What Counts to Nielsen When Nielsen Counts?

August 21, 2009 6:44 AM

Do Nielsen Ratings account for TV viewership in public venues, such as bars, restaurants, waiting rooms, etc., and if so, how are these viewership counts tallied and weighted?

I would think keeping track of performance royalties, etc., would require Nielsen or at least some performance rights entity to track viewership in public venues like this. Any information about how reported viewership outside of personal households might impact Nielsen Ratings, if at all, would be appreciated. Additional links to statistical breakdowns or other data points would be welcomed, too.

A simple "No" is also fine, say, if the two kinds of viewership are tracked separately.

posted by saulgoodman to media & arts (4 answers total)

I don't believe Nielsen ratings are used for royalties, just determining ratings for advertisers.
posted by smackfu at 7:24 AM on August 21, 2009

"Another criticism of the Nielsen ratings system is its lack of a system for measuring television audiences in environments outside the home, such as college dormitories, transport terminals, bars, and other public places where television is frequently viewed, often by large numbers of people in a common setting. In 2005, Nielsen announced plans to incorporate viewing by away-from-home college students into its sample. Internet TV viewing is another rapidly growing market for which Nielsen Ratings fail to account for viewer impact." - Wikipedia
posted by Jaltcoh at 7:25 AM on August 21, 2009

Do Nielsen Ratings account for TV viewership in public venues, such as bars, restaurants, waiting rooms, etc.

No, they don't. From an article earlier this year:

Another problem that some TV managers have with the system is that only homes are counted. Many programs - sports in particular - are viewed in public places such as gyms, bars, restaurants, and college dorms, but Nielsen does not sample those viewers. Nielsen began exploring the idea of adding meters to businesses but says it suspended plans because of the recession.
posted by burnmp3s at 7:30 AM on August 21, 2009

I would think keeping track of performance royalties, etc., would require Nielsen

Residuals and royalties aren't based on numbers of eyeballs watching at that level of granularity; the formulas for calculating them rely on broad categories like "primetime" vs. other time slots, national broadcast vs. local broadcast, and so on.
posted by Sidhedevil at 9:04 AM on August 21, 2009