The Nielsen Co. is showing off a new measurement service that links viewing of a particular show or network to consumer spending on particular products or product categories.

The information could prove influential in helping advertisers and media buyers decide where to place ads for those products.

In its first analysis, Nielsen found that Sony Pictures Television’s TV and Internet properties reach households that spend $346 billion annually on consumer packaged-good products. That accounts for 83.2% of all spending on packaged goods, Nielsen said. Those numbers don’t take into account the exposure those households have to other sources of programming.

The households watching Sony content at least once a month spend $3,700 annually on average for packaged goods, 7% higher than households that don’t. Households viewing Sony content both on TV and on the Web spend $4,200 annually on packaged goods, 20% higher than non-viewing households.

"Through research like this, we are addressing advertisers' requests for accountability and innovation by providing new and better metrics that are even more directly related to their businesses and customers," said Amy Carney, president, advertiser sales of Sony Pictures Television. "Ultimately, we hope to create a better understanding of the true value of our properties and the return on investment it provides clients."

In addition to being the first television studio to use Nielsen’s packaged goods audience product, Sony also took a look at users of over-the-counter pharmaceuticals.

“These new metrics could help change the way advertisers buy media by giving them a way to target their core customers,” said Jon Mandel, CEO of NielsenConnect. “This is a major step forward for marketers and we believe that any media company that offers these metrics will have a competitive advantage when it comes to selling advertising space.”

NielsenConnect created the figures by linking Nielsen’s consumer Homescan panel, its National People Meter television panel and its online NetView panel. The combination provides a look at what media is being consumed by a marketer’s target audience.