There’s good news on the ratings front for Fox ahead of Super Bowl LIX. Measurement company Nielsen announced on Monday that they are expanding their tracking of out-of-home viewership to encompass 100% of the U.S. population starting in the February 2025 ratings period (which begins on Jan. 27). Last year, Nielsen’s out-of-home tracking covered only 66% of the U.S. population. As tracking out-of-home viewership has notably boosted sports ratings—especially with the Super Bowl, where communal viewing at home parties and venues is common—this increase from 66% to full coverage could significantly impact Super Bowl viewership numbers. This includes Nielsen’s recently MRC-accredited Big Data+Panel numbers, which received praise from the NFL.
Here’s more on that expansion from a Nielsen release:
“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.”
The OOH viewing audience is critical for sports and live event programming, as communal viewing in homes, bars, restaurants, and hotels across the country is especially prevalent for marquee sports events. Nielsen is the only measurement provider positioned to accurately deliver both in and out of home measurement for live programming. Additionally, Nielsen’s people panel allows it to be the only company to most accurately measure diverse audiences.
The update ensures that Nielsen represents all out-of-home viewing by people, including in rural areas. It is made possible by increased adoption of wearable devices for members of Nielsen’s persons panel, which was recently re-accredited.
Of course, there’s a high bar for Fox to clear in trying to set a record. Last year’s broadcast of Super Bowl LVIII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers averaged 120 million viewers on CBS alone and 123.4 million across all English-language and Spanish-language platforms. That was a new record for any television broadcast. We’ll see if the Chiefs’ bid for a three-peat (this time against the Philadelphia Eagles) can surpass that. However, it seems likely that these Nielsen measurement changes will provide some assistance.
