Investments in Affiliates and Related Party Transactions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Investments In And Advances To Affiliates Schedule Of Investments [Abstract]
Investments in Affiliates and Related Party Transactions	14. Investments in Affiliates and Related Party Transactions *Related Party Transactions with Affiliates* As of December 31, 2012 and 2011, Nielsen had investments in affiliates of $77 million and $74 million, respectively. Nielsen only significant investment, and its percentage of ownership as of December 31, 2012, was its 51% non-controlling ownership interest in Scarborough Research (“Scarborough”). As of December 31, 2012, the carrying value of the Company’s investment in Scarborough was $53 million. Nielsen and Scarborough enter into various related party transactions in the ordinary course of business, including Nielsen’s providing certain general and administrative services to Scarborough. Nielsen pays royalties to Scarborough for the right to include Scarborough data in Nielsen services sold directly to Nielsen customers. Additionally, Nielsen sells various Scarborough services directly to its clients, for which it receives a commission from Scarborough. As a result of these transactions, Nielsen received net payments from Scarborough of $15 million, $14 million and $7 million for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010. Obligations between Nielsen and its affiliates, including Scarborough, are regularly settled in cash in the ordinary course of business. Nielsen had net receivables from its affiliates of approximately $6 million and $12 million at December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. *Transactions with Sponsors* In connection with the Valcon Acquisition, two of Nielsen’s subsidiaries and the Sponsors entered into Advisory Agreements, which provided for an annual management fee, in connection with planning, strategy, oversight and support to management, and were payable quarterly and in advance to each Sponsor, on a pro rata basis, for the eight year duration of the agreements, as well as reimbursements for each Sponsor’s respective out-of-pocket expenses in connection with the management services provided under the agreement. For the year ended December 31, 2010, the Company recorded $12 million in selling, general and administrative expenses related to these management fees, sponsor travel and consulting. The Advisory Agreements provided that upon the consummation of a change in control transaction or an initial public offering in excess of $200 million, each of the Sponsors would receive, in lieu of quarterly payments of the annual management fee, a fee equal to the net present value of the aggregate annual management fee that would have been payable to the Sponsors during the remainder of the term of the agreements (assuming an eight year term of the agreements), calculated using the treasury rate having a final maturity date that is closest to the eighth anniversary of the date of the agreements. In January 2011 in conjunction with the Holdings’s initial public offering of common stock, the Advisory Agreements with the Sponsors were terminated for a settlement amount of $102 million and the Company recorded this charge as a component of selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statement of operations. *Equity Healthcare LLC* Effective in January 2009, Nielsen entered into an employer health program arrangement with Equity Healthcare LLC (“Equity Healthcare”). Equity Healthcare negotiates with providers of standard administrative services for health benefit plans and other related services for cost discounts, quality of service monitoring, data services and clinical consulting and oversight by Equity Healthcare. Because of the combined purchasing power of its client participants, Equity Healthcare is able to negotiate pricing terms from providers that are believed to be more favorable than the companies could obtain for themselves on an individual basis. Equity Healthcare is an affiliate of The Blackstone Group, one of the Sponsors. In consideration for Equity Healthcare’s provision of access to these favorable arrangements and its monitoring of the contracted third parties’ delivery of contracted services to Nielsen, the Company pays Equity Healthcare a fee of $2.50 per participating employee per month (“PEPM Fee”). As of December 31, 2012, Nielsen had approximately 7,300 employees enrolled in its self-insured health benefit plans in the United States. Equity Healthcare may also receive a fee (“Health Plan Fees”) from one or more of the health plans with whom Equity Healthcare has contractual arrangements if the total number of employees joining such health plans from participating companies exceeds specified thresholds. *Board of Directors* On July 26, 2012, Iain Leigh resigned from the Boards of Directors of Nielsen Holdings, N.V. and The Nielsen Company B.V. and Vivek Y. Ranadivé was elected as a member of the Board of Directors to serve until the next Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Mr. Ranadivé, has been the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of TIBCO Software Inc. (“TIBCO”) since its inception in 1997. The Company has an ongoing contractual relationship with TIBCO. In connection with his appointment, the Board of Directors of the Company affirmatively determined that Mr. Ranadivé is independent for purposes of the New York Stock Exchange listing rules and the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines.

