NFL says Nielsen audience measurements under-count games by millions of viewers

No one disputes that NFL games are the most-watched programming on American television. But the NFL says the widely used Nielsen data is actually under-counting NFL game viewership.

“There are millions of viewers that we believe they are systematically undercounting,” NFL Chief Data and Analytics Officer Paul Ballew told the Wall Street Journal .

Nielsen has long been the primary source of information about what Americans are watching, since the days when viewers had three networks to choose from. But as Americans watch more on streaming services, there are questions about whether Nielsen’s methods capture all of those viewers. The NFL is increasingly shown on streaming, both by deals that partner exclusively with streaming services and with its traditional broadcast partners also