Lionsgate said it has made a deal with Nielsen to make its MovieSphere channel the first major free ad-supported television (FAST) channel to get traditional linear audience metrics from the measurement company.
With cord-cutting reducing the number of viewers watching cable TV, marketers have been putting more of their ad dollars into streaming FAST channels. But a lack of reliable and familiar audience metrics has raised concerns about whether that money is well spent.
“By bringing proven linear TV metrics to the FAST space, Nielsen is providing us with a valuable and innovative tool to benchmark performance, evaluate what’s working and respond quickly to our audiences,” Lionsgate president of worldwide television distribution Jim Packer said.
“This is potentially a very significant development where our team can leverage viewer reach, duration, frequency, concentration and other audience indicators to help us shape our branded general-entertainment channels to better return value for our partners,” Packer said.
MovieSphere has been growing, with viewership up 87% in Q1 of 2024. The channel was watched for an average of about 123 minutes per viewer, according to Nielsen, making it comparable to some of the top basic cable networks.
Nielsen will provide Lionsgate with detailed demographic data on MovieSphere’s audience, allowing the company to better understand its viewers and make informed content decisions.
“With more channels and choices than ever before, Nielsen is highly focused on innovating to ensure our measurement helps clients understand what and where people are watching,“ Nielsen chief revenue officer Amilcar Perez said. “The FAST market is growing rapidly, demanding more solutions to understand how people are engaging with FAST channels. “We’re pleased to collaborate with Lionsgate, a leader in the FAST market, to bring more clarity and efficiency to FAST players.”
MovieSphere is available on 18 streaming platforms, including Samsung, Roku and Pluto TV, and will be available on nearly 20 platforms before the end of the year, Lionsgate said.
The FAST channel features movies from Lionsgate’s film library including Silver Linings Playbook, Winter’s Bone, Hacksaw Ridge, Meatballs, Good Luck Chuck and Dirty Grandpa.
