Nielsen Media Research
Subsidiary
Former nameACNielsen
IndustryMedia research
Founded1996 (age 30)
Hq location85 Broad Street
Hq location cityNew York City, New York
Hq location countryU.S.
Area servedWorldwide
ServicesConsumerization
ParentNielsen Holdings
Websitenielsen.com

Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen ratings, an audience measurement system of television viewership that has long been the deciding factor in canceling or renewing television shows by television networks. As of August 2024, it is the primary part of Nielsen Holdings.

NMR began as a division of ACNielsen, a marketing research firm founded in 1923. In 1996, NMR was split off into an independent company, and in 1999, it was purchased by the Dutch conglomerate VNU. In 2001, VNU also purchased ACNielsen, bringing both companies under the same corporate umbrella for years.[1] NMR is also a sister company to Nielsen//NetRatings, which measures Internet and digital media audiences. VNU was reorganized and renamed the Nielsen Company in 2007. NMR was separated again from NielsenIQ (the former ACNielsen) in 2021.[2][3]

History

The Nielsen TV ratings have been produced in the United States since the 1950–51 television season, statistically measuring which programs are watched by segments of the American population. The most well-known portion is the "diary". During the four "sweeps" months of February, May, July and November, Nielsen interviewers in Oldsmar, Florida, and Radcliff, Kentucky, ask homes to fill out a one-week diary of the programs watched in their household.[4][5]

The Nielsen sample included about 1,700 homes with audiometers and a rotating group of nearly 850 diary respondents by the early 1980s. Nielsen launched its Nielsen Homevideo Index (NHI) in 1980 to measure cable, pay cable, and VCRs; the NHI began offering daily cable ratings in 1982, with steady expansions made into the mid-2000s. In 2003, Nielsen began adjusting its counting methods and emphasized its sample[clarification needed] in response to demographic changes and requests from some industry sectors. Nielsen introduced[timeframe?] its automated Local People Meter (LPM) technology in New York and Los Angeles. The LPM enhanced Nielsen's measurement method by shifting from an active, diary-based system to a passive, meter-monitored one. The LPM accurately measures local-level markets instead of relying on a national sample. While diary-based surveys focused on quarterly sweeps, the industry has shifted towards year-round measurement thanks to the automated LPM system.

In 1996, Nielsen Media Research began tracking computer, internet, and video game usage through telephone surveys.[6] Nielsen Media Research is a sister company to Nielsen NetRatings, which measures internet and digital media audiences l telephone and internet surveys, and Nielsen BuzzMetrics, which measures consumer-generated media. Nielsen also conducts market research for the film industry through National Research Group (NRG).

In September 2018, Nielsen acquired SuperData Research, an industry analysis firm that tracks viewing habits within the video game and esports spaces, which Nielsen planned to expand into.[7] Later, in April 2021, Nielsen stated it would close SuperData and merge its analysis and tracking into Nielsen Sports.[8]

In September 2020, Nielsen began compiling a weekly top 10 list of most-watched shows on streaming platforms.[9]

After the divestiture of NielsenIQ (the former ACNielsen consumer research business) in 2021, Nielsen became solely a media audience measurement and analytics firm.[10][11]

Nielsen TV ratings

Nielsen TV ratings (commonly referred to as Nielsen ratings) are the audience measurement systems operated by Nielsen Media Research that seek to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States using a rating system. Nielsen lost accreditation by the Media Rating Council (MRC) in 2022 due to inaccurate data reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic,[12] but regained it in April 2023.[13]

Nielsen Media Research was founded by Arthur C. Nielsen, a market analyst who began his career in the 1920s with marketing research and performance analysis. The company subsequently expanded into radio market analysis in the late 1930s, culminating in the Nielsen Radio Index in 1942,[14] which was meant to provide statistics as to the markets of radio shows. The first Nielsen ratings for radio programs were released the first week of December 1947. They measured the top 20 programs in four areas: total audience, average audience, cumulative audience, and homes per dollar spent for time and talent.[15]

In 1950, Nielsen then moved to television, developing a rating system using the methods he and his company had developed for radio. That method became the primary source of audience measurement information in the American television industry. In September 2020, Nielsen began compiling a weekly top 10 list of most-watched shows on streaming platforms.

Measuring ratings

The data collection methods used to generate Nielsen TV ratings included:

  • The Audimeter (audience meter) was used from 1950 during the early days of television broadcasting. It attached to a television and recorded the channels viewed, onto a 16mm film cartridge that was mailed weekly to company headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, and used to generate the Nielsen Television Index. It was based on an earlier Audimeter that had been developed for the 1942 Nielsen Radio Index. Randomly selected "Nielsen families" homes were enticed to accept the Audimeter by including free TV repair service provided by TV Index reps, which was a valuable commodity when vacuum tube televisions predominated.[16][14]
  • Paper "viewer diaries", in which a household recruited by the company self-recorded its viewing or listening habits. This adjunct Nielsen Station Index Service offered since 1953 targeted various demographics, particularly for local programming. The resulting statistical models provided a report of the audiences of any given show, network, and programming hour. The company phased out this methodology as electronic data collection became more sophisticated. As of June 28, 2018, the Nielsen paper TV diary rating service was retired.[17]
  • In 1971, the Storage Instantaneous Audimeter allowed electronically recorded program viewing history to be forwarded to Nielsen via a telephone line, making overnight ratings possible.[14]
  • The upgraded People Meter, introduced in 1987, records individual viewing habits of the home and transmits the data nightly to Nielsen through a telephone line. This system is designed to allow market researchers to study television viewing on a minute-to-minute basis, recording when viewers change channels or turn off their television.[14]
  • Nielsen replaced People Meters with Portable People Meters (PPM), which collects the data of individual household members through the use of separate login credentials and allows the company to separate household viewing information into diverse demographic groups.

