Nielsen Expands OOH Panel to Give '100% Coverage'

In New York, Nielsen has announced it will expand coverage of its National TV out-of-home (OOH) panel this year, in order to 'fully represent all US TV households'.

Nielsen announced in late 2016 that it would be using its Portable People Meter (PPM) technology and panelists to measure out-of-home viewing for national television clients, combining the figures with those for in-home audiences. Locations measured include airports, hotels, bars and restaurants. The firm's PPM Wearables technology allows it to track viewer consumption 'regardless of the platform, screen or location', but until now has only operated in 50 of the country's biggest markets. The latest expansion takes coverage from around 65% to 100% of OOH viewing in the continental USA, according to the company - Alaska and Hawaii will not be included as yet.

Nielsen data indicates that in 2023 fans in the US spent more than 1.7 trillion minutes watching games from the five most-watched sports leagues - and that they often do so in a group, in a public place. The growth of streaming services also pushes up the importance of measuring live sports and other 'appointment' viewing on a range of channels.

Chief Product Officer, Audience Measurement Deirdre Thomas (pictured) says Nielsen's measurement 'accounts for the full landscape of television consumption', adding: 'We understand how important it is for our clients to be able to have the most complete picture of the audience, especially for special events like the Super Bowl'. Nielsen plans to provide impact data in Q4 2024, in time for Super Bowl LIX.

Paul Ballew, Chief Data and Analytics Officer of the NFL, comments: 'We are appreciative of Nielsen's efforts to make out-of-home measurement more complete, providing a much clearer picture of the true audience for all television viewing and especially sports viewership. For years we have been consistent in our belief that major sports events, like the upcoming Super Bowl LVIII, are often viewed with family and friends in large gatherings and this expanded out-of-home viewership will be crucial to measuring those events'.

Group home page: www.nielsen.com .