Nielsen pilots co-viewing enhancement for live TV

Nielsen is piloting a methodology enhancement designed to more accurately account for co-viewing, aiming to provide a fuller picture of total television audiences, particularly for live programming.

The pilot will launch with Super Bowl LX on NBC on Sunday, February 8, 2026, and will continue across selected high-profile sports and entertainment live events during the first half of the year. Results from the pilot will be released several weeks after Nielsen’s final Big Data + Panel ratings, which will continue to serve as trading currency.

Improving live audience measurement

The pilot focuses on better capturing instances where multiple people watch content together on a single television screen. Nielsen is incorporating expanded use of its proprietary wearable measurement devices, worn on the wrist by panelists, to support more passive audience measurement.

These devices capture audio from television programmes, films and live events without requiring viewers to log their viewing activity, helping to improve how shared viewing is reflected in reported audiences.

Building on recent measurement developments

Karthik Rao, CEO, Nielsen: "Nielsen’s mission is to constantly push measurement forward and deliver the most accurate data ever. This co-viewing pilot builds on that mission, alongside our recent enhancements with Big Data + Panel, out of home expansion, live streaming measurement and our wearable devices. Our clients produce live TV events that get the world watching. It’s our job to make sure we are accurately counting the audiences they meticulously build."

Nielsen has long measured co-viewing through its panel-based approach. The pilot represents an extension of that capability, using additional data from wearables to strengthen how shared viewing is captured, particularly for live events.

Path to currency measurement

The co-viewing estimates generated through the pilot will not be immediately incorporated into Big Data + Panel ratings and will not be used as currency for advertising transactions. However, the data will be made available to Nielsen clients after the delivery of final ratings, with clients permitted to share the findings publicly.

Nielsen plans to provide further impact data later in 2026, ahead of fully integrating co-viewing measurement into its marketing intelligence products. The company is targeting inclusion within currency measurement for the 2026 to 2027 season, with additional phases of co-viewing enhancements planned beyond 2026.

www.nielsen.com

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