Guarantor Financial Information - Condensed Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income (Unaudited) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Condensed Financial Statements Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 1,641	$ 1,570	$ 4,811	$ 4,653
Cost of revenues, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below	692	642	2,031	1,937
Selling, general and administrative expenses, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below	445	452	1,387	1,391
Depreciation and amortization	160	151	477	450
Restructuring charges	7	29	48	73
Operating income	337	296	868	802
Interest income	1	1	3	3
Interest expense	(95)	(85)	(277)	(247)
Foreign currency exchange transaction gains/(losses), net		2	(9)	(3)
Other (expense)/income, net	(1)		(3)
(Loss)/income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income/(loss) of subsidiaries and affiliates	242	214	582	555
(Provision)/benefit for income taxes	(92)	(82)	(226)	(208)
Net income	150	132	356	347
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	4	2	8	4
Net income attributable to Nielsen stockholders	146	130	348	343
Total other comprehensive income/(loss)	72	(11)	237	36
Total other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests		(1)	5	(2)
Net current period other comprehensive income/(loss) attributable to Nielsen stockholders		(10)	232	38
Total comprehensive income	222	121	593	383
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests	4	1	13	2
Total comprehensive income attributable to Nielsen stockholders	218	120	580	381
Parent
Condensed Financial Statements Captions [Line Items]
Selling, general and administrative expenses, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below	1	1	3	3
Operating income	(1)	(1)	(3)	(3)
Interest income			1
Interest expense		(1)		(3)
(Loss)/income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income/(loss) of subsidiaries and affiliates	(1)	(2)	(2)	(6)
Equity in net income/(loss) of subsidiaries	147	132	350	349
Net income	146	130	348	343
Net income attributable to Nielsen stockholders	146	130	348	343
Total other comprehensive income/(loss)	72	(10)	232	38
Net current period other comprehensive income/(loss) attributable to Nielsen stockholders		(10)	232	38
Total comprehensive income	218	120	580	381
Total comprehensive income attributable to Nielsen stockholders	218	120	580	381
Issuers
Condensed Financial Statements Captions [Line Items]
Interest income	238	221	682	653
Interest expense	(90)	(79)	(263)	(230)
Other (expense)/income, net			(2)	(1)
(Loss)/income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income/(loss) of subsidiaries and affiliates	148	142	417	422
(Provision)/benefit for income taxes	(52)	(50)	(146)	(148)
Equity in net income/(loss) of subsidiaries	61	68	149	150
Net income	157	160	420	424
Net income attributable to Nielsen stockholders	157	160	420	424
Total other comprehensive income/(loss)	(6)	2	(24)	(12)
Net current period other comprehensive income/(loss) attributable to Nielsen stockholders		2	(24)	(12)
Total comprehensive income	151	162	396	412
Total comprehensive income attributable to Nielsen stockholders	151	162	396	412
Guarantor
Condensed Financial Statements Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	899	884	2,658	2,668
Cost of revenues, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below	356	322	1,052	985
Selling, general and administrative expenses, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below	197	228	686	735
Depreciation and amortization	126	123	384	364
Restructuring charges	3	22	21	40
Operating income	217	189	515	544
Interest income	10	10	27	29
Interest expense	(241)	(227)	(694)	(668)
Foreign currency exchange transaction gains/(losses), net			(3)	(1)
Other (expense)/income, net	90	73	68	95
(Loss)/income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income/(loss) of subsidiaries and affiliates	76	45	(87)	(1)
(Provision)/benefit for income taxes	(37)	(19)	20	7
Equity in net income/(loss) of subsidiaries	108	106	418	344
Equity in net (loss)/income of affiliates			(1)	(1)
Net income	147	132	350	349
Net income attributable to Nielsen stockholders	147	132	350	349
Total other comprehensive income/(loss)	72	(10)	232	38
Net current period other comprehensive income/(loss) attributable to Nielsen stockholders		(10)	232	38
Total comprehensive income	219	122	582	387
Total comprehensive income attributable to Nielsen stockholders	219	122	582	387
Non-Guarantor
Condensed Financial Statements Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	742	686	2,153	1,985
Cost of revenues, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below	336	320	979	952
Selling, general and administrative expenses, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below	247	223	698	653
Depreciation and amortization	34	28	93	86
Restructuring charges	4	7	27	33
Operating income	121	108	356	261
Interest income		2	3	4
Interest expense	(11)	(10)	(30)	(29)
Foreign currency exchange transaction gains/(losses), net		2	(6)	(2)
Other (expense)/income, net	(91)	(73)	(69)	(94)
(Loss)/income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income/(loss) of subsidiaries and affiliates	19	29	254	140
(Provision)/benefit for income taxes	(3)	(13)	(100)	(67)
Equity in net (loss)/income of affiliates			1	1
Net income	16	16	155	74
Less net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	4	2	8	4
Net income attributable to Nielsen stockholders	12	14	147	70
Total other comprehensive income/(loss)	69	(6)	245	37
Total other comprehensive income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests		(1)	5	(2)
Net current period other comprehensive income/(loss) attributable to Nielsen stockholders		(5)	240	39
Total comprehensive income	85	10	400	111
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests	4	1	13	2
Total comprehensive income attributable to Nielsen stockholders	81	9	387	109
Consolidation Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements Captions [Line Items]
Interest income	(247)	(232)	(710)	(683)
Interest expense	247	232	710	683
Equity in net income/(loss) of subsidiaries	(316)	(306)	(917)	(843)
Net income	(316)	(306)	(917)	(843)
Net income attributable to Nielsen stockholders	(316)	(306)	(917)	(843)
Total other comprehensive income/(loss)	(135)	13	(448)	(65)
Net current period other comprehensive income/(loss) attributable to Nielsen stockholders		13	(448)	(65)
Total comprehensive income	(451)	(293)	(1,365)	(908)
Total comprehensive income attributable to Nielsen stockholders	$ (451)	$ (293)	$ (1,365)	$ (908)