Nielsen, the leading provider of television audience measurement in the US, is extending its service to monitor what video games are played on the TV set.

The move is expected to expand the potential for placing advertising in video games and provide accurate breakdowns of how much people are playing games on their TVs compared to watching programmes.

“A reliable and accurate standard of measurement for video gaming will drive advertising investment in this medium and convert video game advertising from a discretionary choice to a must-have option.”