Changing systems of viewing have impacted Nielsen's methods of market research. In 2005, Nielsen began measuring the usage of digital video recording devices (DVRs) such as TiVos. Initial results indicated that time-shifted viewing (i.e., programs that are watched after the networks have aired them) would significantly impact television ratings. A year later, the networks were not factoring these new results into their ad rates because of advertisers' resistance.[18]

In July 2017, Nielsen announced that it would include select programs from subscription-based video on demand (SVOD) services Hulu and YouTube TV in its Digital in TV Ratings system.[19] Since about October 2017, Nielsen also began to track select programs from Netflix. Partnering distributors insert a "tag" into the program to be distributed on these services, which Nielsen then tracks through its meters system. Partnering distributors are able to determine if these ratings can be released publicly or not.[20]

Ratings/share and total viewers

The most commonly cited Nielsen results are reported in two measurements: ratings points and share, usually reported as: "ratings points/share". There were 119.6 million TV homes in the United States for the 2017–18 TV season (Nielsen's National Television Household Universe, or Households Using Television, HUT).[21] Nielsen re-estimates the number of television-equipped households each August for the upcoming television season.[22]

The rating of a program is a fraction of the HUT. It is calculated as RTG = HUT × SHARE where HUT (or PUT when measuring demos) is Homes Using Television and SHARE is the percentage of TV sets in use which are tuned to a particular show.

Share is the percentage of television sets in use, Households Using Television (HUT) or Persons Using Television (PUT) who are tuned to a specific program, station or network in a specific area at a specific time.[23][24] For example, Nielsen may report a show as receiving a 4.4/8 during its broadcast; this would mean that they estimate that 4.4% of all television-equipped households (that is to say, homes with a TV, not total number of people) were tuned in to that program, while 8% of households that were watching TV at that time were watching the specific program.[25]

Because ratings are based on samples, it is possible for shows to get a 0.0 rating, despite having an audience; CNBC's talk show McEnroe was one notable example.[26] Another example is The CW show, CW Now, which received two 0.0 ratings in the same season. In 2014, Nielsen reported that American viewership of live television (totaling on average four hours and 32 minutes per day) had dropped 12 minutes per day compared to the year before. The CW got another 0.0 rating for its broadcast of the 1st Critics Choice Super Awards. Nielsen reported several reasons for the shift away from live television: increased viewership of time-shifted television (mainly through DVRs) and viewership of internet video (clips from video sharing websites and streams of full-length television shows).[27]

Viewer location: out of home, on the go

In 2007, Nielsen began to release data that reflected out-of-home/not via home TV viewing. [28] This was a follow-up to their added inclusiveness regarding family members who are dorming in college.[29]

Demographics

Since specific demographics influence advertising rates, Nielsen provides statistics by categories including age, sex, race, economic class, and area. For example, an advertiser might look for younger viewers, for older or wealthier audiences, or for women rather than men.

In general, the number of viewers within the 18–49 age range is more important than the total number of viewers.[30][31] According to Advertising Age, during the 2007–08 season, ABC was able to charge $419,000 per commercial sold during its medical drama Grey's Anatomy, compared to only $248,000 for a commercial during CBS' ', despite CSI having almost five million more viewers overall.[32] Because of its strength in young "demos" (demographic groups), NBC was able to charge almost three times as much for a commercial during Friends as CBS charged for Murder, She Wrote, even though the two series had a similar amount of total viewership during the two seasons they were on the air concurrently.[30] Glee (on Fox) and The Office (on NBC) drew fewer total viewers than NCIS (on CBS) during the 2009–10 season, but earned an average of $272,694 and $213,617 respectively, compared to $150,708 for NCIS.[33]

Commercial ratings

Nielsen also provides viewership data calculated as the average viewership for only the commercial time within the program. These "Commercial Ratings" first became available on May 31, 2007. Additionally, Nielsen provides different "streams" of this data in order to take into consideration delayed viewing (DVR) data, at any interval up to seven days.[34] C3 (Live + 3) was the metric launched in 2007, and refers to the ratings for average commercial minutes in live programming plus total playback by digital video recorder up to three days after.[35] In 2009, dissatisfaction with Nielsen's effectiveness resulted in formation of the Council for Innovative Media Measurement by more than six major broadcast media companies.[36]

By the end of 2012, some television executives wanted to see C7 (Live + 7), ratings for live plus seven days, with CBS Corporation chief executive officer Les Moonves making the claim C7 made ratings increase by 30%.[37]

Sweeps

"Sweeps" redirects here. For other uses, see Sweeps (disambiguation).

The American television measurement by Nielsen is based on three different methodological approaches. In the 25 TV markets with the highest sales (e.g. New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver), the Local People Meter (LPM) is measured. Individuals register individually; the measurement is carried out on 365 days over 24 hours.[38] The SET Meter (Diary & Electronic) is used in 31 smaller markets (such as Nashville, Salt Lake City). In four sweeps in February, May, July, and November, target group data are collected with the diary and validated with the data of the devices (TV set on/off) in the participating households.[38] In the 154 TV markets with the lowest sales (e. g. Harrisburg, PA or Honolulu) the use of TV is only recorded using a diary survey.

Each year until 2018, Nielsen processed approximately two million paper diaries from households across the United States,[39] for November, February, May, and July—also known as the "sweeps" rating periods.[40] The term "sweeps" dates from 1954, when Nielsen collected diaries from households in the Eastern United States first; from there they would "sweep" west.[41][42] Seven-day diaries (or eight-day diaries in homes with DVRs) were mailed to homes to keep a tally of what was watched on each television set and by whom. Over the course of a sweeps period, diaries were mailed to a new panel of homes each week. At the end of the month, all of the viewing data from the individual weeks was aggregated. One exception to the normal sweeps periods occurred in 2008–09 when the February sweeps period was moved to March to accommodate the digital television transition, which was scheduled to take place on February 17, 2009. The transition date was later moved to June 12, but Nielsen kept the sweeps period in March that year rather than moving it again.

This local viewing information provides a basis for program scheduling and advertising decisions for local television stations, cable systems, and advertisers. Typically, the November, February, and May sweeps are considered more important; nevertheless, the July sweeps can have a local impact regarding personnel.[40]

In some mid-size markets, diaries provide viewer information for up to two additional "sweeps" months (October and January).

