MUMBAI: When the ad market is tough and advertisers are demanding transparency, there is no option for publishers but to open up consumption metrics on their platforms. At least that’s what one understands from this morning’s announcement between audience measurement firm Nielsen and the recently-born JioHotstar.
Under this, the duo will deliver advanced analytics solutions ahead of the Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 to advertisers. The collaboration represents a significant shift in India’s digital advertising landscape, marking the first instance of transparent campaign reporting by an Indian media company.
Under the partnership, Nielsen will establish a sophisticated data pipeline to measure advertising effectiveness across JioHotstar’s properties, leveraging its century-long expertise in audience measurement and first-party data analysis. The company will deploy its flagship Nielsen One Ads platform—formerly known as Digital Ad Ratings (DAR)—alongside the newly developed Volumetric and Reach Analysis tools.
Advertisers and agencies will gain access to a unified dashboard providing crucial metrics including:
* Daily cumulative reach reporting
* Demographic breakdowns by age and gender
* Campaign impression data
* Click-through rates
* On-target reach metrics
* Near real-time performance insights
The initiative launches at a pivotal moment, as India experiences a substantial surge in digital content consumption across multiple platforms, including connected TV (CTV), mobile devices, tablets, and computers. The measurement system’s debut is strategically timed to coincide with the Tata IPL 2025, India’s premier cricket tournament, which traditionally attracts massive viewership across platforms.
“Through our association with Nielsen, we aim to redefine how advertising on digital/OTT is measured across India’s most iconic entertainment and sports properties,” said JioHotstar chief business officer Ishan Chatterjee. He emphasised that the partnership demonstrates JioHotstar’s commitment to providing advertisers with cutting-edge solutions that enhance transparency and precision.
Nielsen president commercial – Asia Arnaud Frade highlighted the significance of independent third-party measurement in today’s fragmented content consumption landscape. “This collaboration with JioHotstar not only reinforces our role as a preferred partner in the Indian media ecosystem but also enables us to address long-standing industry challenges,” Frade noted. “The biggest player has made a decisive commitment to transparency, equity of measurement, and adhering to global standards.”
The new measurement system will be particularly valuable during live sports events, where audience behaviour can be highly variable. Advertisers will receive near real-time access to data, with reporting available either same-day or next-day depending on the metric.
The partnership involves several technical innovations:
* Integration of Nielsen’s measurement tools with JioHotstar’s first-party data
* Implementation of advanced audience segmentation capabilities
* Development of real-time reporting mechanisms
* Creation of a unified dashboard for campaign performance tracking
Hemant Kewalaya, Nielsen’s India lead, acknowledged the complexity of the implementation while emphasising its significance: “For the first time, an Indian publisher is embracing transparency, which is truly encouraging. Hopefully, this move will inspire other publishers to step forward and contribute to strengthening this ecosystem.”
JioHotstar’s move to embrace transparent measurement is expected to set new standards for India’s digital advertising landscape. The collaboration addresses growing advertiser demands for accountability and measurable outcomes in digital spending. Industry experts anticipate this partnership could prompt other streaming platforms to adopt similar measurement frameworks, potentially leading to standardised digital advertising metrics across India’s rapidly evolving media landscape.
The initiative is particularly significant for live sports broadcasting, where accurate audience measurement has traditionally been challenging. With the integration of Nielsen’s tools, advertisers will be able to better understand viewer engagement patterns and optimise their campaigns accordingly, potentially leading to more relevant and effective advertising experiences for viewers.
