When Tom Brady was selected by the New England Patriots with the #199 pick in the 2000 NFL Draft on Sunday, April 16, he did so in front of a handful of fans at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and a small Sunday afternoon television audience on ESPN2.

Fast forward a quarter century later to 2025. When Cam Ward was selected by the Tennessee Titans with the top pick, the announcement was made by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in front of an estimated audience of 600,000 in Green Bay¹ and a television audience of 13.9 million for the prime time spectacle on ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network².

There were an astounding 4.25 billion social media impressions³ emanating from the 3-day homage to football, and without one touchdown being thrown or one tackle being made. 

Nielsen’s intelligence platform analyzed a number of trends that have helped drive the meteoric rise in viewership and engagement around the NFL Draft, from overall fandom to local market viewership to social media and sponsorships. 

Football’s expanding demographic reach

It is no wonder interest in the NFL Draft continues to soar. Nielsen Fan Insights reveal that interest in football continues to rise in every demographic surveyed.

Digital engagement beyond gameday

The conversation and debate around the NFL Draft actually begins the day after the year’s previous draft. Fans take to social media for 364 days leading into the Draft to discuss, argue, and guess where players will land. According to Nielsen’s Fan Insights, this type of chatter caters perfectly to the football fans who utilize social media for their sports news and gameday action.

Energizing local fanbases

Holding the top pick in the draft can forever change the fortunes of a franchise. In particular, drafting a quarterback in the top slot energizes and galvanizes a franchise like nothing else. Currently, there are 14 quarterbacks drafted first overall in the NFL Draft who have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame from Peyton Manning to Terry Bradshaw.
Over the last three years, the local markets who had a team drafting a franchise QB at #1 experienced a significant household ratings increase on ABC for the Draft vs. the year prior.

Fernando-Mania in the 2026 Draft

In 2025, the Las Vegas ABC affiliate drew a 1.3 HH rating for the NFL draft. This year with “Fernando-Mania” sweeping the city, viewership should see an exponential rise. The anticipation for Indiana’s Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, the presumptive number one pick in Las Vegas, can also be reflected in the National Championship semifinals and championship television ratings. Viewership in the Las Vegas market for the Rose Bowl and the National Championship game to watch their soon-to-be QB savior were up +45% and +87% respectively.⁴

How rotating cities drives viewership

New York City hosted the NFL Draft for 50 consecutive years (1964-2014).  However, in 2015, the NFL began rotating the Draft to different cities. The NFL Draft quickly became a must-see event, drawing hundreds of thousands of fans, becoming a three-day festival showcasing gridiron fandom. That decision to move the event to different cities has also had a profound impact on the local ratings on ABC for the host market, showing double-digit growth year over year.

To put Kansas City’s local ratings for the NFL Draft into perspective, the 2026 Academy Awards delivered a 9.2 HH this past year locally in Kansas City, -12% lower than the HH rating for the NFL Draft when they hosted in 2023.⁵

Even a Super Bowl victory can impact the ratings for a local market for the NFL Draft. For example Philadelphia’s ABC affiliate saw a +53% bump in HH ratings for the 2025 draft (4.83 vs. the 2024 draft (3.16).⁶

With surging ratings and fan interest, the NFL Draft represents another great opportunity for brands to partner with such highly engaging content. Nielsen Fan Insights took a deep dive into why the sponsorship can be a touchdown for marketers. 

It was 90 years ago in February, 1936 that Jay Berwanger (RB, University of Chicago) was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles with the first pick in the first NFL Draft in a quiet meeting among team executives. Today, the NFL Draft has become a cultural phenomenon with ratings that rival the highest-profile award shows on television. With upwards of 700,000 fans predicted to attend the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh⁷, Nielsen will be measuring every moment from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s highly–anticipated “With the first pick…. “ on Thursday April 23 in primetime to the announcement of Mr. Irrelevant to conclude the proceedings on Saturday afternoon.

Notes

¹Source: ESPN, “Attendance in Green Bay for NFL draft hits 600,000,” April 27, 2025.
²Source: Nielsen Big Data+Panel, Live+SD
³Source: WBAY, “Discover Green Bay tourism official says NFL Draft exposure was worth millions,” April 29, 2025.
⁴Source: NLTV Program Standard, Live+SD, TV Households, HH, ABC, NFL DRAFT-4/24
⁵Source: NLTV Program Standard, Live+SD, TV Households, HH, ABC, OSCARS-ABC (3/15/26)
⁶Source: NLTV Program Standard, Live+SD, TV Households, HH, ABC, NFL DRAFT Program Average by year
⁷Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “NFL draft history: Mel Kiper, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the draft’s return to Pittsburgh,” March 25, 2026.

