Nielsen is introducing a range of updates to its US TV ratings system for the 2026-27 season, including a revised method for measuring the total number of TV users that had previously caused friction with clients. The changes, which also cover co-viewing measurement and how data is weighted, take effect from 1 September after receiving approval from oversight body the Media Rating Council. Nielsen says the overhaul is aimed at improving accuracy rather than fundamentally altering the numbers reported to clients or the public.

The most contentious element concerns Nielsen's monthly Gauge report, which tracks viewing share across broadcast, cable and streaming; a planned update was delayed from February after clients objected to new data from the Advertising Research Foundation's DASH TV Universe Study, which lagged by 12 to 18 months and would have boosted linear viewing (mainly benefiting cable) at streaming's expense. Nielsen says it has since fixed the lag issue, and while overall trends won't change — streaming remains close to half of all US TV viewing and will still lead by a wide margin — the new baseline will affect how streaming, cable and broadcast are measured going forward. Other changes include better incorporation of wearable device data for co-viewing and out-of-home measurement, use of Census Bureau surveys to refine estimates of Spanish-language households, "integrated weighting" to combine big data and panel measurement more consistently, and an enhanced machine-learning tool for determining household demographics.