No one disputes that NFL games are the most-watched programming on American television. But the NFL says the widely used Nielsen data is actually under-counting NFL game viewership.
“There are millions of viewers that we believe they are systematically undercounting,” NFL Chief Data and Analytics Officer Paul Ballew told the Wall Street Journal.
Nielsen has long been the primary source of information about what Americans are watching, since the days when viewers had three networks to choose from. But as Americans watch more on streaming services, there are questions about whether Nielsen’s methods capture all of those viewers. The NFL is increasingly shown on streaming, both by deals that partner exclusively with streaming services and with its traditional broadcast partners also putting games on their streaming platforms.
The NFL also believes that Nielsen is under-counting how many people watch games together at home. NFL games (and other sporting events) tend to draw larger groups of viewers watching together than does scripted entertainment, and the NFL thinks Nielsen’s methodology isn’t capturing all those fans who are watching on the same screen in someone’s house.
For the NFL, this is potentially worth billions of dollars: The greater the audience, the more the league’s partners can charge for commercials, which means those broadcast partners will be willing to pay more for the next TV rights deal. Getting an accurate count of viewers is big business, and the NFL is going to push to make sure every one of its viewers is counted.
www.nbcsports.com
“There are millions of viewers that we believe they are systematically undercounting,” NFL Chief Data and Analytics Officer Paul Ballew told the Wall Street Journal.
Nielsen has long been the primary source of information about what Americans are watching, since the days when viewers had three networks to choose from. But as Americans watch more on streaming services, there are questions about whether Nielsen’s methods capture all of those viewers. The NFL is increasingly shown on streaming, both by deals that partner exclusively with streaming services and with its traditional broadcast partners also putting games on their streaming platforms.
The NFL also believes that Nielsen is under-counting how many people watch games together at home. NFL games (and other sporting events) tend to draw larger groups of viewers watching together than does scripted entertainment, and the NFL thinks Nielsen’s methodology isn’t capturing all those fans who are watching on the same screen in someone’s house.
For the NFL, this is potentially worth billions of dollars: The greater the audience, the more the league’s partners can charge for commercials, which means those broadcast partners will be willing to pay more for the next TV rights deal. Getting an accurate count of viewers is big business, and the NFL is going to push to make sure every one of its viewers is counted.
NFL says Nielsen audience measurements under-count games by millions of viewers
No one disputes that NFL games are the most-watched programming on American television.
www.nbcsports.com
