Nielsen’s contract to supply metropolitan television audience measurement has been extended by OzTAM until 2017, and the service will be improved to incorporate metrics for viewing across multiple screens, which OzTAM hopes to make available to advertisers later in the year.

OzTAM CEO Doug Peiffer says the extension of the contract provides continuity as Nielsen and OzTAM work together to enhance the service.  “This new agreement leverages OzTAM’s substantial investments including the introduction of its time shift viewing service, upgrading all panel homes to the state-of-the-art UNITAM metering system and decisions this year to increase the size of the OzTAM panels.”

OzTAM’s panel will increase from 3035 homes to 3500 homes over the course of the year, taking the number of panel homes to 950 in Sydney, 900 in Melbourne, 650 in Brisbane, 500 in Adelaide and 500 in Perth.

In addition, 10% of OzTAM’s 3500 panel homes will have both their TV sets and their PCs metered for viewing of broadcast TV content.

CEO of Nielsen’s Television Audience Measurement in Australia David Ellem, says, “Television viewing habits are evolving as new technologies create additional opportunities to view and we look forward to working with OzTAM to help Australian media owners, agencies and advertisers understand and leverage these developments in the coming years.”

The new agreement takes effect on 1 January, 2015 and continues through 2017.