Marketing research firm Nielsen Co. has signed a deal with DirecTV Group Inc. to study viewing habits of customers who subscribe to interactive satellite television services, the companies announced Wednesday.

Under the agreement, Nielsen will use anonymous data from a panel of 300,000 DirecTV customers who use El Segundo-based DirecTV’s interactive television services to develop new statistics and measurements about viewing patterns.

The nation’s largest satellite TV provider said Nielsen will monitor its customers in hopes of expanding interactive offerings and to gain customer insight about opportunities for advertisers.

All customer information provided will be gathered from what the company called an opt-in process, meaning it will be strictly voluntary and anonymous basis. The program will roll out over the next several weeks, DirecTV said.

Shares in DirecTV were up 10 cents to $24.05 in midday trading Wednesday.