EOTO 2: Neilson Ratings

 Neilsen Ratings

    Chances are, if you have been on any streaming platform lately, you have seen a ranking of popular TV shows, but have you ever wondered where these ratings come from or how we get them? Well, these ratings are called Neilsen ratings. These ratings began as a way to measure the popularity of radio shows, but who listens to those anymore! They then transitioned to covering cable TV, but we don't watch that anymore either, so, in 2017, Neilsen group switched to including streaming in their ratings as well. Neilsen ratings are measured by taking a sample group of households and tracking what they watch, where they watch it (streaming service/channel), and how often they watch it (Britannica). Through this data, they get a general idea of how popular a TV show is in the average American household. This group began as a collection of 25 thousand households in the early 2000s to now having around 100 thousand households as of January 2024. Neilsen ratings can also affect advertising rates (Britannica). For example, if your channel has TV shows that are doing really well and have high Neilsen ratings, that means many people are tuning in to watch your channel. Therefore, companies would be willing to pay higher prices to advertise on your channel in the hopes that their advertisement would be seen by more people. However, if your channel has poor Neilsen ratings, that means nobody is watching your channel (loser), so a company would not be willing to pay as much to advertise with you. What I found really cool while doing my research, is that Neilsen ratings are public and updated frequently. Check out this image! This is the Neilsen ratings of popular TV shows from the week of November 10th. It makes sense that these shows would make the list. I have heard so much praise for all of these shows, and I have even seen some of them myself!