Transition to Electronic Measurement (2018–Present)

The historical paper diary methodology described above has been retired. By 2018, Nielsen completed a full phase-out of paper diaries, replacing them with more advanced, year-round electronic measurement tools.[43]

As of 2025, while the traditional "sweeps" months (November, February, May, July) are still used as key reporting periods for advertising contracts, the data collection itself is continuous. The current system relies on a hierarchy of electronic methods:

  1. Local People Meters (LPMs): Used in the 25 largest "Designated Market Areas" (DMAs), like New York and Los Angeles. These devices electronically track what is being watched and by whom on a 365-day basis.
  2. Set Meters / RPD: In mid-sized markets, Nielsen uses "Set Meters" (which electronically record what channel is being watched) combined with anonymous "Return Path Data" (RPD) from cable and satellite set-top boxes.
  3. RPD and Modeling: In the smallest markets, measurement relies heavily on Return Path Data and advanced data modeling.
Nielsen Local TV Survey Periods (2024–2025)[44]
Survey PeriodSurvey Dates
November 2024October 31 – November 27, 2024
February 2025January 30 – February 26, 2025
May 2025April 24 – May 21, 2025
July 2025June 26 – July 23, 2025

Criticism of ratings systems

There is some public critique regarding accuracy and potential bias within Nielsen's rating system, including some concerns that the Nielsen ratings system is rapidly becoming outdated due to new technology such as smartphones, DVRs, tablet computers and Internet streaming services as preferred or alternative methods for television viewing.[45] In June 2006, however, Nielsen announced a plan to revamp its entire methodology to include all types of media viewing in its sample.[46] Since viewers are aware of being part of the Nielsen sample, it can lead to response bias in recording and viewing habits. Audience counts gathered by the self-reporting diary methodology are sometimes higher than those gathered by the electronic meters, eliminating any response bias.[47][48]

Another criticism of the measuring system itself is that it is not random. A small fraction of the population is selected, and only those accepted are used as the sample size. In many local areas during the 1990s, the difference between a rating that kept a show on the air and one that would cancel it was so small as to be statistically insignificant. Yet, the show with the higher rating would survive.[49] In addition, the Nielsen ratings encouraged a strong push for demographic measurements. This caused problems with households with multiple television sets or households where viewers would enter the simpler codes (usually their child's), raising questions about the demographic data quality.[49] The situation further deteriorated as the popularity of cable television increased the number of viewable networks to the extent that the margin of error has increased because the sampling sizes are too small.[49][50][51] Compounding matters is that of the sample data that is collected, advertisers will not pay for time shifted programs (those that are recorded for replay at a different time),[52] rendering the "raw" numbers useless from a statistical point of view. In 2013, it was noted that Internet streams of television programs were still not counted because they had either no ads (such as Netflix) or totally different advertising (such as Hulu) than their television counterparts, effectively skewing the raw data on a show's popularity.[53]

A related criticism of the Nielsen rating system is its lack of a system for measuring television audiences outside homes, such as college dormitories, transport terminals, bars, prisons and other public places where television is frequently viewed, often by large numbers of people in a common setting. In 2005, Nielsen announced plans to incorporate viewing by away-from-home college students into its sample. Internet television viewing is another rapidly growing market for which Nielsen ratings fail to account for viewers. iTunes, Hulu, YouTube, and some of the networks' own websites (such as ABC.com and CBS.com) provide full-length web-based programming, either subscription-based or ad-supported. Though websites can already track a site's popularity and the referring page, they cannot track viewer demographics. To both track this and expand their market research offerings, Nielsen purchased NetRatings in 2007.[54] However, as noted in a February 2012 New York Times article, the computer and mobile streams of a program are counted separately from the standard television broadcasts, further degrading the overall quality of the sampling data. As a result, there was no way for NBC to tell if there was any overlap between the roughly 111.3 million traditional television viewers[55][56] and 2.1 million live stream viewers of Super Bowl XLVII.[57]

Responding to the criticism regarding accusations by several media executives (including Viacom CEO Phillippe Dauman and former Fox Entertainment Group chief operating officer Chase Carey) that it failed to count viewers watching television programs on digital platforms, Nielsen executive vice president of global product leadership Megan Clarken stated in an April 2015 summit by the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement that the company can count digital viewers in audience and demographic reports but is unable to do so under the current set of rules devised by networks and advertising industries last revised in 2006. As such, Nielsen can only count viewership for television-originated broadcasts, and must exclude viewers who watch programs on digital platforms if the program does not have an identical advertising load or a linear watermark.[58]

After Nielsen took over the contract for producing data on Irish advertising in 2009, agencies said that they were "disastrous" and claimed that the information produced by them is too inaccurate to be trusted by them or their clients.[59]

In 2004, News Corporation retained the services of public relations firm Glover Park to launch a campaign aimed at delaying Nielsen's plan to replace its aging household electronic data collection methodology in larger local markets with its newer electronic People Meter system. The advocates in the public relations campaign claimed that data derived from the newer People Meter system represented a bias toward underreporting minority viewing, leading to a de facto discrimination in employment against minority actors and writers. However, Nielsen countered the campaign[60] by revealing its sample composition counts. According to Nielsen Media Research's sample composition counts, as of November 2004, nationwide, African American households using People Meters represented 6.7% of the Nielsen sample, compared to 6.0% in the general population. Latino households represent 5.7% of the Nielsen sample, compared to 5.0% in the general population. By October 2006, News Corporation and Nielsen settled, with Nielsen agreeing to spend an additional $50 million to ensure that minority viewing was not being underreported by the new electronic people meter system.[61]

In 2011, CBS and Nielsen proposed a model consisting of six viewer segments, which according to their empirical research,[citation needed] are more relevant for advertisers than older models based on gender and age. The segments are based on user behavior, motivations, and psychographics. It is argued that the model can increase reaching the desired audience and message recall and advertisement likeability.[62]

