MUMBAI: Zee TV has inked a deal with The Nielsen Company to monitor its television ratings and trends in top US markets.

The agreement is the first-of-its-kind in the South Asian entertainment industry.

Based off the June 2010 LPM sweep period, Zee TV garnered a 4.6 Live rating among Persons 21+ in primetime viewership (Monday-Thursday, 7-11 pm) in Asian Indian households in New York, which translates into a 16.5% share of viewing in New York. South Asians comprise 3.8% of the total population in New York.

“We’re very excited to be the first and only South Asian network to be rated by Nielsen in the US. As the dominant market leader in South Asian entertainment, this is a groundbreaking moment for Zee TV’s growth and expansion in the US and once again reinforces our research-oriented approach to high-quality programming. Nielsen’s ratings will not only enable us to deliver exceptional programming to the millions of South Asians who tune into Zee TV every day, but will also provide advertisers with deeper insight into audience behavior and TV trends,” said ,” says Zee TV international business COO Bharat Ranga.

While Americans spend an average of five hours throughout a full day watching television across all US networks, viewers tune into Zee TV for an average of 57 minutes each day simply during primetime viewership (Monday-Friday, 7-11 pm) in New York.

“Delivering greater accountability is an overarching mandate for all aspects of our industry. Zee TV’s commitment to audience measurement marks an extremely positive opportunity for advertisers to better understand the growing potential of emerging segments. Clearly, the cultural mosaic of our country is shifting and measurement needs to be on the forefront of understanding this evolution,” says Rich Gagnon, chief media officer and leader of Draftfcb’s efforts for the 2010 Census.