NFL Says Nielsen Measurement Tools Inadequate, but Improving

NFL Data & Analytics Chief Jabs Nielsen For “Under-Counting” Viewers, Says Ratings System “Makes No Sense”

Paul Ballew, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at the NFL, took multiple shots at Nielsen on Tuesday, accusing the ratings giant of “under-counting” viewership for many of the league’s game telecasts. In particular, Ballew faulted the measurement of “tentpole” events like Thanksgiving Day games and the Super Bowl, which are viewed by large numbers of people crowded around TV screens. Speaking on a media conference call that featured other leagu…

NFL Claims Nielsen Undercounts Its Viewers By 'Millions'

On average, the NFL accounts for 93 of the 100 most-watched telecasts each year. To put that dominance in perspective, both the NFC and AFC Championship Games drew larger audiences than the much-hyped presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden (51.3 million viewers). And yet, the NFL argues that Nielsen is still undercounting its audience by "millions.""There are millions of viewers that we believe [Nielsen is] systematically underco…

NFL says Nielsen measurement tools inadequate, but improving

(Stock image via Pixabay, Graphic by The Desk) Key Points: One NFL executive says Nielsen misrepresents the viewership of its football games, especially on streaming platforms. The NFL has experimented with alternative measurement solutions that compete with Nielsen. Some broadcasters, including CBS and Nexstar, have also criticized Nielsen’s audience measurement in the past. A key executive with the National Football League (NFL) has spoken pu…

NFL claims Nielsen undercounts its telecasts by 'millions of viewers'

The NFL issued a rare reprimand of audience measurement firm Nielsen via a report in The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday. In the report, NFL Chief Data and Analytics Officer Paul Ballew told WSJ, “There are millions of viewers that we believe [Nielsen] are systematically undercounting.” The NFL, perhaps more than any other property on television, has a large incentive to ensure Nielsen accurately measures the number of people watching its telecas…

NFL Says Nielsen Is Overlooking Millions of Super Bowl Viewers

The NFL may have a bone to pick with Nielsen’s measurement of its biggest tentpole events, but league officials on Tuesday acknowledged that the ratings service will continue to serve as the currency that underpins some $5.2 billion in seasonal advertising transactions. While the  endorsement seemed to undermine an earlier report about the NFL’s dissatisfaction […]

NFL notes Nielsen shortcomings as "Big Data" era begins

The following article "NFL notes Nielsen shortcomings as “Big Data” era begins" originally appeared on Sports Media Watch. Upon the dawn of yet another new Nielsen era, the measurement company once again finds itself facing questions — this time from the most powerful entity in television. The NFL believes that Nielsen is “systematically undercounting” millions of viewers, the league’s chief data and analyst Paul Ballew told Joe Flint of The Wal…