Nielsen is keeping track of so much more viewing data in the age of streaming that getting to a final count of TV audiences is going to take a little more time.
The measurement giant, which recently won approval to include viewership data from smart TVs along with its usual panel of video consumers, says final tabulation of audiences that includes people who watch traditional linear TV as well as streaming services will likely take as much as two to three days following a specific premiere. Broadcasters have been accustomed for many years to releasing Nielsen viewership estimates as soon as the day after a program’s debut.
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“When you have this much data that people have to adapt to, well, it’s not going to be easy for you to take all the panel information and dissect it and analyze it,” says Karthik Rao, Nielsen’s CEO, during a recent interview. “When you start putting more out, it’s going to get more complicated.”
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Media companies will still be able to release viewership information sooner in a cycle, he says, but will have to label those estimates as “preliminary” rather than “final.” So a network that airs the Super Bowl or an awards telecast will be able to give a sense of the audience for the event, even if the bulk of that number will likely hinge on linear viewing. The networks have become accustomed to such stuff: for years, they have been able to issue “fast nationals,” or early reading of audiences based on preliminary figures, which are typically updated within a few hours.
TV ratings are probably overdue for a makeover. After all, nearly everything else associated with the medium has been given an overhaul in the streaming era, including program scheduling, advertising, and distribution.
It’s not clear whether all media companies and constituents will welcome Nielsen’s new diligence. One growing critique of the measurement giant is that it moves too slowly in an era when companies want more data more quickly. At the same time, most networks have made three days’ worth of viewership data — also known as “C3” — the standard for tabulating audience info for advertisers since 2007.
Indeed, most Nielsen announcements spur industry pushback. Many of its innovations require technology upgrades and new practices that the networks sometimes view as onerous or rickety. Indeed, on Monday, a senior executive from the National Football League told The Wall Street Journal that he believes Nielsen has been underestimating the audience for its games. Part of the problem, he suggested was an effort to utilize first-party data from various streamers. Nielsen has not struck deals for the data with all media providers, though it does have agreements in place with Amazon, Netflix and YouTube.
Despite the complaints, Rao maintains a confident stance, and Nielsen’s willingness to upend industry routine suggests the measurement giant feels new wind at its back — not in its face.
“We do things right and we get pummeled for it sometimes. But the reality is, it’s balancing innovation with stewardship, right? That’s always the trick when you’re in the role we’re in. You go too fast and everyone’s like, ‘Wait, we’re not ready.’ Now, if you’re like, ‘Well, we’ll bring everyone along. It’s like, you’re not going fast enough.’ So the only way is to balance those two things,” says Rao. “It’s a job and a half.”
Simply put, he says, the industry must adopt new measures as viewers shift their habits. “A linear view is not as meaningful. It is meaningful, but not without the rest of the data coming in. There’s more context to be had with a little more waiting time.”
Nielsen has been under scrutiny for months as it works to introduce new technology to track TV’s increasingly complex viewership matrix. Disney, Paramount, NBCU and the rest need to show advertisers exactly who is watching popular dramas, comedies, sports and specials — but that task has grown exponentially more difficult as more people watch scripted favorites on demand via new digital platforms.
But only Nielsen has so far won third-party accreditation to measure so-called “big data,” or audience tracked via the smart TVs. So despite industry complaints that surfaced during the coronavirus pandemic and the rise of a group of rival upstarts that have struck a series of measurement pacts with advertisers, media agencies and TV companies, Nielsen’s work remains the sector standard.
The U.S. networks have formed a joint industry committee that has put a spotlight on technology form some of Nielsen’s rivals, which include companies such as iSpot, VideoAmp and ComScore. Within Nielsen, there is a sense that some of these companies, which have formed many alliances with ad-buying agencies as well as several media companies, may not have the full capital that the industry measurement task requires.
Nielsen’s Rao sounds confident about the adoption of the company’s new offering. The new Nielsen data was “pretty much the currency of record” during the TV industry’s recent “upfront” sales market, says Rao, who notes it has won acceptances from large media buyers.
He does not apologize for moving methodically. “We take the time to do it right, bring the industry along, investing in the accreditation process,” says Rao. “There’s no other way.”
