Arbitron Deal Extends Nielsen’s Reach Into Consumer Habits

With its $1.26 billion acquisition of Arbitron, Nielsen is buying much more than the most widely followed radio ratings service.

It is also extending its already substantial reach into the overlapping forms of media through which people consume their entertainment and news, and spend their money — information that is essential to advertisers. Nielsen is best known for its television ratings, but its various branches also track an array of consumer product sales, like books and music, as well as consumers’ habits online and through their mobile devices. Just on Dec 17, for example, Nielsen announced a new system with Twitter to rank TV shows by their levels of social-media chatter. Arbitron, meanwhile, has remained primarily focused on radio consumption, which has held surprisingly strong in the Internet age as people stay plugged in to their favorite radio stations, particularly while driving. Through the deal with Arbitron, Nielsen should be able to track even more of consumers’ media consumption and buying habits.