Advent of streaming

In September 2020, Nielsen began releasing a weekly list of top 10 television shows most watched on streaming platforms or subscription video on demand (SVOD).[63][64]

In 2021, Nielsen announced Nielsen Streaming Video Ratings, a service meant to measure total viewership and audience demographics on streaming platforms. This service is powered by Nielsen's NPOWER audience insights platform, which allows studios, platforms, and advertisers to know which demographics are interacting with content.[65]

Big Data + Panel

In January 2025, Nielsen gained accreditation for its Big Data + Panel from the Media Rating Council (MRC).[66] This measurement product is a hybrid of a traditional panel (from cable and satellite set-top boxes) and big data products (smart TVs) that is inclusive of person-level estimates across 45 million households and 75 million devices.[67][68] In December 2025, it was announced that Roku's streaming data will be integrated into the Big Data + Panel offering.[69]

Top-rated programs in the United States

Main articles: List of most-watched television broadcasts and List of most watched television broadcasts in the United States

The table below lists television series in the United States with the highest average household Nielsen rating for each television season.[70][71][72][73][74]

SeasonLiveLive + 3 DVRLive + 7 DVR
ShowNetworkHouseholds
(in millions)		Viewers
(in millions)		ShowNetworkViewers
(in millions)		ShowNetworkViewers
(in millions)
colspan="11"
1950–1951Texaco Star TheatreNBC6.28[75]
1951–1952Arthur Godfrey's Talent ScoutsCBS8.23[76]
1952–1953I Love Lucy13.73[77]
1953–195415.29[78]
1954–195515.14[79]
1955–1956The $64,000 Question16.58[80]
1956–1957I Love Lucy17.00[81]
1957–1958Gunsmoke18.07[82]
1958–195917.40[83]
1959–196018.44[84]
colspan="11"
1960–1961GunsmokeCBS17.61[85]
1961–1962Wagon TrainNBC15.59[86]
1962–1963The Beverly HillbilliesCBS18.11[87]
1963–196420.18[88]
1964–1965BonanzaNBC19.13[89]
1965–196617.12[90]
1966–196716.04[91]
1967–1968The Andy Griffith ShowCBS15.64[92]
1968–1969Rowan & Martin's Laugh-InNBC18.52[93]
1969–197015.39[94]
colspan="11"
1970–1971Marcus Welby, M.D.ABC17.79[95]
1971–1972All in the FamilyCBS21.11[96]
1972–197321.58[97]
1973–197420.65[98]
1974–197520.69[99]
1975–197620.95[100]
1976–1977Happy DaysABC22.43[101]
1977–1978Laverne & Shirley23.04[102]
1978–197922.72[103]
1979–198060 MinutesCBS21.67[104]
colspan="11"
1980–1981DallasCBS27.57[105]
1981–198223.15[106]
1982–198360 Minutes21.24[107]
1983–1984Dallas21.54[108]
1984–1985DynastyABC21.23[109]
1985–1986The Cosby ShowNBC28.95[110]
1986–198730.50[111]
1987–1988
1988–198923.14[112]
1989–199021.28[113]
RoseanneABC
colspan="11"
1990–1991CheersNBC19.83[114]
1991–199260 MinutesCBS20.17[115]
1992–199320.39[116]
1993–199419.69[117]
1994–1995SeinfeldNBC19.65[118]
1995–1996ER21.10[119]
1996–199720.56[120]30.79[121]
1997–1998Seinfeld21.27[120]34.10[122]
1998–1999ER17.69[123]25.40[124]
1999–2000Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (Tues)ABC28.53[125]
colspan="11"
2000–2001SurvivorCBS29.80[126]
2001–2002FriendsNBC24.50[127]
2002–2003'CBS26.12[128]
2003–2004American Idol (Tues)Fox25.73[129]
2004–200527.32[130]
2005–200631.17[131]
2006–2007American Idol (Wed)30.58[132]
2007–2008American Idol (Tues)28.80[133]
2008–2009American Idol (Wed)25.53[134]American Idol (Wed)Fox26.88[134]
2009–2010American Idol (Tues)22.97[135]American Idol (Tues)24.71[136]
colspan="11"
2010–2011American Idol (Wed)Fox23.95[137]American Idol (Wed)Fox26.20[137]
2011–2012NBC Sunday Night FootballNBCNBC Sunday Night FootballNBC20.74[138]
2012–2013NCIS[a]CBS21.34[139]
2013–201421.42[140]The Big Bang Theory23.10[140]
2014–201520.69[141]NBC Sunday Night FootballNBC20.81[141]
2015–201621.30[142]NBC Sunday Night FootballNBC21.38[143]21.39[144]
2016–201719.63[145]19.73[146]19.75[147]
2017–201817.58[148]RoseanneABC18.21[149]RoseanneABC19.96[150]
2018–201918.80[151]NBC Sunday Night FootballNBC18.92[151]NBC Sunday Night FootballNBC18.94[152]
2019–202019.96[153]20.09[154]
colspan="11"
2020–2021NBC Sunday Night FootballNBC16.50[155]
2021–2022NBC Sunday Night FootballNBC18.00[156]
2022–2023NBC Sunday Night FootballNBC18.14[157]
Notes
  1. ^ In 2012–13, NBC Sunday Night Football aired three broadcasts – NFL week 1, NFL week 2 and the Kickoff Game – before the official start of the television season. These broadcasts are not counted in the rankings for Live nor Live + 7 DVR results. NBC Sunday Night Football still recorded the highest Live results for the season. For the Live + 7 DVR results, if these broadcasts were counted, NBC Sunday Night Football would average 21.44 million viewers, and would have displaced NCIS's 2012–13season 10 for the highest Live + 7 DVR results. The NFL Thanksgiving Game is counted as part of Sunday Night Football for ratings, but not the Kickoff Game or Weeks 1-2.[168]

Television network ratings by year

(Average primetime viewership)

