NFL accuses Nielsen of underestimating its viewership

[TMC]

https://www.wsj.com/business/media/n...1c525?mod=e2tw

“There are millions of viewers that we believe they are systematically undercounting,” Ballew, the NFL's chief data and analytics officer tells The Wall Street Journal, pointing how lower numbers could cost the league’s media partners ad revenue and hamper its rights negotiations. Ballew says the NFL has also been experimenting with alternatives to Nielsen for additional viewing data. A Nielsen spokeswoman says it is “confident this will be the most accurately rated football season in history.” She adds that Nielsen is working closely with the league to innovate its data collection. Ballew, who serves on Nielsen’s quality advisory board, says Nielsen's recently launched "Big Data + Panel" methodology doesn’t yet include first-party audience data from most of the streaming services that carry NFL games, which is crucial to the league and its media partners. Ballew also reiterates a longtime concern of the league and networks that Nielsen appears to be underrepresenting the number of people watching games together at home, a ratings category known as “co-viewing.” Nielsen stands by its co-viewing measurement, the spokeswoman says, but she acknowledged “we owe the NFL a deeper co-viewing analysis.” ALSO: NFL's Paul Ballew: "The measurement movement that Nielsen has taken to go to big data + panel is something we strongly support."