One yardstick, many media

ESPN and Nielsen have joined to work on a measurement system that tracks audiences across platforms, reports Advertising Age.

The program builds a snapshot of how audiences move between media platforms, and how exposure to ads on one drive people to others.

How a call-to-action on TV drives traffic to the internet, how ads on mobile platforms push people to the internet, and other engagement factors, are all going to go under the microscope.

ESPN is Nielsen's test case in building the total-audience measurement offering.

The sports media brand has a vested interest in that sort of data since it has embraced the idea of offering its content in a variety of places, based on the multiplicity of media consumed by sports fans.

The program will also give advertisers a glimpse at unduplicated audience figures, providing a more accurate snapshot of how many people are being exposed to content and ads.