Rentrak Making TV Measurement Headway

Growing acceptance over the past several years of Rentrak's TV viewing data as at least a complement to Nielsen's has resulted in tangible benefits for TV stations and media agencies. But challenges remain for the ratings upstart. 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. "There are benefits to us intrinsically and benefits that are specific to what we are able to generate as a better resource to our [advertising] customers,” says Tim Busch, executive vice president of Nexstar Broadcasting, a mid-size TV group that has been with Rentrak since 2010.

Bonten Media Group, which has used Rentrak since 2011, says its late evening newscasts -- especially on its Fox affiliates -- have seen sharp growth in ratings. “Typically the Fox affiliates get under-reported by Nielsen,” says Randy Bongarten, CEO of Bonten Media. “Before, the ratings with Nielsen were less than half." Looking at a wide range of TV station clients, Steven Walsh, executive vice president of local television for Rentrak, says generally two key time periods have seen higher results: late fringe and early morning. TV stations, which had been getting microscopic or no ratings at all for specific TV shows, now have competing data that can’t be ignored, Walsh says. “Now you can have a negotiation.” Challenges remain, however, including figuring out how to track mobile, tablet, online and over-the-top viewing.