Network2019 views[158]2018 views[159]2017 views[160]2016 views[161]2015 views[162]2014 views[162]
CBS7,140,0007,385,0007,996,0008,814,0009,419,0009,375,000
NBC6,330,0007,876,0007,284,0008,426,0007,757,0008,264,000
ABC5,192,0005,423,0005,592,0006,325,0006,894,0006,838,000
Fox4,623,0004,401,0004,733,0005,053,0005,198,0005,973,000

Nielsen SVOD content ratings

Starting in September 2020, Nielsen releases a weekly list of top 10 television shows most watched on streaming platforms, or subscription video on demand (SVOD).[163] This immediately attracted attention by mainstream media, such as Variety, Hollywood Reporter, Deadline and Business Insider.[164][165][166][167]

See also

References

  1. ^ Fabrikant, Geraldine (August 13, 2011). "Big Makeover for Dutch Media Data Company". The New York Times. Archived Jun 15, 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  2. ^ "Nielsen Global Consumer Business Rebranding as NielsenIQ". Consumer Goods Technology. October 28, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  3. ^ "Nielsen Announces Completion of Sale Of Global Connect Business to Advent International". Nielsen Holdings. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  4. ^ McDougal, Dennis (January 31, 1988). "It's Wonderful, It's Disgusting, It's the Sweeps". The Los Angeles Times. Archived Nov 16, 2022 at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ^ Moore, Frazier (November 7, 1993). "COMMENTARY: Don't Read This If You Aren't a Nielsen Family". The Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. Archived Nov 17, 2022 at the Wayback Machine. one of four annual periods of intensive scrutiny by Nielsen
  6. ^ "Tidbits...". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 82. Ziff Davis. May 1996. p. 20.
  7. ^ Grubb, Jeff (September 5, 2018). "Nielsen acquires SuperData Research to better track digital games and esports". Venture Beat. Retrieved September 5, 2018.
  8. ^ Dealessandri, Marie (April 1, 2021). "Nielsen to close down SuperData". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  9. ^ "Nielsen launches weekly top 10 list of most popular shows on streaming platforms". Los Angeles Times. September 3, 2020.
  10. ^ Lafayette, Jon (2021-03-05). "Nielsen Completes $2.7 Billion Sale of Global Connect Business". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  11. ^ Lafayette, Jon (2022-10-11). "Nielsen Completes $16 Billion Sale to Private Equity Consortium". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
  12. ^ "Nielsen Likely Undercounted Some Pandemic Audiences, Media Review Finds". Variety. May 10, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  13. ^ "Nielsen Receives MRC Accreditation for its National TV Audience Measurement Service". April 17, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  14. ^ "Nielsen Timeline". Archived February 24, 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 12, 2021.
  15. ^ "Top 20 Network Shows, Rated 4 Ways, Announced by Nielsen". Broadcasting • Telecasting. December 8, 1947. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
  16. ^ Nielsen Audimeter, National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Retrieved March 12, 2021
  17. ^ Bhansali, Raj (October 29, 2018). "Nielsen retiring the TV Diary benefits PBS Stations". PBS Digital
  18. ^ Gary Levin (October 12, 2006). "Playback time for Nielsens". USA Today. p. 1D.
  19. ^ "Hulu and YouTube TV Now Included in TV Ratings Announces Nielsen" (press release). The Nielsen Company. 2017-07-25.
  20. ^ Steinberg, Brian (October 18, 2017). "Nielsen Says It Will Measure Audiences for TV Episodes That Stream Via Netflix". Variety. Retrieved February 19, 2018.
  21. ^ "Nielsen Estimates 119.6 Million TV Homes in the U.S. for the 2017–18 TV Season". The Nielsen Company. 2017-08-25. Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2017-11-05.
  22. ^ Nielsen Media Research. "Nielsen Media Research's Glossary of Media Terms.". Glossary Search Rating / Ratings Point. Archived from the original on July 13, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2017.
  23. ^ Nielsen Media Research. "Nielsen Media Research's Glossary of Media Terms". Glossary Search Share. Archived from the original on July 13, 2017. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  24. ^ Frank Baker (February 12, 2009). "What is a RATING". Media Literacy Clearinghouse. Archived from the original on May 13, 2016. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  25. ^ The Futon Critic Staff (TFC) (2010-09-19). "Frequently Asked Questions About Nielsen Ratings". Archived September 5, 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  26. ^ Lisa de Moraes (August 13, 2004). "Where's the Love? CNBC Scrambles to Woo Viewers for 'McEnroe'". The Washington Post. Archived July 21, 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  27. ^ "Nielsen trends: Total audience measurement". CNN Money. December 8, 2017. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
  28. ^ Louise Story (April 13, 2007). "Nielsen to Follow TV Viewers Out of the House and Into the Streets". The New York Times. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  29. ^ Maria Aspan (February 20, 2006). "Nielsen Will Start to Measure TV Habits of College Students". The New York Times. Retrieved October 26, 2022.
  30. ^ Michael Storey (April 23, 2009). "THE TV COLUMN: Not in 18–49 age group? TV execs write you off". Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Archived August 22, 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 2, 2008.
  31. ^ Carter, Bill (April 6, 2010). "An 'Idol' Ratings Loss, but Not in Its Pocketbook". The New York Times. Archived April 8, 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 8, 2010.
  32. ^ Rosario Santiago (October 3, 2007). "For Advertising Purposes, 'Grey's Anatomy' May Well be Colored Green". BuddyTV. Archived June 28, 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 3, 2009.
  33. ^ Brian Steinberg (October 18, 2010). "Simon Who? 'Idol' Spots Still Priciest in Prime Time". Advertising Age. Archived October 20, 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 28, 2010.
  34. ^ Gary Holmeys (January 16, 2006). "Nielsen Announces Schedule And Plan For Commercial-Minute Ratings". Nielsen Media Research. Archived from the original on August 28, 2007. Retrieved July 2, 2007.
  35. ^ Jon Lafayette (October 7, 2007). "Commercial Ratings Shuffle the Deck". Television Week. Archived from the original on April 17, 2008. Retrieved May 13, 2008.
  36. ^ Brian Stelter (September 10, 2009). "Media Group to Research New Methods for Ratings". The New York Times. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  37. ^ Anthony Crupi (November 14, 2012). "C3POh No! Broadcasters Agitate for Better Ratings Currency". AdWeek. Archived April 11, 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 9, 2013.
