Nielsen backflips on new US rating rule

That new ruling by US Ratings kings Nielsen which allowed repeat episodes to combined is no more.

The ruling, which recognised combined audiences if a show was repeated in the same week with the same advertising content, was used by NBC for Heroes -boosting the show’s season premiere to 17m viewers. Without the repeat the following week it had 12m.

But Nielsen copped so much flak for the idea from clients it’s done away with the idea effective immediately. The strategy was introduced to adapt to shifting audience patterns. Unlike years gone by, we no longer watch a free to air episode at the same time, or even from the same medium, as we used to.

Nielsen says it will continue to move with technological change to measure audiences.

Source: Mediaworks