Paramount Global Catches Heat for Using VideoAmp Data

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., and National Action Network (NAN) President Reverend Al Sharpton are criticizing Paramount Global for using video measurement data from VideoAmp rather than Nielsen. In letters last week to co-CEOs George Cheeks and Chris McCarthy, Torres said VideoAmp's data, which doesn't break out race and ethnicity, "disenfranchises audiences that have long suffered from a lack of representation on television, and are still too easily overlooked by advertisers." He said the move "continues an alarming trend that has seen Paramount disinvest and de-prioritize inclusive programming," and pointed to a lack of inclusive streaming series on Paramount+. Sharpton said in his letter to Cheeks, McCarthy and the third co-CEO, Brian Robbins, "Ensuring that minority viewers are accurately counted has long been an important priority for me and NAN." Sharpton pressed Paramount "to convene a meeting with racially diverse content creators, brands, and marketers to explore and rectify the impact on our communities." The company didn't comment Friday.