Netflix

Nielsen Now Vends Ratings Info For Netflix Shows To Top Media Companies

Nielsen is selling viewership data about Netflix shows to TV producers, providing a critical glimpse into figures that the streaming giant has never disclosed.

While the ratings authority previously offered this information to TV producers about their own shows, according to Recode, the firm will now vend this information to studios, networks, and producers about almost any Netflix show — so that they can glean a better sense of how rivals are performing, and make sure that they are being compensated fairly. Nielsen uses proprietary tech to capture audio data in order to determine its ratings, which Netflix maintains is inaccurate.

“The data that Nielsen is reporting is not accurate, not even close, and does not reflect the viewing of these shows on Netflix,” Netflix said in a statement.

Subscribe to get the latest creator news

Subscribe

While Nielsen has not made its findings public, it did share some data with Recode, including the fact that hit series like The Defenders, Fuller House, and House of Cards garner similar numbers to top shows on linear TV. The Defenders, for instance, averaged 6.1 million viewers the week its first episode premiered on Netflix, while the CBS smash The Big Bang Theory averaged 7.4 million viewers during the same period.

It remains to be seen whether Nielsen will expand its measurement to competing streaming services, including Amazon and Hulu.

Share
Published by
Geoff Weiss

Recent Posts

The first ‘Minecraft’ affiliate marketing program will add new dimensions to the sandbox game’s economy

If everything goes according to plan, Minecraft players are about to make more money than…

4 hours ago

Top 5 Branded Videos of the Week: A cashier for your thoughts?

'Tis the season for festive holiday beverages, and some of YouTube's biggest channels are raising…

24 hours ago

It’s time to Dual Stream: Twitch unites vertical and horizontal formats at TwitchCon Europe

The 2026 edition of TwitchCon Europe took place in Rotterdam during the last two days…

1 day ago

‘The Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession’ are box office smashes. What’s next for creators in Hollywood?

It's official: Backrooms is a box office sensation, and a new era of creator filmmaking…

1 day ago

KSI’s 13-year run as a member of the Sidemen has come to an end

YouTube's most famous creator septet is becoming a sextet. In a video uploaded on May…

1 day ago