven linear TV metrics to the FAST space.”
“Nielsen is providing us with a valuable and innovative tool to benchmark performance, evaluate what’s working and respond quickly to our audience,” Jim Packer, the President of Lionsgate’s Worldwide TV Distribution, said in a statement.
“This is potentially a very significant development where our team can leverage viewer reach, duration, frequency, concentration and other audience indicators to help us shape our branded general-entertainment channels to better return value for our partners,” Packer proclaimed.
Preliminary Nielsen data showed viewers watched slightly more than two hours of content on MovieSphere during the first three months of the year, roughly equating to the length of one blockbuster film. Viewership has increased 87 percent during the first quarter (Q1) of 2024 when compared to the same period last year, according to both companies, though it wasn’t clear how that data was collected or analyzed, given Lionsgate’s fresh partnership with Nielsen.
With MovieSphere becoming Nielsen’s first measured FAST channel, there is also a lack of comparative data against other FAST content streams, which might be performing better. For Nielsen, the hope is that MovieSphere will become the first of many channels rated by the agency using traditional linear TV metrics.
“With more channels and choices than ever before, Nielsen is highly focused on innovating to ensure our measurement helps clients understand what and where people are watching,” Amilcar Perez, the Chief Revenue Officer at Nielsen, said on Tuesday. ” The FAST market is growing rapidly, demanding more solutions to understand how people are engaging with FAST channels. “We’re pleased to collaborate with Lionsgate, a leader in the FAST market, to bring more clarity and efficiency to FAST players.”