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Audience growth and streaming influence

Streaming platforms such as Netflix and Crunchyroll (a global streaming platform dedicated to Japanese anime) have seen continued growth in anime viewership over the past three years. 

Anime viewership growth has driven mainstream interest in other Asian culture programming including Alice in Borderland, KPop Demon Hunters, and the Korean cultural phenomenon Squid Game. It’s also driving live-action adaptations such as Netflix’s One Piece, which is directly based on the anime series of the same name. The first season of the live-action series garnered 1.3 billion minutes of viewing in its opening week, and the second season premiere week exceeded that at 1.6 billion. The show has also attracted a diverse audience at 25% Hispanic, 9% Asian, 16% Black, and 46% White, and season two has thus far maintained that profile.

A powerful, cross-interest consumer base

Anime fans are much more than passive viewers. They are multi-faceted enthusiasts who are hyper-engaged across the digital ecosystem. Their interests also span multiple consumer categories with the spending power to engage these passions.

This is also an audience who has the financial wherewithal to act upon their interests, with 60% of anime fans being the chief income earner in their household. This rises to 68% for millennial anime fans, nearly a quarter of whom earn over $100k annually, with 18% surpassing the $125k mark.²

Connecting with Asian and cross-cultural audiences

Anime and anime-related streaming programming are vehicles for universal Asian themes, including resilience against overwhelming odds, the tension between tradition and hyper-modernity, and the sanctity of communal bonds. This provides a natural engagement point to connect with AANHPI audiences, a cultural group where 69% are more likely to connect with a fandom that embraces or reflects their identity.³

Furthermore, anime fans demonstrate significant racial and ethnic diversity, with high identification rates among most demographics.

The undeniable promise of anime

Examining the insights, it’s easy to see the built-in potential of the anime fan. By recognizing the diversity, economic power, and high receptivity to relevant marketing strategies demonstrated by this group, brands can successfully chart their course to engaging one of the most dynamic and influential consumer groups of the decade.

For more insights into today’s AANHPI fans and how to connect with them, check out our report Breakthrough ROI: Investing in Asian American audiences and media.

For more insights into today’s Black fans and how to connect with them, check out our report The Black influence: How Black culture & identity drive the market.

For more insights into today’s Hispanic fans and how to connect with them, check out our report How Hispanic consumers are influencing the media landscape.

Notes

¹  Based on the first 30 days of viewing to season one

² Nielsen Fan Insights, January 2026

³ Nielsen Advanced Audience Attitudes Study, 2025

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McDonald’s release on March 31 of two KPop Demon Hunters themed meals represents a massive cultural collision where brand investment meets a record-breaking streaming fandom. While its recent double Oscar® win for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song—a historic first for K-pop—and its Grammy for “Golden” have captured global headlines, Nielsen’s media intelligence highlighted the growing momentum well in advance.

As the most-streamed movie of 2025 for adults 18-34 and 35-49, the data from last year offered an early signal that this film had transcended the screen, providing the real-world intelligence behind why an adult fandom-targeted meal was the savvy, strategic move.

The numbers tell a bigger story

It is no surprise that 48% of the movie’s audience were ages 2–11; however, kids weren’t the only ones watching.

A viewing phenomenon

Since its release by Netflix in June 2025, KPop Demon Hunters has racked up a commanding following.

The streaming dominance of KPop Demon Hunters earned Netflix a coveted Artey Award for the Top Streaming Kid’s movie in 2025, and its popularity continues to resonate with audiences in 2026—logging 2.7 billion additional viewing minutes so far this year and remaining in Nielsen’s Top 10 for streaming movies.

While the viewership minutes and rankings may have generated initial interest, Nielsen’s deeper intelligence around audience trends revealed an opportunity to engage with a larger market through adult meal offerings.

Connection drives sales

When a brand becomes part of the fandom’s world, fans become customers. The results from Nielsen’s 2025 Advanced Audience Attitudes Study are proof.

Understanding the trends behind the hits is critical for advertisers and brands looking to engage audiences in today’s multi-platform media ecosystem, and Nielsen helps companies like McDonald’s leverage the opportunities that may not be obvious without deeper media intelligence. 

