Nielsen is expected to reverse a recent decision to delay the inclusion of ‘out of home’ viewers in its tabulation of national TV ratings. That measurement includes viewers in bars, hotels, airports, offices and at watch parties – going well beyond just viewing in a family living room.
The pandemic has forced many Americans to shelter at home, and so the media-measurement giant was going to delay incorporating the new system into 2021. That decision however met with a lot of criticisms from the major media networks.
Nielsen now intends to count out-of-home viewers during the fall season as originally planned and will issue an apology to its clients who made ‘upfront’ deals for advertising that included estimates of the out-of-home audience.
Counting out-of-home viewers is expected to give networks an 11% boost for sports broadcasts and a 7% lift for news programs.
Source: Variety