  38. ^ "Local Measurement: Methodology. LPM, SET-Meter, Diary only.". Nielsen – Client Knowledge Service Team. Archived from the original on March 27, 2016. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  39. ^ "Television Measurement | TV Ratings". Nielsen. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
  40. ^ Alan Pergament (August 6, 2014). "Summertime, when the leaving is easy to figure out". The Buffalo News. BH Media Group, LLC. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
  41. ^ "For the TV Station Business, Sweeps Stakes Are Still High". Broadcasting & Cable. February 17, 2014. p. 34.
  42. ^ "Nielsen Media Research's Glossary of Media Terms.". The Nielsen Company. Archived from the original on November 18, 2014. Retrieved December 23, 2017. Glossary search for Sweeps
  43. ^ "Nielsen to Deliver All-Electronic Measurement to Local TV Markets in 2017 and Retire Paper TV Diaries in 140 Local Markets". Nielsen. 14 September 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2025.
  44. ^ "Nielsen Local TV Survey Dates 2024-2025". Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB). Retrieved 4 November 2025.
  45. ^ Stuart Elliott & Bill Carter (November 25, 2003). "Nielsen Offers More Details On Lost Viewers". The New York Times. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  46. ^ Aline van Duynin (June 15, 2006). "Digital TV Prompts Nielsen Ratings Revamp". Financial Times. Archived December 2, 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  47. ^ E.A. Lee (1978), "Scholarly articles for "response bias" "nielsen'"
  48. ^ A. Furnham (1986), "Response bias, social desirability and dissimulation", Personality and Individual Differences. 7 (3): 385–400, doi:10.1016/0191-8869(86)90014-0
  49. ^ "Can You Believe TV Ratings?". Nova / Horizon. PBS. February 18, 1992.
  50. ^ Andrea Segal (April 26, 2007). "Nielsen Ratings: An Inaccurate Truth". The Cornell Daily Sun. Archived from the original on April 30, 2007. Retrieved January 19, 2008.
  51. ^ John Herrman (January 31, 2011). "Why Nielsen Ratings Are Inaccurate, and Why They'll Stay That Way". Splitsider. Archived May 5, 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 28, 2012.
  52. ^ Gary Levin (April 25, 2007). "Networks' top shows at a rating loss". USA Today. p. 1D.
  53. ^ Brian Stelter (February 21, 2013). "Nielsen Adjusts Its Ratings to Add Web-Linked TVs". The New York Times
  54. ^ "Briefing: Nielsen to purchase all NetRatings shares". International Herald Tribune. February 5, 2007. Archived from the original on December 20, 2008. Retrieved October 10, 2008.
  55. ^ "US-Repräsentantenhaus segnet Trumps Steuerreform ab". 16 November 2017. Archived 17 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  56. ^ "Jamaika-Sondierungen gehen in die Verlängerung". stern.de. Archived 17 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  57. ^ Brian Stelter (February 8, 2012). "Youths Are Watching, but Less Often on TV". The New York Times
  58. ^ David Lieberman (April 22, 2015). "Nielsen Says Industry Rules Bar It From Including Digital Viewers In TV Ratings". Deadline Hollywood. Mail.com Media. Archived February 22, 2016 at the Wayback Machine.
  59. ^ Laura Noonan (February 4, 2010). "Media agencies losing trust in Nielsen for supply of critical data". Independent.ie. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  60. ^ Stuart Elliott (May 29, 2004). "Nielsen Media's Revised Ratings System Is Denied Accreditation by Industry Group". The New York Times. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
  61. ^ Michael Learmonth (October 26, 2006). "Rupe ends Nielsen tiff". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved April 20, 2009. (subscription required)
  62. ^ Jack Neff (March 23, 2011). "CBS: Viewers' Age and Sex Shouldn't Matter to Marketers". Advertising Age. Archived April 11, 2011 at the Wayback Machine.
  63. ^ "Nielsen launches weekly top 10 list of most popular shows on streaming platforms". Los Angeles Times. 3 September 2020.
  64. ^ Nunan, Tom. "Nielsen Announces Top 10 Streaming Winners With Big Surprises". Forbes
  65. ^ Michael Balderston (2021-04-22). "Nielsen Creates Streaming-Specific Ratings Report". TVTechnology. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
  66. ^ Flynn, Kerry (2025-01-22). "Nielsen gains accreditation for Big Data + Panel". Axios. Retrieved 2025-12-30.
  67. ^ Blancaflor, Saleah (2025-01-22). "Nielsen Big Data + Panel TV Measurement Gets MRC Accredited". Adweek. Retrieved 2025-12-30.
  68. ^ Steinberg, Brian (2025-01-22). "Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel Technology Wins Accreditation Ahead of TV Upfront". Variety. Retrieved 2025-12-30.
  69. ^ McNally, Victoria (2025-12-22). "Nielsen and Roku Renew Their Vows By Sharing Even More Data With Each Other". AdExchanger. Retrieved 2025-12-30.
  70. ^ Alex McNeil (1996). Total Television. 4th ed. New York City, New York: Penguin Books. pp. 1143–1161. ISBN 0-14-024916-8.
  71. ^ "2003-04 Season To Date Program Rankings from September 22, 2003 Through May 30, 2004". ABC Medianet. 2004-06-02. Archived February 8, 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 24, 2006.
  72. ^ Tim Brooks & Earle Marsh (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946–present. New York City, New York: Ballantine. pp. 1679–1698. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
  73. ^ Nellie Andreeva (May 27, 2011). "Full 2010-11 Season Series Rankers". Deadline Hollywood. Mail.com Media. Archived October 8, 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
  74. ^ "Top-Rated Programs by Season (2007-Present)". TimBrooks.net. Archived 2012-06-21 at the Wayback Machine.
  75. ^ "TV Ratings: 1950-1951". ClassicTVHits.com. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  76. ^ "TV Ratings: 1951-1952". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on December 23, 2003. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  77. ^ "TV Ratings: 1952-1953". ClassicTVHits.com. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  78. ^ "TV Ratings: 1953-1954". ClassicTVHits.com. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  79. ^ "TV Ratings: 1954-1955". ClassicTVHits.com. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  80. ^ "TV Ratings: 1955-1956". ClassicTVHits.com. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  81. ^ "TV Ratings: 1956-1957". ClassicTVHits.com. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  82. ^ "TV Ratings: 1957-1958". ClassicTVHits.com. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  83. ^ "TV Ratings: 1958-1959". ClassicTVHits.com. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  84. ^ "TV Ratings: 1959-1960". ClassicTVHits.com. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  85. ^ "TV Ratings: 1960-1961". ClassicTVHits.com. