A significant change to Nielsen’s ratings methodology is yielding noticeable — but not massive — gains to some sports programming.

On Sept. 1, Nielsen began rolling out its “big data plus panel” measurement for live programming, just in time for the start of the NFL season and a couple days after the college game got fully underway. In addition to its traditional panel sampling, the company is incorporating data from millions of homes with smart TVs and streaming devices in hopes of giving a more accurate picture of what viewers are watching.

A significant change to Nielsen’s ratings methodology is yielding noticeable — but not massive — gains to some sports programming.

On Sept. 1, Nielsen began rolling out its “big data plus panel” measurement for live programming, just in time for th

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