The first daily, all-electronic national TV ratings of TV viewing that occurs outside of the home – such as in offices, gyms, hotels and bars – is now available, thanks to The Nielsen Co. and Integrated Media Measurement Inc. (IMMI).

“Until now, no one has been able to provide on-going, 24/7 national measurement of television viewing that takes place outside the home,” said Sara Erichson, executive vice president of media client services for Nielsen. “Working with IMMI, Nielsen can now capture out-of-home viewing and provide a more complete picture of how people are watching television.”

Nielsen is offering the national service to clients as a stand-alone service, separate from Nielsen’s National People Meter sample, which is used to generate program ratings of viewing that takes place inside the home. Later this year, Nielsen and IMMI said that they plan to deliver local, out-of-home services in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Houston and Denver, which are the first markets in which IMMI has established panels.

"Zenith believes firmly in following the video,” said Wendy Marquardt, president of Zenith Media U.S. “In a mobile society, viewership isn't just about people sitting in the living room gathered around the set. Nielsen's Out-of-Home service is part of our commitment to the full understanding of video – in the home, out of the home, on the net and on personal media devices.”

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