Nielsen Set To Count All Out-Of-Home TV Viewing In U.S. In Time For Super Bowl Kickoff

Nielsen, which has been adding out-of-home viewing to its TV audience estimates, said its out-of-home measurement system now covers 100% of the population of the United States, a change that will boost the already high viewership of the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Previously, Nielsen said its out-of-home measurement covered 60% of the country. The new metrics start in February (or January 27 on the Nielsen calendar).

Networks, particularly those who carry sports, have lobbied Nielsen and the media buying agencies to have out-of-home viewing included in the ratings for big games. The addition of OOH viewing has given the games a boost that is sometimes in the double-digit range.

“Nielsen continues to innovate and adapt with our industry,” said Karthik Rao, Nielsen CEO. “We’re working hard every day to better capture what people are watching and where. The communal power of TV is undeniable and with this out-of-home expansion, we can more accurately provide the industry with the most-complete picture of the viewing audience.”

Nielsen gives members of its research panel wearable devices to measure viewing in places including bars, restaurants, health clubs and hotels. Starting February 3, the additional out-of-home viewing data will be included in Nielsen data, including its Big Data + Panel ratings for Super Bowl LIX on Fox.