Nielsen has finally decided to change its strategy of measuring TV viewership to better suit the digital age. From this fall, the company’s ratings will include data from streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Instant Video.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the decision comes from a committee of representatives from TV networks and advertisers. From this September onwards, Nielsen will release new hardware and software to the 23,000 American homes that they get their data from.

Nielsen will monitor data viewed on devices from set-top boxes to video game consoles, and tablets are also in the list although at first there will be a limit in the amount of data that will be drawn from them. But, apparently, their ultimate aim is to “capture video viewing of any kind from any source”. This clearly shows just how important the Internet has become, and how it has truly changed the way that many people are watching their latest shows and movies.

Considering that Nielsen’s current system is pretty limited, this certainly seems like a step in the right direction. What do you think?