Nielsen has unveiled a new push to more accurately measure "co-viewing" – instances where multiple people watch the same programme together in one location, such as at a party or in a bar – as the new US TV season approaches. The update matters because Nielsen's data remains central to how advertisers and networks negotiate the value of TV audiences, and better capturing group viewing could give certain shows more credit than they currently receive under existing measurement methods.

To achieve this, Nielsen will roll out wearable devices resembling smart watches for its panellists, which passively capture audio from TV programmes to build a more accurate picture of audience size. The move builds on the "Big Data + Panel" product Nielsen launched in early 2025, which draws on data from 45 million households and 75 million devices, and comes despite criticism from the Video Advertising Bureau over data inconsistency. Nielsen says it has also fixed timing delays involving Advertising Research Foundation data, combined US Census surveys to better estimate Spanish-language audiences, and updated its methodology for smart-TV-derived ACR data, all after coordinating the changes with clients and the Media Rating Council.