NFL complains about changes by Nielsen to TV ratings measurements

The NFL is expressing concern over adjustments by Nielsen to its television ratings measurement methods for the upcoming season, deeming them "hasty" and potentially detrimental to the sports industry. Nielsen disclosed intentions to modify its audience measurement techniques on television starting August 31st, with a new approach to determining whether multiple individuals are simultaneously watching an event.

The NFL has enjoyed one of its most lucrative television seasons to date, following Nielsen's implementation of the Big Data + Panel methodology for all events since September 2024. The league averaged 18.7 million viewers per game during the 2025 regular season, a 10% increase from the previous year and the highest since 1989. The Super Bowl drew 124.9 million viewers across NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, NBC Sports Digital, and NFL+, just missing the previous record.

Paul Ballew, the NFL's head of data and analytics, acknowledged the league's ongoing efforts to comprehend the implications of these changes on this season's ratings. "We don't have sufficient impact data to fully evaluate. We're still trying to make sense of it," Ballew stated. "It appears negative for sports at first glance, but co-viewing or partial co-viewing implementation could be beneficial.

We'll need to continue dissecting and understanding these methodological changes." The priority for the league remains obtaining the most accurate audience figures while better understanding the demographics of the viewership.