Nielsen plans to discontinue measuring radio and TV audiences in the Puerto Rico market in December 2026. That means the island of 3.2 million people will no longer have a currency to buy and sell broadcast media on.<\/p>\n
In a statement provided to Inside Radio, a Nielsen rep said that exiting the market was a difficult decision. \u201cAs a global organization, we must continuously evaluate how we deploy our resources across all regions,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n
The statement continues: \u201cFor over 15 years, we have had the privilege of working with our clients, and we are deeply grateful to them, our local team, partners, and the broader industry community for their commitment. As we carry out this transition, we are fully committed to doing so with care and responsibility\u2014ensuring that the interests of the industry remain supported. We will work alongside local stakeholders throughout this process to facilitate a thoughtful and orderly handover.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nielsen\u2019s subscriber base in Puerto Rico has dwindled. The five companies that subscribe to Nielsen Audio in the market account for less than 20% of radio listening in the market. Most of the island\u2019s stations do not subscribe to the radio ratings service.<\/p>\n
Still, Hispanic broadcasters worry this could be a blow to their business. \u201cNielsen\u2019s Exit from Puerto Rico Media Measurement Could Create an Industry Crisis,\u201d declared a headline in HispanicAd.com<\/a>. \u201cThat would be a serious setback for an industry already confronting economic pressure, declining advertising budgets, changing consumer behavior, audience fragmentation and growing competition from global digital and social platforms,\u201d the article by Gene Bryan says.<\/p>\n