Get the full picture of streaming audiences with Nielsen’s streaming measurement. Plus track and maximize your campaign performance with NielsenOne Ads and Outcomes.

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The viewership on FOX, FS1, FS2, and FOX Deportes for the 2026 World Baseball Classic    supported that narrative, culminating with 10.78 million viewers (FOX and FOX Deportes ) for the championship game between the US and Venezuela.

It’s not just about scale either. The WBC is attracting a broader, more multicultural audience than ever before, turning it into a cultural touchpoint that extends far beyond traditional baseball markets.

In an era where sports serve as both entertainment and identity, the World Baseball Classic has transitioned from a niche tournament into a global phenomenon characterized by shifting demographics and evolving media habits. 

The WBC tells the story of evolving trends among baseball fans that parallel factors fueling a worldwide growth in sports, including rapid audience gains, rising multicultural engagement, and an increasingly connected digital fanbase. 

The explosive growth in viewership

The record-setting audience growth for WBC games reflects a rising global interest in baseball and the diversification of the sport’s fanbase.

Not only driven by scale but also by who is watching, the WBC has attracted a broader, more multicultural audience than ever before. It’s become a cultural touchpoint that extends far beyond traditional baseball markets. 

This was in part the result of FOX deftly moving the championship from cable (FS1 in 2023) to the main broadcast network, which increased access and ensured the final would reach a wider audience. However, it should be noted that the US -Dominican Republic semifinal on FS1 and FOX Deportes brought in 7.37 million, with 6.86 million on FS1 alone. And what makes that even more remarkable, is that the game went head-to-head with the Academy Awards, typically one of the most-watched programs of the year. The overall growth has also been seen by Major League Baseball, where the 2025 playoff season notched 58.2 billion viewing minutes, a 24% increase over the previous year.² 

As discussed in the second part of our 2026 Upfront Planning Series, the growing interest in baseball is part of a larger powerhouse era for live sports where they accounted for nearly 30% of all ad supported TV viewing in Q4 of 2025.³ 

A celebration of cultural diversity

What distinguishes the World Baseball Classic is not just how many people are watching, but who those viewers are. The audience composition figures above accentuate the tournament’s ability to draw a broader and more representative audience than many traditional sports broadcasts. The long-term trends are even more compelling. Hispanic viewership of the WBC final increased by 61.5%, Asian viewership rose nearly 80%, and Black viewership showed a 63.5% gain.⁴

These increases mirror broader MLB trends where Asian American viewership of the 2024 World Series rose 146% year-over-year and 2025 international season opener viewership was up 111% among Black viewers and more than 200% among Hispanic viewers.⁵

The WBC does not just reflect diversity—it accelerates it, turning representation into a central feature of the viewing experience. Fox Deportes understood this, tapping into intense national pride and passionate fan bases to create an atmosphere mirroring the passion of soccer-style international competition.

Commercial power meets cultural relevance

As baseball’s audience becomes more multicultural  and engaged, its commercial value continues to rise. Brands are increasingly recognizing the importance of aligning with culturally resonant sports properties like the World Baseball Classic and the MLB. 

At the highest level, sponsorship assets tied to baseball generate significant returns. In 2025, deals such as Guggenheim Partners’ Los Angeles Dodgers jersey sleeve ($80.3 million in media value), Security Benefit’s home plate signage ($44.1 million in media value), and Starr Insurance’s New York Yankees jersey sleeve ($38.3 million in media value) ranked among the most valuable in sports.⁶ 

On an individual level, fans respond through support and purchases when they feel represented, showing the tangible impact sports partnerships have on consumer behavior. 

Cultural collaborations are also driving huge returns. A co-branded collaboration between artist Takashi Murakami and MLB for the 2025 Tokyo Series delivered over $40 million in sales and sold out almost instantly.⁷

Digital communities and year-round engagement

The growth of the World Baseball Classic has been amplified by how fans engage with the sport beyond traditional broadcasts.

According to a Forbes article, social media posts during the WBC tournament from MLB, MLB Español, and the World Baseball Classic accounts generated more than 2.24 billion global views across platforms through the semifinals.⁸ 

Today, almost 75% of U.S. baseball fans use social media to stay informed about sports, turning platforms into real-time hubs for highlights, commentary, and cultural conversation.⁹ This always-on engagement is particularly important for reaching younger and more diverse audiences.

