The New York Times Tries VR; Adweek Demos Nielsen Measurement Tool

Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign-up here.

And The Virtual Pulitzer Goes To…

The New York Times has a well-earned reputation as a digital trailblazer for legacy publishers, which accounts for all the raised eyebrows when America’s paper of record announced a virtual reality film (on child refugees displaced by war) produced in partnership with Google. NYT Executive Editor Dean Baquet calls it “the first critical, serious piece of journalism using virtual reality.” VR is still more of a one-off gimmick than a legit channel for commerce or marketing, but maybe journalism will bring the needed gravitas. More.

It’s About Time (And Measurement)

Adweek’s Jason Lynch demos Nielsen’s “total audience measurement,” which is finally ready for its close-up after what seems like an eternity in development. The offering wraps together audiences for streaming and linear TV, DVR, video on demand, tablets, PC and mobile. Lynch finds a product that broadcasters in particular will love, as it surfaces discrete segments such as fans who stream shows on digital channels and loyal viewers who never see an episode live. The move comes amid a series of competitive announcements regarding cross-platform metrics. Read.

Home Field Advantage

German telco giant Deutsche Telekom is considering (and expected to bring) an antitrust case against Google regarding the search engine’s market dominance. New York Times reporter Mark Scott broke the news that Deutsche Telekom, which owns T-Mobile in the US, will go after Google for supposedly unfairly advantaging its own products. Google’s Chrome or Search products can, for instance, favor Google Maps when giving directions. These are pretty standard practices in the US, but European companies have kicked and screamed for years about Silicon Valley squeezing out regional competitors. Read on.

Old Dog, New Tricks

Comcast, learning from the likes of Facebook and Google, is turning to its “potential treasure trove of data” to unleash ad dollars. The access provider has discussed licensing its data with measurement firms and networks like ESPN, Discovery and Turner. The WSJ reports the company rejected a $100 million exclusive offer from Nielsen in favor of sharing the pie, as the telco sees better returns down the road if it can elevate TV back above digital, and not just get one big payout upfront. More.

You’re Hired!