The system provides overnight audience reach, frequency and gross ratings points for internet and video advertising, and is the first internet measurement system that provides demographic ratings to be accredited by the MRC.

Steve Hasker (pictured), president of media product and advertiser solutions at Nielsen, said: “This is a significant achievement for Nielsen and the industry as a whole. Advertisers and media companies alike are looking to prove the value of online media and advertising but have lacked a reliable, standard measurement to demonstrate audience delivery against marketing goals.”

The system works using pixel-tracking, so that when a particular display or video advertisement is shown in a browser this is reported to Nielsen and to other approved data contributors – including large web publishers and Facebook.

These data partners then report back to Nielsen on the demographic profiles of those who have seen the ads in the form of aggregate-level reports containing reach and frequency information in anonymous age and gender buckets.

Nielsen says it will then use proprietary technology to combine these reports with data from its TV and online panels, resulting in a single report showing reach, frequency and GRPs for the advertisement.

Clients that have already signed up to the new service include Procter & Gamble, Facebook, Disney/ABC Television Group, GroupM and Starcom MediaVest.