Nielsen increasing out-of-home viewing tracking, which is great for live sports

Nielsen will reportedly be increasing the number of markets tracked by out-of-home viewing.

Per Sportico, by early next year, Nielsen will increase its out-of-home tracking beyond the top 44 markets currently tracked.

While this may not seem like a big deal, markets not covered by out-of-home viewing include several markets with professional teams (including Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Memphis, Buffalo, and Green Bay) and many college markets, including the Birmingham/Tuscaloosa market, Louisville, and Madison.

Adding these smaller markets to the out-of-home tracking might not seem like a big deal, but it will definitely have an impact on college football viewership once implemented.

In December, ESPN touted its viewership for the 2023 college football season, noting the top ten markets for primetime windows on both ABC and ESPN. Untracked Birmingham ranked first and third, respectively, in local ratings for those packages, while fellow untracked markets Knoxville, New Orleans, Memphis, Lousville, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa all featured as well.

Tracking out-of-home viewership in those markets should add moderate increases across the board for live sports broadcasts, but events involving the pro and college teams in those markrts (or with ties to those markets) should see the most significant bumps going foreward.

[Sportico]