These behaviors show how the WBC exists not just as a broadcast event, but as a multi-platform ecosystem—one that supports deeper and more sustained digital engagement across culturally diverse communities.

Learning the lessons from the WBC

As Nielsen media intelligence shows that while the tournament only occurs once every four years, the World Baseball Classic is a microcosm of the trends and opportunities for advertisers and marketers looking to connect with a growingly diverse audience through baseball and sports in general. 

What was once a niche international competition is now drawing record-breaking audiences and capturing the attention of a broader audience.

At its core, the WBC tournament is not just about who wins or loses. It is about representation, visibility, and the emotional ties that bind fans to teams that reflect their heritage and identity. 

As the tournament grows in scale and significance, it is redefining what baseball means in the 21st century—not just as a sport, but as a cultural force that commands attention.

For more insights into today’s AANHPI fans and how to connect with them, check out our report Breakthrough ROI: Investing in Asian American audiences and media.

For more insights into today’s Black fans and how to connect with them, check out our report The Black influence: How Black culture & identity drive the market.

For more insights into today’s Hispanic fans and how to connect with them, check out our report How Hispanic consumers are influencing the media landscape.

Notes:

¹ Nielsen National TV Ratings, Live+SD, Big Data + Panel. Includes simulcasts on FOX Deportes.
² Nielsen national TV ratings, live+SD, 2025 MLB postseason, panel-only
³ Analysis of 4Q25 (9/29/25 – 12/28/25, Nielsen National TV Panel Data augmented by Streaming Platform Ratings ad supported includes broadcast and independents, ad supported cable, and streaming minus non ad supported streaming Sports Event Summary type and live streaming events excluded from broadcast, cable, and streaming buckets and re-aggregated
⁴ Nielsen National TV Ratings Panel, Live+SD, all simulcasts combined
⁵  Nielsen National TV Audience Measurement Big Data + Panel, Persons 2+
⁶ Nielsen Sport24
⁷ Sportico
⁸ Forbes
⁹ Nielsen Fan Insights, Dec 2025 – Jan 2026

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Brands respecting cultural nuance isn’t just good marketing, it’s driving effective strategies on where and how to show up and delivering bottom line impact. With an inclusive approach and a data-driven strategy, diving deeper into Black audience trends can be a guidepost to where the culture and the market are headed. 

For example, Black audiences are 4x more likely than the average consumer to be very interested in The WNBA.¹ As the growth of women’s sports’ audience engagement and sponsorship value continue to rise, so has the price point for brand investment according to Nielsen Sports. 

With a projected buying power of $2.1 trillion in 2026, Black consumers deliver significant economic impact.² Paired with an appetite for media engagement, Black America also represents one of the most addressable audiences across the media landscape. 67% of Black consumers agree they pay more attention to brands that reflect their culture compared to 46% overall.³

The Digital Disconnect

In the retail category alone, Nielsen Ad Intel data shows half of ad spend goes to digital channels. Black consumers are a key audience online, averaging two hours more a week with digital media than the total audiences.⁴ However, the ads Black consumers encounter don’t always connect. 64% of Black audiences agree they want more representation in ads on social media and 61% on websites.⁵

Blurred lines of content, creators platforms and campaigns

Savvy marketers aren’t just reaching the Black consumer—they are connecting with intersectional and nuanced Black identities. Black creators are an essential piece of the strategy to dive deeper with Black Americans as audiences embrace the blurred lines across media platforms.

• Black listeners are the most likely to watch their podcasts, naming YouTube as the platform they use most often to tune in.⁶
• 70% of Black Gamers are more likely to watch a show due to favorite creators’ involvement vs 62% of Gamers overall⁷
• Black American listeners are 32% more likely to listen to podcasts hosted by a radio personality.⁸

The impact of creators to connect and drive action

The inclusive creator approach is not just driving content engagement. Black consumers are also more likely to take action. 52% of Black audiences agreed they’re more likely to purchase when a brand partners with creators, personalities, or organizations connected to their fandoms and interests compared to 45% overall.⁹ That number climbs even higher when you look at different Black identities within the community.

Keep in mind that Black consumers are often looking for brand alignment before buying a brand and the same rings true for Black creators evaluating partnerships. More than half of self-identified, Black content creators have actively changed buying habits with a brand because of its values or actions. Overall, 70% of Black consumers now report they will stop buying from brands perceived as devaluing their community—up from 66% in 2023.¹⁰ This makes measuring outcomes like attention and sentiment as essential for advertisers to understand impact. 