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  86. ^ "TV Ratings: 1961-1962". ClassicTVHits.com. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  87. ^ "TV Ratings: 1962-1963". ClassicTVHits.com. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  88. ^ "TV Ratings: 1963-1964". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on November 23, 2003. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  89. ^ "TV Ratings: 1964-1965". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on March 7, 2004. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  90. ^ "TV Ratings: 1965-1966". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  91. ^ "TV Ratings: 1966-1969". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on June 23, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  92. ^ "TV Ratings: 1967-1968". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on November 23, 2003. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  93. ^ "TV Ratings: 1968-1969". ClassicTVHits.com. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  94. ^ "TV Ratings: 1969-1970". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on November 23, 2003. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  95. ^ "TV Ratings: 1970-1971". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on January 11, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  96. ^ "TV Ratings: 1971-1972". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on November 23, 2003. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  97. ^ "TV Ratings: 1972-1973". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2015. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  98. ^ "TV Ratings: 1973-1974". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  99. ^ "TV Ratings: 1974-1975". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  100. ^ "TV Ratings: 1975-1976". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2011. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  101. ^ "TV Ratings: 1976-1977". ClassicTVHits.com. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  102. ^ "TV Ratings: 1977-1978". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  103. ^ "TV Ratings: 1978-1979". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  104. ^ "TV Ratings: 1979-1980". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on February 23, 2019. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  105. ^ "TV Ratings: 1981-1982". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on February 25, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  106. ^ "TV Ratings: 1981-1982". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  107. ^ "TV Ratings: 1982-1983". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on 2018-03-10. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  108. ^ "TV Ratings: 1983-1984". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on August 2, 2013. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  109. ^ "TV Ratings: 1984-1985". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  110. ^ "TV Ratings: 1985-1986". ClassicTVHits.com. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  111. ^ "TV Ratings: 1986-1987". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2010. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  112. ^ "TV Ratings: 1988-1989". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2015. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  113. ^ "TV Ratings: 1989-1990". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on December 9, 2015. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  114. ^ "TV Ratings: 1990-1991". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2015. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  115. ^ "TV Ratings: 1991-1992". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  116. ^ "TV Ratings: 1992-1993". ClassicTVHits.com. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  117. ^ "TV Ratings: 1993-1994". ClassicTVHits.com. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  118. ^ "TV Ratings: 1994-1995". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on October 26, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  119. ^ "TV Ratings: 1995-1996". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  120. ^ "TV Ratings: 1996-1997". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2010. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  121. ^ Lowry, Brian (May 23, 1997). "A Milestone Year, for a Decidedly Dubious Reason". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  122. ^ "The Final Countdown". Entertainment Weekly Published in issue #434 May 29, 1998. May 29, 1998. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  123. ^ "TV Ratings: 1998-1999". ClassicTVHits.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2019.
  124. ^ "TV Winners & Losers: Numbers Racket A Final Tally Of The Season's Show (from Nielsen Media Research)". GeoCities. June 4, 1999. Archived October 29, 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  125. ^ "Top TV Shows For 1999-2000 Season". Variety. August 6, 2000. Archived January 20, 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved February 15, 2019.
  126. ^ "E! Online: CBS Wins Season (via WNDU)". E! Online. May 25, 2001. Archived from the original on July 23, 2001. Retrieved May 25, 2014.
  127. ^ "How did your favorite show rate?". USA Today. May 28, 2002. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  128. ^ "Nielsen's TOP 156 Shows for 2002-03". Google Groups. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  129. ^ "SEASON TO DATE PROGRAM RANKINGS - part 1". Archived February 8, 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  130. ^ "Disney – ABC Press". Archived from the original on April 21, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  131. ^ "Disney – ABC Press". Archived from the original on October 11, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  132. ^ "Disney – ABC Press". Archived from the original on March 23, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  133. ^ "Disney – ABC Press". Archived from the original on April 13, 2010. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  134. ^ "Dollhouse Had Largest Share of Viewing From DVRs, Did That Save The Show?". TV by the Numbers. June 18, 2009. Archived from the original on October 8, 2016. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
  135. ^ "Final 2009-10 Broadcast Primetime Show Average Viewership". TV by the Numbers. June 16, 2010. Archived from the original on October 30, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  136. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 27, 2010). "Full Series Rankings For The 2009-10 Broadcast Season". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  137. ^ Gorman, Bill (June 13, 2011). "'Modern Family' Tops DVR Ratings Gain For The 2010-11 Season; 'Fringe' Has Biggest % Increase By DVR". TV by the Numbers. Archived June 16, 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
