Social media and streaming will now count towards Nielsen TV ratings

No longer will television ratings be restricted to data gathered from Nielsen "boxes" in select homes; the measurement information company will now look at streaming as well as conversations on Twitter and Facebook, Mediaite reports.

The new social media system is called "Social Content Ratings," and will measure conversations continuously, rather than only when a show airs. In its deal with Facebook, this means that Nielsen will receive data on conversations about TV shows even when they are mentioned in posts that aren't marked "public."

Nielsen data is used by media companies to better understand what shows to develop and market; advertisers use it to decide where to buy ads. According to The New York Times, the changes further integrate increasingly important social ratings into the industry.

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