Nielsen Media Research
American firm measuring television, radio, and digital audiences.
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is a U.S. company that tracks audiences for television, radio, theater, film (through the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Based in New York City, it is most famous for the Nielsen ratings, a system that measures TV viewership and has long influenced whether networks renew or cancel shows. As of August 2024, it forms the main part of Nielsen Holdings.
NMR started as a division of ACNielsen, a marketing research firm founded in 1923. It became an independent company in 1996, then was bought by the Dutch conglomerate VNU in 1999. VNU also bought ACNielsen in 2001, reuniting the two under one corporate structure. NMR is a sister company to Nielsen//NetRatings, which measures internet and digital audiences. VNU was reorganized and renamed the Nielsen Company in 2007. In 2021, NMR was again separated from NielsenIQ (the former ACNielsen).
The Nielsen TV ratings have been produced in the U.S. since the 1950–51 television season, using statistics to show which programs different segments of the population watch. The most famous method is the "diary." During the four "sweeps" months—February, May, July, and November—Nielsen interviewers in Oldsmar, Florida, and Radcliff, Kentucky, ask households to record a week’s worth of programs they watch.
By the early 1980s, the Nielsen sample included about 1,700 homes with audiometers and a rotating group of nearly 850 diary respondents. In 1980, Nielsen launched the Nielsen Homevideo Index (NHI) to measure cable, pay cable, and VCRs; daily cable ratings began in 1982, with steady expansions through the mid-2000s. In 2003, Nielsen adjusted its counting methods and emphasized its sample due to demographic changes and industry requests. It introduced the automated Local People Meter (LPM) in New York and Los Angeles. The LPM improved measurement by moving from an active, diary-based system to a passive, meter-monitored one, accurately measuring local markets instead of relying on a national sample. While diary surveys focused on quarterly sweeps, the industry has shifted to year-round measurement thanks to the LPM.
In 1996, NMR began tracking computer, internet, and video game usage through telephone surveys. It is a sister company to Nielsen NetRatings (which measures internet and digital audiences via telephone and internet surveys) and Nielsen BuzzMetrics (which measures consumer-ge
- field
- Media audience measurement
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Nielsen ratings, audience measurement systems for television and other media
- founded
- 1923 (as a division of ACNielsen)
- headquarters
- New York City
Lore & Background
Nielsen Media Research 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. VNU was reorganized and renamed the Nielsen Company in 2007. NMR was separated again from NielsenIQ (the former ACNielsen) in 2021.
The Nielsen TV ratings have been produced in the United States since the 1950–51 television season. The most well-known portion is the 'diary,' used during the four 'sweeps' months of February, May, July, and November. Nielsen introduced its automated Local People Meter (LPM) technology in New York and Los Angeles, shifting from an active, diary-based system to a passive, meter-monitored one. In 1996, NMR began tracking computer, internet, and video game usage through telephone surveys.
In September 2018, Nielsen acquired SuperData Research, which tracked viewing habits within the video game and esports spaces. In April 2021, Nielsen stated it would close SuperData and merge its analysis into Nielsen Sports. In September 2020, Nielsen began compiling a weekly top 10 list of most-watched shows on streaming platforms. After the divestiture of NielsenIQ in 2021, Nielsen became solely a media audience measurement and analytics firm.
Reader's Guide
Nielsen Media Research's significance lies in its long-standing role as the primary source of audience measurement for the American television industry. Its ratings have historically determined which television shows are canceled or renewed, making it a central force in programming decisions. The company's methods evolved from the Audimeter and paper diaries to the People Meter and Local People Meter, enabling more precise, year-round measurement. Nielsen also expanded into measuring digital video recorders, subscription video on demand services like Hulu and Netflix, and streaming platforms. However, its accuracy was challenged when it lost accreditation by the Media Rating Council in 2022 due to inaccurate data reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic, though it regained accreditation in April 2023. Nielsen's legacy includes shaping how audiences are quantified and how advertising rates are set, despite ongoing disputes about its methodology and representativeness.
Did You Know?
- Nielsen Media Research began as a division of ACNielsen, founded in 1923.
- The first Nielsen ratings for radio programs were released the first week of December 1947.
- Nielsen lost accreditation by the Media Rating Council in 2022 due to inaccurate data reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic, but regained it in April 2023.
- In September 2020, Nielsen began compiling a weekly top 10 list of most-watched shows on streaming platforms.
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