Football League (NFL) poised for unprecedented viewership and advertising revenue under the new Nielsen measurement system

Football League (NFL) poised for unprecedented viewership and advertising revenue under the new Nielsen measurement system

NFL Embraces New Big Data System for Ratings and Ad Revenue

The National Football League (NFL) is set to revolutionize its ratings and advertising landscape with the introduction of a new Big Data-enhanced system. This shift promises to bring more accurate audience intelligence and potentially boost revenue for the league and its media partners.

According to CBS Sports ad sales head, Ryan Briganti, the new currency has been integrated into the pricing structure and ratings estimates for the fall season. The first batch of these enhanced ratings is expected to be released in September.

The new system, developed by Nielsen, combines data from 42,000 homes with data from 75 million digital devices, offering a more comprehensive view of the NFL's audience. This enhancement is expected to drive the average audience for the big 4:20 p.m. ET games beyond the 26 million mark.

However, this shift has injected a layer of complexity into the process of setting ad rates and ratings projections. Buyers have offered a range of projections for the coming NFL season, with some anticipating a +3% overall gain for in-game deliveries while others suggest an +8% increase.

The potential impact on viewership is significant. A proportional uptick in impressions could see the NFL's national Sunday games on CBS, Fox, and NBC gain anywhere from 1.6 million to 2.4 million viewers per broadcast.

The first reports on this season's Sunday NFL numbers are expected to land on Wednesday, Sept. 10. The average NFL CPM (price of reaching 1,000 viewers) is up between 7% and 9% compared to last year's upfront rates, reflecting the increased value of the audience data.

Last season, Thursday Night Football deliveries saw a 7.8% lift in overall impressions when the new Big Data wrinkle was applied. The weekly audience for Thursday Night Football grew from an average of 13.2 million viewers to 14.2 million with the application of the new system.

The new Big Data system was used during the spring/summer upfront bazaar for booking advance commitments for the 2025-26 TV season. Tony Taranto leads CBS' NFL sales efforts, and he emphasizes the importance of this new system in providing more accurate audience intel.

Despite the complexity, the stakes are high. Overpromising ratings guarantees is a common strategy to avoid giving away free inventory, but underestimating the deliveries can leave a network with a significant amount of money unrealized. Advertisers receiving armloads of free inventory is a risk for networks, and the new Big Data system aims to mitigate this risk by providing more accurate and reliable data.

Briganti acknowledges that the hardest thing to do during a new deal is the first year. However, with the implementation of the new Big Data system, the NFL and its media partners are optimistic about the potential for increased viewership and revenue.

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