Connected TV and streaming services were already on the rise, but increased substantially in 2020 as consumer behavior adjusted to pandemic life. According to YouTube, connected TV viewership has spiked 80% since March, further exaggerating the fragmentation of the current state of reporting.

The good news? The third party reporting platforms like Nielsen are starting to evolve their practice. Ads watched on YouTube and YouTube TV on connected TV devices will be added to Nielsen’s Digital Ad Ratings and Nielsen’s Total Ad ratings beginning next year, according to Nielsen. This will allow for more cohesive reporting as audiences can now be tracked across all screens (YouTube and YouTube TV apps on connected TVs, digital and mobile). Nielsen already has integrated connected TV campaign measurement on other platforms, including Amazon, Hulu and Roku, but the addition of YouTube expands their measurement capabilities substantially.

The first phase of the measurement expansion is expected to roll out in the first half of 2021, and will begin on YouTube TV, YouTube’s virtual MVPD offering, Nielsen said. Measurement on the YouTube app will be folded in shortly thereafter.