Nielsen is launching a new pilot program designed to more accurately count co-viewing and better reflect the total viewership for TV programming, particularly live events.
The pilot will launched with NBC’s presentation of Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 and continue for high-profile sports and entertainment live events in the first half of the year.
“Nielsen’s mission is to constantly push measurement forward and deliver the most accurate data ever. This co-viewing pilot builds on that mission, alongside our recent enhancements with Big Data + Panel, out of home expansion, live streaming measurement and our wearable devices,” Nielsen CEO Karthik Rao said in a statement. “Our clients produce live TV events that get the world watching. It’s our job to make sure we are accurately counting the audiences they meticulously build.”
The new pilot’s methodology for co-viewing will incorporate the use of Nielsen’s proprietary wearable measurement devices, which are worn on the wrists of the firm’s panelists and resemble a smart watch. The wearables capture audio from TV events, shows and movies, allowing for more passive measurement that does not require a formal log in process.
The initial results from the pilot program will be released a few weeks after the delivery of Nielsen’s final Big Data + Panel ratings and the firm’s clients will be able to share those findings publicly.
Nielsen will provide additional impact data to clients later this year, before the co-viewing methodology is fully implemented into its suite of marketing intelligence products with a goal of incorporating its “currency” measurement for the 2026/27 season.
Additional co-viewing enhancements are planned beyond 2026, which Nielsen will share additional timing details for once available.
