Measurement services will cover Nexstar Media Group’s 197 local television stations and digital sub-channels in 115 markets, as well as national ratings for cable entertainment network WGN America and digital network Antenna TV.

Nielsen’s Scarborough Qualitative Service will be included as part of the deal, offering consumer insights on consumption habits, demographics, lifestyle and media usage.

Peter Bradbury, executive vice-president, media, at Nielsen, said: "Our alliance with Nexstar will leverage Nielsen’s suite of measurement services to establish a cross-platform currency that will provide audience insights across local linear TV, cable, mobile, desktop and over-the-top. We are committed to working actively with Nexstar to ensure that every station has the tools it needs to achieve its business objectives and deliver value and results to advertisers."

As part of the agreement, Nielsen will also provide supplementary support services including Rhiza, Grabix, Prime Lingo and County Coverage Nexstar’s local markets.

Timothy Busch, president of Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc, said the combination of Nielsen’s ratings and qualitative services would offer advertisers "the solutions required to seamlessly connect linear and digital behaviour and help businesses drive growth".

He added: "Our sales teams will share hard data with advertisers to present the strategic benefits of impression measurement which will allow brands and advertisers to maximise the reach and effectiveness of their spending across every available media channel."