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Writer's pictureRobert Eckelman

Nielsen Gauge is out for December 2023. I like what Gauge says, I just don't like Nielsen or Gauge.



Nielsen Gauge is out for December 2023. I like what Gauge says, I just don't like Nielsen or Gauge.
Nielsen Gauge is out for December 2023. I like what Gauge says, I just don't like Nielsen or Gauge.

I do like what Gauge shows. Streaming is the dominant way people consume video entertainment. It is also in line with the other sources that I consult. When I am writing about #CTV #Streaming or #OTT I always say to consult several sources. Inspect what you expect.


Why am I not a fan of Nielsen or Gauge?

I have no idea what the sample size is. The last time I saw anything in writing about the Gauge sample size it was 14,000 nationally to represent 131 Million households and hundreds of channels.


Gauge is also made up of panel data. I believe panel data can have many flaws. When panel numbers are multiplied so are the inaccuracies. What is the secret sauce to manipulating the numbers?


The YouTube numbers are completely useless. Nielsen has shifted on YouTube going from YouTube including YouTube live TV to what they call YouTube Main which is basically user-generated short-form content


When Gauge first came out they were double counting what they call linear streaming- the aggregation of viewing to vMVPD/MVPD apps. This means if you are watching Hulu or Sling or Philo… Nielsen would count viewership both as streaming and attributed back to the terrestrial broadcast or cable networks.


In February of 2023 Nielsen once again made a change and stripped all V MVPD viewing away from streaming and give it back to the original networks. How were they watching these networks? They are streaming them, credit belongs in the streaming category. Bottom line, this would increase the share of streaming on Gauge. Ever wonder who's paying the bills for Nielsen? Hum wonder it that impacted the changing methodology

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