Ratings service Nielsen to leave Puerto Rico market

By THE STAR STAFF

Nielsen will stop measuring television and radio audiences in Puerto Rico at the end of the year, a move that will leave the island’s broadcast industry without a unified ratings service and disrupt how local advertising is bought and sold.

The decision, first reported by Inside Radio, affects more than 3 million media consumers and ends Nielsen’s 15‑year presence in the Puerto Rico market. In a statement, the company said the change reflects a broader reassessment of how it allocates resources globally.

“As a global organization, we must continuously evaluate how we deploy our resources across all regions,” a Nielsen representative said, adding that the company intends to work with local stakeholders to ensure an orderly transition, according to the publication. 

The exit comes as Nielsen’s Puerto Rico radio client base has sharply contracted. Only five companies currently subscribe to Nielsen Audio, representing less than 20% of radio listening on the island. Under Nielsen’s Subscriber First policy, listening to non‑subscribing stations is excluded from the dataset used by major ad‑buying systems -- leaving nearly 80% of the market without measurable audience data.

Major operators such as Spanish Broadcasting System, which runs the influential Z93 network, do not subscribe to Nielsen in Puerto Rico. With no competing radio ratings provider -- Eastlan Ratings does not measure the market -- radio broadcasters face the largest measurement gap.

Television stations, however, have alternatives. Comscore, iSpot.tv and VideoAmp all offer products that could replace portions of Nielsen’s service, though none currently provide a full market‑wide solution comparable to Nielsen’s long‑standing currency.

Nielsen said it remains “fully committed” to supporting the industry during the transition, but the departure raises immediate questions for advertisers, agencies and broadcasters who rely on audience data to set rates, negotiate buys and evaluate performance.

The company’s withdrawal underscores ongoing shifts in the measurement landscape as broadcasters and advertisers increasingly adopt big‑data and cross‑platform solutions -- changes that may now accelerate in Puerto Rico as the market prepares for life after Nielsen.