Nielsen Launches Co-Viewing Pilot Programme To Enhance TV Measurement

Nielsen has unveiled a pilot programme designed to better account for co-viewing, aiming to provide a more accurate picture of total audiences, particularly for live television events.

The trial will begin with Super Bowl LX on NBC on Sunday 8 February 2026 and will extend to other major live sport and entertainment events in the first half of the year. Initial findings will be published a few weeks after Nielsen releases its final Big Data + Panel ratings, which will continue to serve as the industry's trading currency.

"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," said Karthik Rao, CEO, Nielsen. "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."

To improve co-viewing estimates, the pilot will further integrate Nielsen's proprietary wrist-worn wearable devices, which resemble a smartwatch. These capture audio from TV events, programmes and films to enable more passive measurement without a formal log-in process.

Nielsen says the initiative builds on recent advances including broad adoption of its Big Data + Panel measurement, the integration of first-party data for live-streaming measurement, and expanded out-of-home coverage across the United States. The company also points to regular publications such as The Gauge and the Nielsen Streaming Top 10 as part of its streaming measurement offering.

Co-viewing estimates from the pilot will not be included in Big Data + Panel ratings and therefore will not be considered currency at this stage. Pilot data will be shared with clients after ratings delivery, and clients may publish the findings. Nielsen plans to provide additional impact data later in 2026, with the goal of incorporating the co-viewing methodology into currency measurement for the 2026/27 season. This is the first phase, with further co-viewing enhancements planned beyond 2026; timing for subsequent phases will be shared when available.

nielsen.com