Nielsen’s first-party data usage should alleviate NFL ratings dip

While they will no doubt be monster numbers as usual, it’s generally understood that NFL ratings will take a small dip this year.

While some have attributed that to the Presidential election, the actual reason is tied more to the drop in simulcast Monday Night Football games, the creep of games previously available on networks to pay streamers, and more viewing options since last year’s writers’ and actors’ strikes.

Even so, the NFL has to be pretty pleased to know that Nielsen is moving forward with its desire to incorporate first-party data into its ratings numbers, considering that it’s almost certain to end up higher than what would have otherwise been reported (funny how that works).

After Prime Video threw a fit about how its internal Thursday Night Football numbers were higher than what Nielsen was reporting, the measurement company announced that it would begin incorporating Amazon’s first-party data, which they’d never done before for the networks and other NFL partners. Those networks and other concerned parties pushed back over what they saw as a favored treatment that would skew ratings and create an uneven playing field. Nielsen backed down momentarily but soon signaled that it wanted to renew that push and marched forward.

After starting to incorporate out-of-home viewing in its ratings in 2020, Nielsen expanded that reach in early 2024. And as John Ourand noted in his latest piece for Puck, the company will use “first-party data in their numbers for the first time and has signed deals with most, but not all, of the league’s media partners to include them in this season’s ratings.”

What’s different this time around is that CBS, NBC, and ESPN can’t get too mad about Prime Video sharing first-party data when that’s exactly what they’re doing for Paramount Plus, Peacock, and ESPN+. As Ourand notes, now everyone will be able to showcase (presumably) bigger ratings numbers, not just Amazon. And in a season in which we might see the NFL’s dominating viewership data dip (ever so slightly), every little bit helps when talking to advertisers.

“Several TV executives are still unhappy,” notes Ourand, who says the benefit for NFL partners simulcast on both linear TV and streaming won’t be as substantial as those only broadcast on streaming. Still, in a media marketplace that is very much all about “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em,” it only seems natural that everyone gets on board and goose their numbers together.

[Puck]