14. Investments in Affiliates and Related Party Transactions

Related Party Transactions with Affiliates

As of December 31, 2012 and 2011, Nielsen had investments in affiliates of $77 million and $74 million, respectively. Nielsen only significant investment, and its percentage of ownership as of December 31, 2012, was its 51% non-controlling ownership interest in Scarborough Research (“Scarborough”). As of December 31, 2012, the carrying value of the Company’s investment in Scarborough was $53 million.

Nielsen and Scarborough enter into various related party transactions in the ordinary course of business, including Nielsen’s providing certain general and administrative services to Scarborough. Nielsen pays royalties to Scarborough for the right to include Scarborough data in Nielsen services sold directly to Nielsen customers. Additionally, Nielsen sells various Scarborough services directly to its clients, for which it receives a commission from Scarborough. As a result of these transactions, Nielsen received net payments from Scarborough of $15 million, $14 million and $7 million for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010. Obligations between Nielsen and its affiliates, including Scarborough, are regularly settled in cash in the ordinary course of business. Nielsen had net receivables from its affiliates of approximately $6 million and $12 million at December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

Transactions with Sponsors

In connection with the Valcon Acquisition, two of Nielsen’s subsidiaries and the Sponsors entered into Advisory Agreements, which provided for an annual management fee, in connection with planning, strategy, oversight and support to management, and were payable quarterly and in advance to each Sponsor, on a pro rata basis, for the eight year duration of the agreements, as well as reimbursements for each Sponsor’s respective out-of-pocket expenses in connection with the management services provided under the agreement. For the year ended December 31, 2010, the Company recorded $12 million in selling, general and administrative expenses related to these management fees, sponsor travel and consulting.

The Advisory Agreements provided that upon the consummation of a change in control transaction or an initial public offering in excess of $200 million, each of the Sponsors would receive, in lieu of quarterly payments of the annual management fee, a fee equal to the net present value of the aggregate annual management fee that would have been payable to the Sponsors during the remainder of the term of the agreements (assuming an eight year term of the agreements), calculated using the treasury rate having a final maturity date that is closest to the eighth anniversary of the date of the agreements.

In January 2011 in conjunction with the Holdings’s initial public offering of common stock, the Advisory Agreements with the Sponsors were terminated for a settlement amount of $102 million and the Company recorded this charge as a component of selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statement of operations.

Equity Healthcare LLC

Effective in January 2009, Nielsen entered into an employer health program arrangement with Equity Healthcare LLC (“Equity Healthcare”). Equity Healthcare negotiates with providers of standard administrative services for health benefit plans and other related services for cost discounts, quality of service monitoring, data services and clinical consulting and oversight by Equity Healthcare. Because of the combined purchasing power of its client participants, Equity Healthcare is able to negotiate pricing terms from providers that are believed to be more favorable than the companies could obtain for themselves on an individual basis. Equity Healthcare is an affiliate of The Blackstone Group, one of the Sponsors.

In consideration for Equity Healthcare’s provision of access to these favorable arrangements and its monitoring of the contracted third parties’ delivery of contracted services to Nielsen, the Company pays Equity Healthcare a fee of $2.50 per participating employee per month (“PEPM Fee”). As of December 31, 2012, Nielsen had approximately 7,300 employees enrolled in its self-insured health benefit plans in the United States. Equity Healthcare may also receive a fee (“Health Plan Fees”) from one or more of the health plans with whom Equity Healthcare has contractual arrangements if the total number of employees joining such health plans from participating companies exceeds specified thresholds.

Board of Directors

On July 26, 2012, Iain Leigh resigned from the Boards of Directors of Nielsen Holdings, N.V. and The Nielsen Company B.V. and Vivek Y. Ranadivé was elected as a member of the Board of Directors to serve until the next Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Mr. Ranadivé, has been the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors of TIBCO Software Inc. (“TIBCO”) since its inception in 1997. The Company has an ongoing contractual relationship with TIBCO. In connection with his appointment, the Board of Directors of the Company affirmatively determined that Mr. Ranadivé is independent for purposes of the New York Stock Exchange listing rules and the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines.