Nielsen
The century-old TV ratings company, private since 2022 and agreeing to buy DoubleVerify in 2026.
New York, USA · founded 1923 · nielsen.com
What Nielsen does
Nielsen's ratings decide how much TV advertising costs: networks sell ads based on how many people Nielsen says watched. It has moved from paper diaries and set-top meters to "Big Data + Panel" measurement combining its panel with streaming and set-top data.
A consortium led by Elliott Management's Evergreen Coast Capital and Brookfield took it private in 2022. In August 2026 it agreed to acquire DoubleVerify for about $2.15 billion, adding ad verification to audience measurement.
How it makes money
Subscription and licensing fees from networks, agencies and advertisers for ratings and data.
Where it meets invalid traffic
Measurement is designed around real people; the DoubleVerify deal would add dedicated IVT detection.
Products
- Nielsen One
- Big Data + Panel
- Nielsen Digital Ad Ratings
- Gracenote
Quarterly revenue
From SEC XBRL filings · latest quarter +0.7% year on yearQuarterly net income
| Fiscal year | 2020 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $3.4B | $3.5B |
| Net income | $-6M | $963M |
| Diluted EPS | $-0.02 | $2.67 |