• by Wayne Friedman , January 11, 2023

Amid the massive changes that are expected to come in media measurement, and a slowing economy, Nielsen has confirmed an undisclosed level of global layoffs.

A Nielsen spokesperson, in an email to Television News Daily, said “the total headcount after this reorganization will be roughly in line with where it was a year ago.”

“the total headcount after this reorganization will be roughly in line with where it was a year ago.” The spokesperson added: “In this effort, we are prioritizing investments in our panel, product quality, and technical innovation --the cornerstones of our brand.”

According to one report by Axios, from a copy of a company memo, Nielsen cited economic conditions as the reason for the move.

Earlier this week, major TV network-based media companies, working with advanced advertising company OpenAP, said they will form a committee to start up a process to certify multiple cross-platform currencies planned to be ready for the upfront TV advertising market set to commence this summer.

Nielsen has been the dominant currency for deal-making between TV networks and major brand marketers for decades. 

The news of layoffs comes after more than a year in which TV networks aligned with major media agency groups have been testing new alternative measurement efforts when it comes to calculating viewing/usage of TV and/or cross media platforms.

In October 2022, Nielsen Holdings closed sale, an all-cash transaction of $16 billion, including the assumption of debt, to a private equity consortium led by Evergreen Coast Capital/Brookfield Business Partners.