AI, Audience Measurement & Media’s Future with Nielsen CEO Karthik Rao

Nov 11, 2025

Karthik Rao, CEO of Nielsen, discusses his company's bold transformation amid a shifting media landscape. He dives into the blend of big data and panel measurement, revealing how this foundational change addresses fragmentation and enhances audience understanding. The rise of YouTube on connected TVs and its challenges is explored, alongside the role of AI in integrating digital and linear workflows. Karthik also touches on the essential support for creators and the ongoing 'currency wars' in media measurement.

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INSIGHT

Big Data Plus Panel Is The New Foundation

Nielsen shifted from panel-only to a "big data plus panel" architecture to scale measurement across streaming and fragmentation.
That hybrid approach pairs massive device-level data with panel-based truths to future-proof audience measurement.

ADVICE

Coordinate Culture, Tech, And Measurement

Move culture, tech, and AI together when scaling from panels to big-data operations.
Invest in metrologies and industry alignment so different methodologies can be compared and trusted.

INSIGHT

Explainability And Traceability Are Nonnegotiable

Explainability and traceability are critical when exploding data volumes change metrics.
Nielsen must provide historical context and traceable logic so clients can trust new results.

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This week on Next in Media, I sat down with Nielsen CEO Karthik Rao to get an inside look at the company’s transformation in a fast-evolving media landscape. From the explosive rise of YouTube on connected TVs to tackling fragmentation across platforms, Karthik breaks down how Nielsen is reinventing itself with big data, AI, and a mission to future-proof measurement.

We talked about the company’s response to public challenges, its roadmap for creator measurement, and why the shift to big data plus panel is more than just a tech upgrade—it’s a foundational change in how the industry understands audiences. Whether you're curious about the "currency wars," the power of creators, or the role AI could play in stitching together digital and linear, this episode delivers some fascinating insight straight from the top.

Timestamps:

[0:00] - Karthik Rao on AI’s role in unifying disparate parts of the media world
[1:07] - From CEO of Nielsen Global Media to CEO of Nielsen: Karthik’s journey
[2:36] - Why Nielsen’s transformation was necessary to keep up with fragmentation and streaming
[3:39] - The company’s shift from panel-only to big data plus panel—what that means and why it matters
[5:45] - Balancing innovation, trust, and marketplace readiness
[8:28] - What really happened with the NFL and how Nielsen navigated public scrutiny
[13:16] - Media negotiations in the press and why everyone keeps coming back to Nielsen
[15:01] - The underestimated breadth of Nielsen’s business beyond just ratings
[17:04] - AI’s game-changing potential in media buying and data integration
[20:01] - YouTube’s dominance on CTVs and why creator content is more serious than many assume
[22:57] - How Nielsen plans to help creators scale across media ecosystems
[25:56] - The current state of "currency wars" and why standardizing to human truths matters
[27:21] - Nielsen’s plan to measure podcasting’s evolving video/audio landscape

Links & Resources

Learn more about Nielsen’s work at nielsen.com
Explore Sabio’s platform: sabioctv.com
🎧Subscribe to Next in Media on Apple Podcasts

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