Connect with the culture to earn spend 

No matter the platform or messenger, Black consumers are prioritizing their dollars and their attention where they feel seen, heard and valued. But the foresight of where their focus is headed next—and why—can help content developers and brands meet the evolving expectations of Black audiences to win with them long term.

For more detailed insights on ways to connect with the Black audience, download our 2026 Diversity Intelligence Series report: The Black influence How Black culture & identity drive the market. 

Sources

¹ Nielsen Scarborough USA+ 2025
² Selig Center for Economic Growth
³  Nielsen Attitudes on Representation Study, 2025
⁴ Nielsen Black Diverse Intelligence Series, 2025
⁵ Nielsen Attitudes on Representation Study, 2025
⁶  Nielsen Scarborough Podcast Recontact Study, 2025
⁷  Nielsen Advanced Audience Attitudes Study, 2025
⁸  Nielsen Scarborough Podcast Recontact Study, 2025
⁹  Nielsen Advanced Audience Attitudes Study, 2025

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The Record is a quarterly report card on how U.S. consumers spend their listening day, fueled by Nielsen and Edison Research. While advertisers are constantly tracking changes in consumer behavior to improve the impact of their cross-channel marketing, The Record helps cut through with a unique representation of the time spent with ad supported audio.
So how have audio listening habits shifted in Q4 2025 compared to the prior quarter? Let’s dig into the data.

The Q4 audio overview

Daily audio consumption amounted to 3 hours and 54 minutes of daily listening across both ad supported and ad free platforms like radio, podcasts, streaming music services and satellite radio. In the fourth quarter of 2025, ad supported audio accounted for 63% of all listening.

Zeroing in on the ad supported audio universe, consumers spent 61% of their daily time in the fourth quarter with radio, 21% with podcasts, 15% with streaming music and 3% with satellite radio.

For advertisers planning for audio marketing campaigns, it is important to consider that 82% of all daily ad supported audio time goes to radio and podcasts, while only 15% goes to streaming music services.

A quarterly snapshot: Edison Research Share of Ear®

This chart shows how U.S. audiences spent their time with ad supported audio in Q4 2025.

Explore even more audio insights with the additional data tables.

Tracking radio listening by format

The following tables detail how the share of radio audience varies by format, age, demographic and platform for the top 15 largest-reaching AM/FM radio formats. These differentiate between the share of all radio listening and the share of streaming listening specifically, which are those listening to the digital streams of AM/FM radio stations. 

Explore even more audio insights with the additional data tables.

Explore even more audio insights with the additional data tables.

Get the latest audio insights

Explore the latest audio consumer insights from our January 2026 Audio Today Report, which details the power of radio among Hispanic consumers. Nielsen data shows that radio reaches more than 93% of all Hispanic audiences in the U.S. and creates unique emotional connections with listeners that influence them to act on ad exposures to a much higher degree than the general population.

The Record provides a quarterly analysis of audio listening behaviors across the total radio universe. The charts represent average daily usage and share of listening for U.S. audiences. 

For even more audio data and insights, explore our audio measurement solutions and connect with our team of experts.

Source

¹  Source: Edison Research, “Share of Ear®” Q4 2025

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Holiday features account for more than a third of movie viewing time in December

A wealth of holiday titles, both new and old, make up more than a third of the month’s total movie viewing, whether it’s marathons on linear TV or the deep libraries of the streaming platforms. While the exact percentage may vary a bit year to year, the one-third share of viewing benchmark has been consistent.

Holiday fan favorites

Looking across the past four Decembers, we see many of the same titles appear in the top 10, even if their positions may change a bit. These include A Christmas Story (consistently boosted by TBS and TNT’s annual “24 Hours of A Christmas Story” marathon), Elf, the Grinch films (both the live action and animated versions), The Santa Clause, and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. But one movie in particular has almost always topped the list: Home Alone. This 1990 classic, with strong cross-generational appeal, has been the top-viewed holiday film in three of the last four Decembers.

In 2024, it was unseated from the number one slot by the Prime Video original Red One, starring Dwayne Johnson. The streaming platform had previously cracked the top 10 the prior year with Eddie Murphy’s Candy Cane Lane, and has had the most success among native streamers in competing with the classic fan favorites. While Netflix hasn’t quite cracked the top 10 yet, it has had a few titles in the running the past couple of years, such as The Christmas Chronicles and That Christmas.

Finally, we’d be remiss not to mention the perennial debate about whether the 1988 action thriller Die Hard is a Christmas movie. Well, it seems viewers have embraced it as one, so we’ve included it as part of our analysis. And, in December of 2024, it landed just outside our top 10 rankings at number 11.

What’s trending so far this year?

We have already seen holiday titles popping up in our weekly top 10 streaming rankings during November, including the favorite classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas as well as newer Netflix originals A Merry Little Ex-Mas and Champagne Problems.

Stay tuned for updates coming in January. We will revisit these trends as the rankings for December settle—it will be interesting to see how much tradition factors into the results this time around.

Stay on top of more TV trends

Stay connected with our Top 10 all year long to track the most-watched titles in streaming, linear TV, and more. Interested in deeper insights? Check out our TV and Streaming audience measurement solutions.

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Beyond these technological advances, the nature of measurement within marketing is also changing. The focus is shifting from not only what data is available, but also to how it is interpreted and used to guide decisions. As marketing objectives diversify—spanning brand building, performance and customer experience—so do the metrics that define success. This inherently brings to light differences in priorities across teams, markets, and functions.

Seen in this context, the challenge is not purely technical. It involves the strategic alignment of objectives, timelines and definitions of success to ensure that data serves a shared strategic purpose. The opportunity lies in connecting measurement more closely with intent, so that insight leads to impact.

Aligning metrics with meaning

Marketing measurement often produces more numbers than clarity. Organisations can track impressions, clicks, engagement, conversions, and spend across multiple platforms. Yet understanding which metrics truly reflect business impact remains a common challenge. The 2025 Nielsen Global Annual Marketing Survey asked marketers to identify their top two challenges in measuring ROI, and organizational alignment and clarity emerged as the most pressing concerns.

Citing stakeholder alignment across key metrics as their top challenge, 22% of marketers show that measurement is most effective when teams share a common understanding of what success looks like. In this context, it’s easier to see why 19% of marketers highlighted unclear KPIs and the sheer volume of data as a challenge—without clarity on what to track, even abundant data can be difficult to interpret.

At the same time, 17% noted siloed internal teams as a barrier. When teams work in isolation, differences in priorities and reporting practices make it harder to translate data into actionable insight. Operational hurdles also persist—incomparable data is a top challenge for 19% of marketers, and too many vendors or tools is a hurdle for 18%. Adding more tools to a fragmented plan only makes the fragmentation more visible. The real leverage point for improvement, however, remains the clarity of the overall marketing strategy. When strategic clarity exists, sophisticated tools can reveal sharper insights and highlight actionable opportunities, ensuring that campaigns are both efficient and effective.

Bridging the strategy gap

Agreeing on the right metrics is only the first step. Alignment alone does not guarantee that measurement translates into insight. Our 2025 Marketing ROI Blueprint shows a gap between confidence and execution—85% of marketers feel confident in tracking holistic performance yet only 32% actually measure holistically. This discrepancy highlights the strategic dimension of measurement. Measurement is not just a technical task but a capability that connects teams, clarifies priorities, and ensures that data drives meaningful decisions. Without this strategic link, even aligned metrics can remain disconnected from real business outcomes.

Simple adjustments can make a difference, such as ensuring key KPIs reflect business priorities, checking that teams interpret metrics consistently, and connecting insights across channels all help turn confidence into actionable clarity. 

Turning insight into impact

When measurement in marketing aligns with strategy, it moves beyond reporting activity to shaping decisions. It reveals which investments are performing, where resources can be optimised, and how the full picture of marketing impact comes together. Here is how you can take practical steps to make data work harder.

• Translate trends into strategic moves: High-performing teams interpret patterns in context—connecting campaign performance to broader customer behaviour or market shifts. This enables subtle adjustments in messaging, timing, or budget to produce measurable results.
• Uncover latent growth areas: A holistic view of performance often reveals what topline metrics overlook. Deeper analysis exposes patterns that point to new audiences, refined messaging opportunities or untapped channels. As 18% of marketers report that not enough granularity in measurement is a challenge, the value of precision becomes clear. Richer, more detailed insight doesn’t just explain past performance—it guides where growth will come from next.
• Invest where it counts: Not all metrics are equally valuable. Effective marketing strategies focus on signals that directly influence revenue, customer retention or long-term brand equity—turning insight into resource allocation decisions that meaningfully affect business outcomes.