  138. ^ "Complete List Of 2011-12 Season TV Show Viewership: 'Sunday Night Football' Tops, Followed By 'American Idol,' 'NCIS' & 'Dancing With The Stars'". TV by the Numbers. May 24, 2012. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  139. ^ Platten, Dominic (May 23, 2013). "Full 2012-2013 TV Season Series Rankings". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  140. ^ "Live+7 DVR Ratings: Complete 2013-14 Season 'The Big Bang Theory' Leads Adults 18-49 Ratings Increase; 'Raising Hope' Earns Biggest Percentage Increase, 'The Blacklist' Tope Viewership Gains". TV by the Numbers. June 9, 2014. Archived from the original on July 13, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  141. ^ Baron, Steve (June 8, 2015). "Live+7 Ratings: Complete 2014-15 Season 'The Big Bang Theory' Leads Adults 18-49 Ratings Increase; 'The Messengers' Earns Biggest Percentage Increase, 'The Blacklist' Tops Viewership Gains". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 28, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  142. ^ Porter, Rick (May 27, 2016). "Final same-day viewer averages for 2015-16: Football, 'NCIS' lead charts". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 12, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  143. ^ Porter, Rick (June 3, 2016). "Final Live +3 viewer averages for 2015-16: NFL, 'NCIS' remain on top". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 8, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  144. ^ Rick, Porter (June 13, 2016). "Final Live +7 viewer averages for 2015-16: 'The Big Bang Theory' moves ahead of 'NCIS,' NFL stays No. 1". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 10, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  145. ^ Porter, Rick (May 26, 2017). "Final same-day viewer averages for 2016-17: 'Sunday Night Football' leads for 6th straight year". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 30, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  146. ^ Porter, Rick (June 5, 2017). "Final Live +3 viewer averages for 2016-17: 'Big Bang Theory,' 'NCIS' pass 'Thursday Night Football'". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 9, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  147. ^ Porter, Rick (June 12, 2017). "Final Live +7 viewer averages for 2016-17: 'Sunday Night Football' holds off 'The Big Bang Theory". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 16, 2017. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  148. ^ Porter (May 29, 2018). "Final same-day total viewer averages for 2017-18: 'Sunday Night Football' No. 1 for 7th straight year". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 2, 2018. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  149. ^ Porter, Rick (June 4, 2018). "Final Live +3 viewer rankings for 2017-18: 'Roseanne' takes over first place". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 7, 2018. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  150. ^ Porter, Rick (June 11, 2018). "Final Live +7 viewer averages for 2017-18: 'Roseanne,' 'Big Bang Theory' surpass 'SNF'". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 13, 2018.
  151. ^ Pucci, Douglas (June 8, 2019). "2018-19 Live+3 Season Ratings: 'This Is Us' Leads in Raw Adults 18-49 Gains for Third Straight Year, Freshman Drama 'Manifest' Tops in Raw Viewer Lifts". Programming Insider. Retrieved June 24, 2019.
  152. ^ Porter, Rick (June 10, 2019). "2018-19 TV Season: Live-Plus-7 Ratings for Every Broadcast Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  153. ^ Pucci, Douglas (June 21, 2020). "2019-20 Live+Same Day Season Ratings: NFL Football Rules Prime Time and Exhibits Slight Growth, 90's Chicago Bulls-Michael Jordan Doc 'The Last Dance' Tops All Non-NFL Telecasts". Programming Insider. Archived June 26, 2020 at the Wayback Machine.
  154. ^ Porter, Rick (June 4, 2020). "TV Ratings: 7-Day Season Averages for Every 2019-20 Broadcast Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived June 5, 2020 at the Wayback Machine.
  155. ^ Porter, Rick (June 8, 2021). "2020-21 TV Ratings: Complete 7-Day Ratings for Broadcast Network Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived June 9, 2021 at the Wayback Machine.
  156. ^ Porter, Rick (June 8, 2022). "2021-22 TV Ratings: Final Seven-Day Numbers for Every Network Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived June 9, 2022 at the Wayback Machine.
  157. ^ Porter, Rick (7 June 2023). "TV Ratings 2022-23: Final Seven-Day Averages for Every Network Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  158. ^ Schneider, Michael (2019-12-26). "Top-Rated Channels of 2019: TV Network Winners & Losers". Variety. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
  159. ^ Schneider, Michael (2018-12-27). "Most-Watched Television Networks: Ranking 2018's Winners and Losers". IndieWire. Retrieved 2019-11-12.
  160. ^ Schneider, Michael (28 December 2017). "Highest Network Ratings of 2017: Most Watched Winners & Losers". IndieWire. Archived 2018-12-07 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2018-12-12.
  161. ^ Schneider, Michael (27 December 2016). "Most-Watched Television Networks: Ranking 2016's Winners and Losers". IndieWire. Archived 2017-08-10 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2017-08-09.
  162. ^ "Most Watched Television Networks: Ranking 2015's Winners and Losers". tvInsider.com. December 28, 2015. Archived 2016-11-19 at the Wayback Machine.
  163. ^ Nunan, Tom. "Nielsen Announces Top 10 Streaming Winners With Big Surprises". Forbes
  164. ^ "'The Boys' Stays in Nielsen's Streaming Top 10". The Hollywood Reporter. October 8, 2020.
  165. ^ Thorne, Will (November 5, 2020). "'Haunting of Bly Manor' and 'Emily in Paris' Hit Nielsen's Streaming Top 10 List"
  166. ^ Hayes, Dade (October 22, 2020). "'Ratched', 'Enola Holmes' Top Nielsen Streaming List, With 'Schitt's Creek' Cracking Top 10". Deadline. Archived from the original on October 22, 2020.
  167. ^ Clark, Travis. "Nielsen now measures Disney Plus and Hulu in its weekly ranking of top streaming TV shows and movies. But the list is still dominated entirely by Netflix.". Business Insider
  168. ^ "Complete List Of 2012-13 Season TV Show Viewership: 'Sunday Night Football' Tops, Followed By 'NCIS,' 'The Big Bang Theory' & 'NCIS: Los Angeles'". TV by the Numbers. May 29, 2013. Archived from the original on October 9, 2016. Retrieved June 13, 2018.

Further reading

General sources
  • Lotz, Amanda D. "The Television Will Be Revolutionized". New York University Press.
  • Stoddard Jr., Laurence R. "The History of People Meters: How We Got There (And Why)". United Kingdom, Cambridge University Press.