Nielsen expands CTV tracking to UK Ad Intel platform

Nielsen announced on July 14, 2025, the integration of Connected TV (CTV) coverage into its Ad Intel product for the UK market, with availability scheduled for September 2025. The enhancement follows previous launches in the United States and Germany, expanding the company's cross-platform competitive intelligence capabilities.

According to the announcement, the addition enables marketers to track advertising spend across major streaming platforms alongside existing linear TV, digital, and other media types. The comprehensive coverage will include platforms such as All 4, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, ITVX, My5, Netflix, Now, Amazon Freevee, Freeview, Sky Stream, Tubi, and U (formerly UKTV Play).

Summary

Who: Nielsen, a global leader in audience measurement, data, and analytics, announced the enhancement with General Manager Inam Mahmood providing key statements.

What: Addition of Connected TV (CTV) coverage to Nielsen's Ad Intel product in the UK, enabling comprehensive tracking of advertising spend across major streaming platforms including All 4, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, ITVX, My5, Netflix, Now, Amazon Freevee, Freeview, Sky Stream, Tubi, and U.

When: Announced on July 14, 2025, with availability scheduled for September 2025, following previous launches in the United States and Germany.

Where: United Kingdom market launch, as part of Nielsen's broader EMEA region rollout strategy for enhanced advertising intelligence capabilities.

Why: Addresses the growing importance of CTV as the fastest-growing advertising channel, with 56% of global marketers planning to increase CTV spending in 2025, requiring comprehensive measurement tools for effective campaign management and competitive intelligence.

The enhancement addresses the growing importance of CTV in advertising strategies. Nielsen's Annual Marketing Report indicates that 56% of global marketers plan to increase their CTV spending in 2025, reflecting the channel's rising prominence in media planning. CTV has emerged as the fastest-growing advertising channel, requiring specialized measurement tools for effective campaign management.

The Ad Intel product enhancement provides multiple analytical capabilities for advertising professionals. Marketers can track CTV investment patterns within specific industries, identifying which platforms and creative approaches generate the most investment. This functionality helps identify gaps and opportunities in advertising strategies across the streaming landscape.

Creative and placement insights represent another key feature of the expanded product. Users can analyze competitor messaging and creative content, understanding how advertisements are positioned across different CTV platforms. This intelligence supports strategic decision-making regarding creative development and platform selection.

Device-level precision offers detailed breakdowns of advertisement performance across various delivery methods. The system tracks performance across in-app viewing, browser-based streaming, and smart TV applications. This granular data enables refined targeting strategies and return on investment optimization.

The measurement capabilities extend to comprehensive media planning support. Competitive and creative insights inform spend allocation decisions, creative messaging refinement, and overall campaign effectiveness improvements. PPC Land has extensively covered the challenges marketers face in navigating fragmented media landscapes, making comprehensive measurement tools increasingly valuable.

According to Inam Mahmood, General Manager for EMEA at Nielsen, the fragmented media landscape creates significant challenges for marketers. "Marketers today grapple with a fragmented media landscape, struggling to allocate ad spend effectively and cut through the noise," Mahmood stated. The executive emphasized that integrating CTV coverage into Ad Intel provides clients with comprehensive advertising intelligence for improved decision-making.

The technical implementation spans multiple streaming environments and viewing contexts. Coverage includes traditional smart TV applications, mobile app viewing, and browser-based streaming across the included platforms. This comprehensive approach ensures measurement accuracy regardless of viewing method or device preference.

Industry analysis suggests the timing aligns with broader shifts in media consumption patterns. Traditional linear television viewership continues declining while streaming platform usage increases across demographic segments. The measurement gap between linear and streaming advertising has created planning challenges for media buyers and advertisers.

The UK launch represents part of Nielsen's broader strategic investments in digital coverage enhancement. Previous launches in the United States and Germany established foundational capabilities that inform the UK implementation. The phased international rollout allows for platform optimization and feature refinement based on market-specific requirements.

Platform coverage encompasses both subscription-based and ad-supported streaming services. The inclusion of Amazon Freevee, Tubi, and other free ad-supported television (FAST) platforms reflects the diverse CTV ecosystem structure. These platforms have gained significant viewership as consumers seek free content alternatives alongside subscription services.

Data collection methodologies incorporate Nielsen's established measurement frameworks adapted for streaming environments. The system tracks advertisement exposure, frequency, and audience engagement across platforms while maintaining user privacy standards. Technical integration with streaming platforms enables real-time data collection and processing.

The September availability timeline allows clients to prepare implementation strategies and training programs. Early access programs may provide selected clients with preliminary capabilities before full market launch. This staged approach ensures system stability and user readiness upon general availability.

Competitive intelligence capabilities enable benchmark analysis against industry peers and category leaders. Advertisers can compare their CTV investment levels, platform selection, and creative strategies against competitive sets. This intelligence supports budget allocation decisions and strategic planning processes.

Market impact extends beyond individual advertiser benefits to broader industry measurement standardization. Comprehensive CTV measurement supports media planning accuracy and campaign optimization across agencies and brands. The enhanced visibility into streaming advertising spend patterns benefits publishers, advertisers, and media intermediaries.

Integration with existing Ad Intel functionality ensures seamless workflow incorporation for current users. Historical data comparisons and trend analysis capabilities extend across linear and streaming environments. This unified approach simplifies cross-platform campaign analysis and strategic planning.

The announcement reflects broader industry trends toward comprehensive measurement solutions spanning traditional and digital advertising channels. As media consumption fragments across platforms and devices, measurement tools must evolve to provide actionable insights for campaign optimization and strategic planning.

Timeline

• July 14, 2025 - Nielsen announces CTV coverage addition to UK Ad Intel product
• September 2025 - UK launch scheduled following US and Germany releases
• July 2025 - Nielsen launches CTV tracking within Ad Intel platform starting August in Germany
• April 2025 - ReachTV enables airport ad measurement with Nielsen ONE Ads
• February 2025 - Programmatic advertising growth reaches 72%, with Connected TV's share projected to double
• December 2024 - Nielsen expands ad measurement capabilities with new attention tracking feature
• October 2024 - Nielsen launches YouTube CTV ad measurement with cross-device tracking in Thailand
• August 2024 - Nielsen and Innovid partner to streamline cross-media ad measurement