Driving impact through clarity

The true measure of marketing impact is the clarity of insights that drive action, maximizing value beyond raw data volume. When metrics are interpreted in context and connected to business priorities, marketers can allocate resources effectively, optimize campaigns, uncover growth opportunities and maximise marketing ROI.

Our 2025 Marketing ROI Blueprint highlights how marketers are moving beyond fragmented tracking to a holistic approach that links strategy, performance and growth. It demonstrates how strategic clarity allows teams to prioritise high-value actions, uncover hidden opportunities, and optimise investments for sustained impact. Download the report to explore the full findings and understand how your measurement approach can evolve from activity-focused to outcome-driven turning insight into tangible business results. 

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What are Nielsen ratings?

Nielsen ratings are a standard measuring metric shaping the television and streaming industries. These ratings offer valuable third-party insights into viewership and audience engagement by providing metrics of how many people are watching specific programs and their interactions with various types of content. Nielsen ratings help U.S. networks, advertisers and content creators make informed decisions regarding programming, marketing strategies and audience targeting. 

Ratings are the percentage of the (TV-owning) population that watched a particular program or commercial. There are many variations: A rating may be based on live viewing only, live + same day playback, live + 3 days, live + 7 days, or even live + 35 days. 

There are also ratings for households as well as specific persons-level demographic groups. Nielsen publicly publishes household ratings within the Linear TV Top 10 topline rankings every week. 

Impact of Nielsen ratings on programming

By offering objective measurement of viewership and content consumption habits, Nielsen ratings help networks and producers evaluate the performance of their content and set industry-standard advertising rates. This information is significant not only for determining a show’s success but also plays a pivotal role in shaping programming decisions and schedules across the industry. 

High ratings often lead to series’ renewals, while it’s possible that low numbers can result in cancellations or significant changes to a series. Having strong supporting data insights on viewership allows networks to curate content that aligns with viewer preferences and enhances audience engagement.

Setting the standard in advertising

Advertisers depend on Nielsen ratings to make informed decisions on budget allocation and set industry-wide advertising rates. 

High ratings signify a larger audience, making specific programs more attractive for advertising placements. Consequently, this data affects ad pricing and helps advertisers effectively target their campaigns, ensuring their messages reach the right viewers at optimal times.

How are Nielsen ratings calculated?

Nielsen ratings data is developed through a combination of panel data and big data. The advantage of integrating panel and big data sources together is that it improves overall data quality to ensure more robust data that captures even the smallest audiences, and delivers a reliable view of content performance. Learn more about the methodology of how Nielsen ratings are calculated and how Nielsen is ringing in a new era of measurement starting with the Fall 2025 TV season.

Nielsen ratings in the era of streaming

As streaming platforms are a growing part of the entertainment landscape, measuring viewership has become increasingly complex. Unlike traditional broadcast television with scheduled program airtimes, streaming presents unique challenges. Viewers access content on various devices, on their own schedule, oftentimes on multiple streaming platforms which complicates the capture of accurate viewing habits and preferences.

Nielsen offers comprehensive streaming ratings that account for both live and on-demand viewing across multiple platforms. Nielsen uses advanced technology and methodologies to not only track who is watching but also provide insights into viewer engagement and demographics, empowering content creators and advertisers with data necessary to reach the right audiences.

When comparing traditional television ratings to streaming ratings, the differences become evident. Traditional Nielsen viewership ratings focus primarily on linear viewing, capturing data from specific time slots and audiences. In contrast, streaming ratings encompass a broader range of viewer behaviors, including binge-watching and time-shifted viewing, to reflect the on-demand nature of modern consumption. This comparative analysis highlights how Nielsen ratings are evolving to provide a more comprehensive understanding of audience behavior in a rapidly changing media environment.

Make confident business decisions

Nielsen is relied upon as the leading measurement provider for TV ratings, holding current deals with all major broadcasters, streamers and professional sports leagues — and Big Data + Panel was widely adopted by the vast majority of broadcasters and agencies as currency for the 2025 Upfront.

Through Nielsen’s Big Data + Panel measurement, we offer media content producers and advertisers a suite of solutions to be confident in the strategies to pursue and audiences they want to engage with.

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