The core purpose of this report is to address three basic concepts equally applicable to all categories of media measurement: how many, how often, and how long.
Fourth-quarter-2016 marks the first full quarter reporting on the effects of crediting enhancements to the mobile panel, specifically with regards to the time spent metrics (all of the “How Long” section plus Mins/Day (Users) under “How Often”). In August 2016 a legacy crediting rule on Android devices that capped usage at 30 minutes was removed, so now if a panelist uses an app or visits a website for more than 30 minutes at a time the entire length of the session is now credited. This change also went into effect for iOS devices in March 2016.
All of the findings were derived from the best available data in the reporting periods of Sept. 26-Dec. 25, 2016 and Sept. 28-Dec. 27, 2015. As a result, we can compare and align metrics with The Nielsen Total Audience Report, allowing the two reports to be used concurrently to gain a better understanding of trends in the marketplace.