Nielsen Holdings, the consumer measurement firm known for its dominance in TV ratings, priced shares in its initial public offering above the expected range Tuesday.

Nielsen sold 71.4 million shares for $23 each, raising about $1.6 billion, an underwriter said. The company sold $250 million worth of mandatory convertible subordinated bonds alongside the IPO.

The company had planned to sell shares for $20 to $22 each, according to a regulatory filing.

Nielsen was taken private in 2006 in a deal worth just over $10 billion by equity firms Carlyle Group, Blackstone Group LP, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., Thomas H. Lee Partners, AlpInvest Partners and Hellman & Friedman.

Nielsen’s multibillion IPO is the first big private equity offering of 2011. Its performance could set the tone for other big buyout-backed companies looking to go public in the United States, including Toys R Us, hospital operator HCA and pipeline company Kinder Morgan.

Nielsen is best known for tracking TV viewership, and its metrics often determine the fate of a TV program. But it also keeps tabs on online usage and retail transactions. Its top 10 clients include Coca-Cola Co., Nestle SA, News Corp., Procter & Gamble Co. and Unilever NV.

Underwriters on the IPO were led by JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley. The shares are expected to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange Wednesday under the symbol “NLSN.”